MUSIC mockumentary Stone Cold Jane Austen will be one of eight South African films screening at the Cannes Film Festival later this month.
The films form part of the Marche Du Film programme which takes place from May 12 to 21, the film market business side of the Cannes Film Festival.
Writer/director Jon Savage is surprised that his film has made it onto the line-up. “It’s not a very traditional film. It’s a feature film in the style of a mockumentary. My film is going to Cannes, I’m going, too.”
Crowdfunded Stone Cold Jane Austen was shot over a three-and-half-year period and features Rob van Vuuren, Savage and Kurt Schoonraad as the only fictional characters in the story of an English rock band wanting to break into the lucrative Afrikaans rock market.
“All the Afrikaans stars from Fokofpolisiekar to Kurt Darren are in it, either as people supporting the idea, or not,” said Savage.
The film has been picked up by Nu Metro Theatre for local release on May 22.
Three of the films which will screen at the film market were produced by Cape Town production company ZenHQ Films.
Action crime thriller Dias Santana, is the country’s first South African-Angolan co-production between ZenHQ Films and Giant Sables Media Entertainment and was written and directed by Chris Roland and Maradona Dias Dos Santos.
Critically acclaimed Afrikaans fantasy romance Die Windpomp and the politically incorrect action comedy Bordering on Bad Behaviour are their other two films. Die Windpomp will screen as The Windmill and is currently available online or on DVD while Bordering on Bad Behaviour is doing the international film festival rounds and will release locally later this year.
In addition to the eight films which will screen, 20 local film producers will also attend the Marche du Film programmeparticipate in workshops.
Mayenzeke Baza of South African Indies said the South African producers were at varying levels of expertise, so they slotted into workshops which dealt with anything from film finance to master classes on how to tell a better story.
“Our local box office is really small, so to broaden the audience we need to make stuff that sells to a bigger audience.
“The international space, that’s where the audience is. You need to know what it is they’re looking for,” said Baza.
Terry Pheto’s production company Leading Lady’s debut family drama Ayanda and the Mechanic, directed by Sara Blecher; Laszlo Bene’s directorial debut about a journalist who covers conflict areas in Africa, Assignment; Sibs Shongwe-La Mer’s directorial debut, Necktie Youth; and Natasja Fourie’s short film adaptation The Man with the Heavy Leg, round out the list of South African films screening at this year’s film market at the Cannes Film Festival.
Cape Argus