South Africa at 20 festival dedicated to homegrown Saffa films

Many of the featured titles have never been seen in the UK; many have already won awards at international festivals; all of them are worth the price of a ticket.

Launched at the end of 2014 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of democracy in South Africa, the second half of this cleverly curated festival presents an enticing programme of films, documentaries and animation features. Nearly every one of the eleven titles was written, directed and produced by South African filmmakers; documentaries include Lionel Rogosin’s fascinating Come Back, Africa which he was forced to film under cover in 1959 when apartheid was at its height, and Meg Rickards’ recent 1994: The Bloody Miracle, a chilling look at how the democratic process was nearly derailed by criminal intent.

Music features strongly in the SA at 20 tour: Hear Me Move is a high energy dance movie by the young director Scottnes L Smith, which features dynamic choreography from Paul Modjadji, award-winning dancer, choreographer and social activist. We dare you to try some of the moves at home! Future Sound of Mzansi, directed by performance artist and Soweto-born Spoek Mathambo and filmmaker Lebogang Rasethaba (who spent five years in China studying for his master’s in film) explores South Africa’s cultural landscape via emerging electronic music artists including Aero Manyelo, Black Coffee, Felix Laband, Krushed & Sorted, Okmalumkoolkat, Rude Boyz and many more.

Says SA at 20’s Director and Executive Producer, South African-born Lizelle Bisschoff: “South African films are very rarely screened in UK cinemas, so this is the perfect opportunity of opening up the wealth of South African films to UK audiences. Cinema production in South Africa has absolutely exploded in the post-apartheid era; during apartheid there was an almost total lack of black South African filmmakers who simply did not have access to the training, funding and production tools necessary to make films. But now there are many important and internationally recognised black South African filmmakers emerging: directors such as Khalo Matabane whose Nelson Mandela: The Myth & Me, is a brilliant insight into the legend and the people who are adding to the multiplicity and diversity of voices and stories in contemporary South African cinema.”

Full programme: www.safilmtour.uk

Image from: http://safilmtour.uk/films/