PALM TO THE SUN FILM SUBMISSION

All the way from Tokyo, Japan and Tomohiko Iwasaki is the film that you don’t have to miss. Yoshio was social withdrawal in his boyhood, but one day he was attracted to puppet theater came to his elementary school, then he turned to be a groupie of the theater. Later, the theater was shut down, Yoshio was given a puppet of main character named “Corona”. He could speak well when he grabbed the puppet, so he started social life. He became familiar with the society, he learned skill of presentation、negotiation, party talk and so on. But he was always feel lonely. One day, he met a woman puppet in her hand like him. He felt love and try to date with her.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE FILM "CANDELA"

Ugu Film Festival's Duduzile Mpase interviews the producer of "Candela"

Q: Who are you and what is  your  background? 

A:  (As  a  film  producer) I'm  a  composer,  writer,  producer  and  manager  of  Tear  Blue  Productions,  a  Film  Production Company  based  in  Valencia  (Spain)  and  Calendula  Studios,  a  small  subsidiary  of  Blue  Tear.  I compose  music  for  musicals,  films,  TV  and  songs  and  lyrics  for  singers.  I  write  stories  for  both film  and  theater. Always  I've  been  fall  in  love  with  music,  so  my  parents  encouraged  me  to  study  music.  I  studied music  theory,  harmony  and  Solfeo  at  the  Conservatoire  of  Music  of  Valencia,  classical  piano  and guitar  at  a  Private  Music  School.  I  studied  Arts  and  Literature  at  the  High  School  and  I  attended at several writing workshops. Also I studied Computer Science at University of Valencia.

Q: Why  did you decide to  produce  Candela?

A: Candela  was born  at  a  lunch.  The  director  Manuel  Camacho  and  I  already  knew  each  other  a  few years  ago,  because  we  joined  together  on  the  production  of  a  music  video.  Following  that,  we used  to  meet occasionally  for  coffee  and  talked  about  movies.  That  day  Manuel  commented me that  he  was  quite  overworked,  and  he  had  to  deliver  various  projects  and  did  not  have  enough time  to  prepare  all.  One  project  was  to  write  a  script  for  a  short  film  about  time  travels,  my weakness!  so  I  offered  to  help  him.  He  accepted  and  I  began  to  develop  the  idea  of  Candela.  I was  so  excited  with  the  history  that  finally  I  developed  it  as  a  feature  film,  not  short. When  Manuel  read  the  script,  he  liked  it  so  much  and  told  me  "we  must  to  shoot  this".  I  was delighted and from then on, we decided to create Blue Tear Producciones and shoot Candela.

Q: Did  you  have  a  budget?

A: No,  indeed  not.  We  had  never  shot  a  film  like  this.  I  started  to  raise a  budget.  It  took  me  two weeks.  There  were  many  sets,  actresses  and  actors,  extras,  technical  team...  This  project  was not  economically  feasible  in  Valencia.  I  talked with  Carmen Blanco, manager of Teatrola Musical, based in  Murcia (Spain).  I  had  already  made “Make a wish:  The Musical” with her. We had a long meeting.  I  showed  her  the  screenplay  and  she  liked  it.  Murcia  was  the  perfect  place  to  shoot Candela.  Teatrola  Musical  disposed  all  the  resources  available  to  reach  the  project  forward  and finally both Companies decided to bear the cost.

Q: Who do you think  helped  you  the  most to  make  this  film  happen?

A: Certainly  Carmen  Blanco  was  the  light  at  the  end  of  the  tunnel!  She  and  Teatrola  Musical  were our  unique  and  very  supportive.  Very  professional  and  I  very  much  enjoyed  working  with  her. Also  she's  a  great  actress  (she  plays  Paqui's  character  in  Candela).  It  was  a  hard  project  but Carmen  with  her  energy  and  enthusiasm  caught  in  and  filled  us  with  optimism  and  desire  to work.

Q: Have  you  screened  Candela  anywhere  else?

A: We  premiered  Candela  at  Murcia  Francisco  Rabal’s  Film  Library  on  December  27,  2014  in  a private screening for actress, actors, technical team and press.

Q: How long  did it  take  you  to  film  it?

A: Filming  took  us  three  months.  When  shooting  was  finished,  I  spent  a  month  assembling  the footage.  The  first  cut  of  the  film  lasted  almost  three  hours!  Luckily,  Manuel  Camacho  was  the master  key  to  lead  and  guide  us,  leaving  the  film  in  an  hour  and  fifty-three  minutes  and  having to  sacrifice  some very  intimate  scenes,  but  after  all, expendable.  Finally,  the  color correcting  was conducted by Alicia Bel, following the instructions  of Manuel,  gave the whole film a gradual color tone from the coldest to the warmest. Six months of hard work.

Q:  Please  share  your  funniest  moments  on  Candela  set.

A: We  were  rehearsing  how  it  was  going  to  be  a  scene  which  Bea  (Angie  Alma)  is  talking  on  the phone with her friend Sandra (Marta Lopez), hallway up and down. The director was giving some advice  to  Angie  and  she  used  her  hand  like  a  phone.  It  was  time  to  shoot  and  Angie  continued with  her  hand  like  a  phone.  Some  of  us  realized,  though  nobody  dared  to  cut  or  say  anything. Until  finally  Manuel,  was  fixed  and  stopped  the  shooting.  The  look  of  wonder  on  Angie's  face was  surprising.

Carmen  Blanco  plays  the  role  of  alcoholic  mother.  In  one  scene,  he  had  to  be  drinking  beer  and smoking  a  lot.  Carmen  is  a  non-smoker  and  non-drinker  and  also  we  were  wrong  with  beer  and brought  it  to  her  with  alcohol.  After  several  takes,  Carmen  became  ill  from  smoke  and  alcohol, but  endured  to  the  end.

The  nightclub  scene  was  one  of  the  most  fun  to  shoot,  but  also  the  most  exhausting.  Imagine having  to  mobilize  and  coordinate  a  hundred  people  to  dance,  laugh,  drink,  and  have  fun...  That night  we  finished  filming  at  five  o'clock,  very  tired.  We  were  scheduled  to  start  shooting  at  eight o'clock  the  next  morning.  I  don't  think  anyone  was  submitted,  except  Marta  Villa  (Candela),  -she does not appear in the nightclub scene-. She was fresh as a daisy... and alone.

Q: If  you  could  work  with  any  other  film  maker  in  the  world,  who  would  it  be  and  why?

A:  If  I  would  have  to  choose one,  he would be Steven Spielberg.  I  see  him  as a  lay person, very  near and  a  good  professional  with  a  lot  of  imagination.  I  think  he  must  be  an  organized  and  creative person.  He  enjoys  making  films  and  that  is  shown  in  them.  I've  seen  the  most  of  his  films,  as  a director or as a producer. Really I enjoy  all of them.

Q: Which  languages  do  you  speak? Spanish, English (I read and write better than I speak) and Catalan.

Q: What  does  this  film  mean  to  you?

A:  It's  a  very  special  film  for  me  because  Candela  is  a  very  human  story  that  talks  about  feelings, how  we  get  attached  to someone,  the  maturity  process  in  adolescence,  self-improvement, second  chances...  Some are  memories  of  my  own life.  For  example,  when  I  was  a  child  I  was  afraid of what could happen if  my parents  were to die  and  I  was  alone.  Candela  feels  something  similar.  The  film  is  the  real  life with  a  touch  of  imagination.

Ugu Film Festival team would like to thank José for sharing his story. We are film makers and it is stories like these that inspire us and keep us going!

WHAT YOU DID NOT KNOW ABOUT LUTHANDO THE FILM

Duduzile Mpase had a chat with Philani Sithebe to learn more about the film titled Luthando.

Q: Who wrote the story?

A:  We have a group of writers who contribute in writing our films, the concept came from Thina Ngwane and Pretty Mkhwanazi then Bonie wrote the script and Philani edited it.

Q: What is the name of the lead actress?

A: Nandipha Sefoloko

Q: Did she ever act before?

A:  First time actor

Q: What is the name of her nasty step mom?

A: Nqobile Dhlomo

Q: How do people react to these characters when they meet them on the streets?

A: With great excitement, and great surprise when they discover that these actors are totally different to the characters they play.

Q:  Rumour has it that Luthando 2 is on the way;  can you share or you can't say? 

A:  Yes due to popular demand and high audience ratings at UMzansi Magic- it’s official Luthando 2 is on the way .

Q: Please share your funniest moments on set.

A:  Nqobile could not fake the slaps on Nandipha and Bongekile (Qhamkile), the slaps were real it was so fun watching the poor girls feeling the pain after the director said cut. 

Q:  Any piece of advice for the emerging film makers in Kzn?

A:  A great need to collaborate and share the skills in terms of experienced crew and actors. They need not rush to shoot a film unless a good tight and fool proof script is place. This boils down to learning the film production skills. No short cuts.

Ugu Film Festival family would like to thank Durban Motion Pictures for sharing their story. More stories about the films on our submissions list coming soon!

GAARIWALA: FILM SUBMISSION

‘Gaariwala’ is the story of the indomitable dream of two young brothers, Habil and Kabil, and their car that has never been defeated. Their mother works at a rice mill despite severe illness, while father is a rickshaw-puller, who has been missing for 2 years. They wander about the village whole day and even with their mother’s disagreement, race ‘bearing cars' at the field; but they do not own such car. One day, they sell Water Lily to buy old bearings, make their own car and win the race. They start to sell Water Lily in the city regularly and Habil discovered their father with his new family. One stormy night, they find their mother half-dead and rush her to the hospital in the forbidden car. Fearing their increased suffering, Habil keeps father’s reality a secret.

WHO IS THE FATHER? : FILM SUBMISSION

A Sangoma's life takes a sudden turn on the eve of his favorite daughter's party when his spiteful elder daughter spreads rumors that her younger sister is an illegitimate child. Pushed by the will to find the truth, he discovers shocking revelations about the paternity status of all his children.

BLOODY BIRTHDAY: FILM SUBMISSION

EN: For Vin’s birthday his older brother had a fabulous idea to surprise the young man with a present that will change their lives forever. DE:Zu Vin’s Geburtstag hat sich sein groBer Bruder etwas Besonderes einfallen lassen: Ein Geburtstagsgeschenk, das sein Leben fur immer verandern wird. ES:El hermano mayor de Vin tuvo una idea fabulosa para cu cumpleanos: Sorprendio a su hermano con un regalo que les cambiara la vida para siempre.

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY: FILM SUBMISSION

English: A married couple vows to never speak a cross word again, but playing some is not off the table. Never speak a cross word…when you can play one. Espanol: Un matrimonio se jura no atacarse más con las palabras habladas... pero con las jugadas, es otra historia. Nunca lances una palabra si puedes jugarla Italiano: Moglie e marito giurano che non si faranno mai più del male a vicenda con le parole; ma se le parole sono giocate, allora è un’altra storia… Francais: Un couple se promet de ne plus jamais dire de mots blessants, mais les jouer n’est pas hors propos. Ne prononcez pas un vilain mot… quand vous pouvez le jouer mot compte triple.