The deputy film festival director, Anhony Moipolai, and the director of the film festival, Tshepo Tlhalogang, discussing the upcoming event that will be hosed at the William Humphreys Art Gallery in Kimberley. Picture: Soraya Crowie.
FILMMAKERS in the Northern Cape will showcase their skills and talents in how they put their big-screen productions together during the Mbawula Youth Film Festival.
The main festival will be hosted at the William Humphreys Art Gallery (Whag) in Kimberley from November 29 until December 2, 2023.
The film festival director, Tshepo Tlhalogang, said that several pop-up festivals will be hosted in smaller towns in the Province as a build-up to the main event.
Tlhalogang added that the showcasing of local productions will not be the only focus of the event.
“We will have a pop-up screening in Barkly West on November 3 and another one on November 19 in Kuruman. We will be screening some of the films at the pop-up events. Those screenings will, however, only be an appetiser to what people can expect during the main festival,” said Tlhalogang.
“The festival and pop-up screenings will not only be about people enjoying films, but there will also be workshops hosted on filmmaking including panel discussions on the message portrayed in the different films. We will have simultaneous screenings in Platfontein and Kutlwanong Community Hall in Galeshewe during the main festival so we can reach residents who are not able to make it to the event at the Whag.”
The deputy film festival director, Anthony Moipolai, said they have received film submissions from filmmakers from across the Northern Cape and even from outside the borders of the Province.
“We sent out a call for submissions to filmmakers to submit their productions for the festival. We mostly focussed on young filmmakers as we want to give a platform to the youth through the festival. We received some films from filmmakers in the Province, but the majority of the productions received are from other provinces in the country.
“The reason for the Northern Cape not to have an overwhelming submission of films is because we do not have many film production houses in the Province. Also, filmmaking is very expensive and not many filmmakers have the funds or access to funders who can foot the bill for the required resources, the crew and the time it takes to put a production together. It is still a great challenge for filmmakers in the Province.
“However, the productions we have received are of a high calibre in quality and entertainment. People will enjoy a feast of a variety of storylines that showcase very important conversation topics.
“Entry to the festival is free and people will get to enjoy the artistic talents of people of the Province at no charge. This will also be a fruitful opportunity for people, especially the youth, to see what beautiful art pieces are inside the museum as some have never set foot inside a museum,” said Moipola.
The festival will conclude with a charity drive when the festival organisers open the Northern Cape Theatre doors to the homeless residents of the Diamond City, where they will be treated to a meal and a shower, as well as walk away with some pre-loved clothing items.