There was plenty of brain food on offer at the breakfast as over 500 captains of industry attended the breakfast at the Durban ICC.
Dancers spiced up the morning at the GIBS ECR Business Breakfast brought to you by Trade and Investment Kwazulu-Natal.
Speakers at the GIBS ECR Business Breakfast were ushered onto the stage by 'praise singer' T-Bone.
Former Dean of GIBS, Nick Binedell reminded us that 'Economic growth is the oxygen of the country.'
The CEO of MTN Ghana, Serame Taukobong reminded us that 'We are part of Africa.'
Dion Change of Flux Trends gave us insight into our future world. He told us to look out for Ingestible Tech. He also suggested that to be at the forefront of business we should anticiapte disruption.
The great storyteller Gcina Mhlophe entertained us throughout her speech.
This was indeed a wonderful breakfast and the delegates left with wonderful thoughts in their heads, ready to build their business up.
The event trended on Twitter and for more insight into the breakfast you can track the hashtag #FindYourFrequency.
There are quite a few free workshops for filmmakers at the Durban International Film Festival this week.
Here are some of the highlights at the hub - Elangeni Hotel.
Monday 21 July
9am Meet the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission - Suite 5
9am Funding instruments available for TV Production - Suite 4
10am NFVF Co-Production Forum SA/Kenya - Suite 5
9am Opportunities presented by Co-Production and Partnership Treaties - Suite 3
3pm Feedback from Transmedia Lab - Suite 5
4pm Meet the Funders - Funding opportunities globally - Suite 5
4pm NFVF Training Initiatives - Suite 3
Tuesday 22 July
9am Updates from Durban Industry Organisations - Suite 3
10am Local Initiatives - Innovative Durban Initiatives - Suite 4
There are also many films that you can see for free at The Elangeni Hotel this week.
Tonight DIFF (The Durban International Film Festival) opens and for the next couple of
weeks there will be movies, filmstars, workshops and a great deal of networking going on.
You can follow all the action on Twitter - @DiFFest
You can also follow one of the people behind the scenes Sharlene Versfeld - @sharlvers
Industry Development Initiatives at the Durban International Film Festival
The 33rd Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder) presents not only a feast of cinema in the form of over 290 screenings around the city, but also a host of new and more established initiatives aimed at stimulating the growth of the African film industry at a variety of levels.
Industry Initiatives
This year will see the 5th installment of Talent Campus Durban, an intensive five-day skills development and networking programme for 50 selected African filmmakers who are in the early stages of their careers. Bringing together filmmakers from 18 African nations, Talents will participate in master classes and workshops with industry professionals who are leaders in their fields, attend screenings, and participate in networking activities. This year will also include two specialist mentoring programmes – Doc Station for documentary filmmakers, and Talent Press for journalists and film reviewers. Six selected Talents will also take part in the three day script development workshop, the Produire au Sud Script Studio, coordinated by Festival 3 Continents – Nantes, as part of the France – South Africa Season 2012 & 2013.
The 3rd edition of Durban FilmMart (DFM), a partnership project between the festival and the Durban Film Office will take place from the 20th-23rd July. This increasingly important global platform for Africans highlights challenges in the fields of finance, marketing, distribution and new digital developments. Based on the Cinemart model at the Rotterdam International Film Festival, the DFM Finance Forum component provides opportunities for filmmakers of 23 pre-selected projects to hold meetings with film financiers and potential production partners. DFM also offers selected documentary projects the chance to participate in structured pitching sessions with international commissioning editors during DOC Circle (in association with IDFA, the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam). Access to the Finance Forum is for preselected projects only, but accreditation for masterclasses, seminars and networking activities can be attained by registering online atwww.durbanfilmmart.com for a fee.
DIFF 2012 also brings into action an exciting new partnership with the World Documentary Exchange (WDE) whereby IDFA (the globe’s largest and oldest documentary festival and the initiator of WDE), Hot Docs (the largest documentary festival in North America) and Busan Film Festival (the largest film festival in Asia) collaborate in an exchange to widen access to markets for films and filmmakers in the respective countries.
In another developmental strand of the festival, thousands of school learners will be attending screenings and workshops of films in order to enhance their film literacy, and inspire them in the appreciation of cinema and the messages they carry. Participation is now closed for the 2012 School Programme, but schools are invited to email cca@ukzn.ac.za to indicate interest for future programmes.
Open Workshop Programme
There are programmes taking place daily at the Blue Waters Hotel that are free of charge and open to anyone who is interested in issues pertaining to film, both professional and public. Topical industry challenges are addressed in Africa in Focus seminar series and other programmes. Cooperation with a broad spectrum of associates, Documentary Filmmakers Association, Film and Publications Board, S.A.G.E and others, has resulted in a rich programme engaging such topics as acting for screen, digital media, African coproduction opportunities, film funds, transmedia, training programmes (such as the NFVF’s scriptwriters’ programme, Sediba SPARK), dealing with press and publicity, film commissions, journalism, wildlife filmmaking, indigenous languages and film, editing and film classification, to name just a few. The festival has had an ongoing, 12-year-long, partnership with the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), and will this year include three NFVF “In Conversation with….” sessions, among other panels.
Through this broad workshop programme DIFF continues to create opportunities that nurture and inspire local filmmaking constituencies.
Pick up a pocket programme at the the Blue Waters and other film venues for further workshop details, as well as a full screening schedule. The programme is also available online at www.durbanfilmfest.co.za. Participation in workshops is free but requires registration, so make sure you bring your ID book.
Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal) the Durban International Film Festival is supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism, HIVOS, City of Durban, German Embassy, Goethe Institut, Industrial Development Corporation, The French Season in South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture, and a range of other valued partners.
(Source - @DiFFest)
Clowns Without Borders is looking for a Part-Time Manager
Clowns Without Borders South Africa (CWBSA) is an arts-based humanitarian non profit organisation that provides psychosocial support to children and families affected by crisis (www.cwbsa.org).
CWBSA seeks to appoint a Programme Manager based in Durban, South Africa.
This is part-time senior management position within the organisation.
Salary commensurate with experience
Starting date: September 2012
To apply, submit a CV and a motivational letter with 3 references for contact by 20 July 2012 to info@cwbsa.org
Auditions for a new Mbongeni Ngema Musical
Audition dates: 20 and 21 July 2012 - Mbabane Theatre, Swaziland
23, 24 and 25 July 2012 - The Playhouse, Durban
(Source - Pansa)
And finally
Another trailer to whet your appetite for DIFF see you there
The 33rd Durban International Film Festival Shines a Light on Ecological Issues
The environment around us has never been so under threat by the impact of human exploitative activity on its own habitat. From climate change to the destruction of precious flora and fauna, the Eco Lens at Durban International Film Festival 2012 (supported by principal funder, the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund) brings environmental issues under the microscope.
The Eco Lens comprises both factual documentary accounts and fictional stories dedicated to drawing our attention to some of the valuable cogs in the delicate machine that is this blue and green planet.
Consumption patterns, our eating habits and the impact of corporatized food production come under scrutiny in particular: Bitter Seeds (winner of the Green Screen Prize at IDFA)looks at the issue of multinational GM corporations and their impact on the small farmers. LoveMEATender is a brutal but illuminating and thorough look at the unsustainability of the meat industry, and Semisweet: Life in Chocolate delves into all the facets of the production of the world’s favourite confectionery, including its dark involvement in child slavery. Four Horsemen interlinks the faltering financial system, violence and conflict, poverty, and depletion of the eath’s natural resources. In the feature film Now, Forager, love and a nostalgia for more traditional modes of food production are rendered in earthy tones. Last Winter laments the loss of small scale farming as the agricultural world becomes increasingly industrialized.
Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), the Durban International Film Festival is supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism, HIVOS, City of Durban, German Embassy, Goethe Institut, Industrial Development Corporation, The French Season in South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture, and a range of other valued partners.
It’s like a dream come true - the opportunity for one regular citizen to become ‘President’ with all the perks and none of the politics. East Coast Radio together with Chevrolet this week launched the very first ‘President of the East Coast’ campaign. The station is looking for one person inKwaZulu-Natal who embodies everything Funsunzi. They win the title for a full year and enjoy all the benefits that come along with it.
So what does walking away with the title mean? The ‘President’ will get a Chevrolet as an official car, VIP access and treatment at tons of major events in KwaZulu-Natal and a range of other perks – including holiday and dinner vouchers at some of the province’s top spots.
It is a truly Funsunzi role, so we’re looking for candidates who love to socialize, love to blog and, most importantly, love KZN. They also need to be between the ages of 25 and 34.
Once the 6 finalists are chosen, they will all be put through the ‘Funsunzi filter’ with exciting challenges all the while testing their knowledge of the province. The top three candidates will then face the public vote. After all the public need a say as to who their ‘President’ is!
If you’re full of charisma and think you have what it takes to win the ultimate public vote then start your campaign now at www.ecr.co.za.
(Source - East Coast Radio )
Seen Around Town
Jean-Marie Spitaels and Jerome Pillai performing at @mondaystclement
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