Inaugural Jozi Film Festival showcases stories of the city

Joburgers were treated to a feast of local films this weekend at the first annual Jozi Film Festival. With screenings at the Bioscope Independent Cinema and at the Kensington Club, the festival showcased documentaries, short fiction and feature length fiction films about the city.

Rosie Motene, producer of Man on Ground, the feature film that had its South African premiere at the festival and also opened the event, says she is excited about the festival, “This is a great event and I would love to see it develop into a week-long festival in the future.”

Man on Ground, directed by Akin Omotoso, was awarded Best Feature Film at the awards event on Sunday evening. Motene accepted the award and says they want to get the film out to local audiences, “It’s awesome that the first award Man on Ground has received is on Jozi soil.”

Festival organiser Brendon Burmester says organising the festival has been an incredible journey, “When we started putting the event together we never thought we would draw internationally acclaimed films.”

Screenings were well attended at both venues and many shows were sold out, making this first festival a major success. Says Burmester, “The films screened told stories of our lives, of what people in the city experience every day. This is what Jozi Film Festival is all about.”

Award winners at the festival:

Best documentary film: My Hunter’s Heart: Craig Foster/Damon Foster

Audience choice award: The First Grader: Justin Chadwick

Best feature film: Man on Ground: Akin Omotoso

Best animated film: Tengers: Michael Rix

Best short film: Singing in Kliptown: Eat My Dust Collective

Best student film: E-lectrity: Mikles Manneke. AFDA

Watch this video of the Capoeira performance which took place at the opening night of the festival at the Bioscope Independent Cinema:

• Author: Bianca Bothma
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