The Visions of Freedom Film Festival takes place in June at Constitution Hill during the Basha Uhuru Festival.
A fitting way to commemorate the graduating class of 1976, who protested in the streets of Soweto demanding an education in a language they could understand and learn, is to provide today’s young people with educational opportunities that have the potential to produce tangible livelihoods.
The Vision of Freedom Film Festival, held at this year's Basha Uhuru Film Festival, will do just that, giving young filmmakers a chance to screen their films, work with renowned production companies and hone their craft.
“From my understanding, the festival has always aimed to create opportunities for young participants by connecting emerging creatives with each other and with professionals, organising workshops, collaborations and facilitating the sharing of skills,” asserted festival curator Mmabatho Montsho.
The film festival is part of the Basha Uhuru Freedom Festival, which runs from June 27 to 29.
Two days of inspiring conversations and workshops will take place on June 27 and 28. Organized by industry experts, the conference aims to hone creative skills and brainstorm solutions that creative people can trade.
The film festival runs through the 28th and will conclude on Saturday with the Sounds of Freedom music festival.
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opportunity Gain experience
Three production companies, Burnt Onion Productions ( How to ruin Christmas); Black Brain ( Deep City) and Sisanda Henna Films (NFVF Youth Filmmaker Slate).
The company has offered to take on some of the young filmmakers showcasing their work at this year's festival, giving them the opportunity to gain further experience and potentially even find employment.
“We thought the internship was a powerful way to ensure opportunities to connect with professionals beyond the duration of the festival. In our industry, if you are talented and disciplined, an internship can quickly turn into a job,” Montsho said. Citizen.
Montsho along with a small team approached these companies eager to be part of the festival.
On the day of the screening, June 28th, editors and executive producers will hold a panel discussion to talk about how they got to where they are today.
“We hope these insights will guide and inspire aspiring filmmakers as they plan their careers.”
How many of the young filmmakers will be absorbed into production companies will be at their discretion.
“They will watch films this week and choose one or more of their favourite filmmakers in any category, be it director, costume designer, art designer, editor or screenwriter.”
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Moved by the story
Montsho said she and her team were impressed with the concise storytelling of the filmmakers who applied.
“We were impressed by the original voices with a clear filmmaking style, or at least an aspirational one. They dealt with particular themes with a personal touch while fully engaging the audience. Most of the selected films were comparable to any professional short film,” said the multidisciplinary artist.
The films to be screened are as follows: Where is the chicken?,documentary boy A look at masculinity Umdali It's an introspective experimental documentary.
Smokey and repair Two works that tackle addiction, one with a witty approach, the other with a gothic/horror approach.[This]”The competition aims to commemorate the pioneering spirit of the class of 1976 and celebrate the quest for an education that is accessible to all. Most of the selected participants are still busy with their studies or have recently graduated,” Montsho said.
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