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South African Participation at the
61st Venice International Film Festival
The Department of Foreign Affairs is proud to announce
the South African participation at the 61st Venice International
Film Festival that will take place from 1-11 September
2004 in Venice, Italy. The aim of participating in this
prestigious film festival is to celebrate South Africa's
10th Anniversary of Freedom and Democracy and to promote
the film industry of South Africa.
Four South African films have been officially selected
for screening in three different categories at this
prestigious Festival. Both "Zulu Love Letter",
directed by Ramadam Suleman and produced by Bheki Peterson,
and "Yesterday", directed by Darrell Roodt
and produced by Anant Singh and Helena Spring, will
be screened in the Venezia Orizzonti Category of the
festival. The South African television series, "Yizo
Yizo", directed by Teboho Mahlatsi and produced
by Desiree Markgraaff and Angus Gibson, will be screened
in the Africa Digital Category. (Mr Mahlatsi was awarded
a Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1999).
The short film "Tide Table" by the world-renowned
South African artist, Mr William Kentridge, will be
screened in the Venezia Orizzonti Special Events Category.
Furthermore, as a special tribute to South Africa's
first decade of freedom, the Director of the Venice
International Film Festival, Mr Marco Müller, has
also commissioned Mr William Kentridge to design the
animated logo of their 61st festival. This work - an
imprisoned African lion, whose prison bars are lifted,
develops the wings of the Venice lion and gains his
freedom - is a symbolic recognition to all South Africans
in their struggle for freedom.
South Africa's participation in Venice is the culmination
of a number of initiatives over the past two years by
the Embassy in Rome, the Departments of Foreign Affairs
and of Arts and Culture, and the National Film and Video
Foundation (NFVF), one result of which was the signing
of the Film Co-Production Agreement between South Africa
and Italy in November 2003. This Agreement is expected
to contribute to further growth and development of the
South African film industry, with positive implications
for the South African economy and a broader knowledge
of our cultural heritage and diversity. The Film Co-Production
Agreement is a direct outflow of the Cultural Agreement
signed during the State Visit to South Africa in 2002
by President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.
As a result of the above Agreements and interaction,
the various role players in this sector have worked
towards the practical implementation thereof and have
utilised various opportunities to introduce the public
in Italy and Europe to the high quality of films that
South Africa is able to offer.
In March 2004, South Africa participated at the African
Film Festival in Milan during which a retrospective
of South African films was one of the highlights of
the festival. This was followed in July 2004 with a
retrospective on post-1994 South African films at the
Genoa Film Festival. This special focus on South Africa
was particularly relevant, since Genoa is the 2004 European
Capital of Culture and the festival attracted a considerable
number of people from around Europe and beyond.
At both festivals, the South African Embassy in Rome
and the Consulate-General in Milan, in close collaboration
with the Department of Arts and Culture and the NFVF,
ensured the successful South African participation.
This included the presentation of South African films,
the participation by South African directors and filmmakers
in various round table meetings with their Italian counterparts,
and their participation in various press conferences.
The South Africa - Italy Film Co-Production Agreement
and the incentive packages for the South African film
industry, recently announced by the Minister of Trade
and Industry, Mr MBM Mpahlwa, will form part of the
agenda for discussions in Venice between members of
the Italian film industry and the South African delegation.
On 2 September, South Africa's Ambassador to Italy,
Mr Lenin Shope, will host a formal launch function to
celebrate the 10 years of democracy and the South African
participation at the Venice Film Festival. On 8 September,
the Chief Executive Officer of the National Film and
Video Foundation, Mr Eddie Mbalo, together with the
Department of Arts and Culture, will host a celebratory
function on the famous Lido of Venice.
The South African delegation at the Venice Film Festival
will comprise of:
Ambassador Lenin Shope
Mr Eddie Mbalo (CEO, NFVF)
Mr Dimitri Marinis (NFVF)
Mr Mpho Monama (NFVF)
Mr Lebone Maema, Department of Arts and Culture
Mr Carlo Trevisan, South Africa's Honorary Consul in
Venice
Members of the Embassy in Rome and the Consulate-General
in Milan
In addition, a number of South African directors and
producers, including Mr Ramadam Suleman, Director of
"Zulu Love Letter", and Mr Anant Singh, Producer
of "Yesterday", will attend the festival.
For further information please contact Mr Ronnie
Mamoepa on 082-990-4853
Issued by:
Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001
01 September 2004
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