Following a two-year hiatus, the Joburg Film Festival announced earlier this year that the festival would return in 2023.
On Wednesday, organisers hosted an exclusive luncheon to announce that they will kick off their six-day celebration of filmmaking and storytelling excellence on January 21.
They also announced the selection of over 60 films that will be screened at the coveted festival.
The festival will boast a well-known and globally respected team including Zimbabwean born internationally renowned festival curator Keith Shiri. and industry expert Jack ChiangSet as the Film Festival’s programmer.
A press release sent to IOL Entertainment, read:“Known to showcase some of the finest films from over 35 countries across the globe, including 20 African premières and 27 South African premières, the Joburg Film festival will run from Tuesday, January 31, 2023 to Sunday, February 5, 2023 at various locations across the city.”
The Joburg Film Festival line-up includes films from South Africa, Tunisia, Brazil, Seoul, Brazil, USA, Japan, Morocco and more, with a mix of feature films and documentaries showcasing stories that cross cultural boundaries.
The festival will also play host to a number of stars, producers and directors, who will participate in Q&A sessions after select screenings across the programme. There’ll also be daily red carpet premières giving fans the opportunity to meet the stars themselves.
“The Joburg Film Fest will also include a selection of films from the the Africa Film Heritage Project,a partnership between the Federation of of Pan African Filmmakers (FEPACI), Martin Scorsese’s The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project along with its affiliate archive, the Cineteca di Bologna, and UNESCO,” the festival announced.
“The aim of the project has been to restore and preserve 50 African films with historical, cultural and artistic significance.
Timothy Mangwedi, Executive Director of the Joburg Film Festival, added: “The Joburg Film Festival offers a multicultural international standard cinema experience for film lovers young and old, right in the heart of Joburg.
Not only does the festival showcase thought-provoking and debate-stoking films from around the world, but also brings back the nostalgic storytelling from yesteryear via this selection of films being screened. Everyone is welcome to join the celebration.”
Festival screenings will take place at cinema’s in Soweto, Maboneng, Sandton and Rosebank. Tickets will be on sale from January 9 via Quicket.
The list of exceptional titles includes the multi-award winning 2022 feature film “Utuma”, set in the Bolivian highlands and tenderly portraying an elderly Quechua couple going through the difficulties of everyday life.
The South African doccie “Music Is My Life” offers an engaging account of the life of Joseph Shabalala, and his rise to international fame with his band Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Another notable local feature is “Surviving Gaza” which follows the life and struggles of Phuzi and his friends living in the lawless Gaza, who dream of Kwaito stardom.
For a full listing of the films to be screened at the upcoming Joburg Film Festival, visit www.joburgfilmfestival.co.za