3rd Ugu Film Festival Award Winners

Our Ugu Film Festival winners:

Best Short Film
Games People Play

Best Documentary
Nation on Fire

Best Local Perfornance
Nqobile Dlomo (Film - Luthando)

Best Foreign Performance
Marta Villa ( Film - Candela)

Best Foreign Film
Palm To The Sun

Best Local Film
Indoda Ayikhali 2

Senzo Zindela Honorary Awards Winners

Senzo Zindela Honorary Awards

Most Innate Actor
Mr Roland Mqwebu

Most Improved Actress
Mbali Ngiba

Most Promising Actor
Quinton o' Dwyer

We meet Madoda Ncayiyana and two cast members!

Izulu Lami ' s  Madoda Ncayiyana,  Sobahle Mkhebase,  and Tshepang Mohlomi meet and greet our workshop' s attendees!

Acting-Producing Workshop is on right now!

...In the Umthunzi Hotel;  Port Shepstone, KwaZulu Natal!

XOLILE TSHABALALA GIVES IT TO THE WORKSHOP ATTENDEES HARD AND UNAPOLOGETICALLY SO!

The Acting-Producing Workshop is on now at Umthunzi Hotel in Port Shepstone !

Mr Iwasaki from Japan arrives for Ugu Film Festival

Our Viper Bodyguarding and Protection Services provider CEO Mr van Greuning has just met Japanese Mr Iwasaki,  a film maker who submitted the film Palm To The Sun!  He arrives today for Ugu Film Festival and he will attend all our events from start to finish! 

Ugu Film Festival family is saying: "THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND WELCOME TO SOUTH AFRICA,  MR I"

Thanks to our funders:
National Film and Video Foundation,  KwaZulu Natal Film Commission, Department of Arts and Culture,  Ugu District Municipality,   Coca-Cola,  South Coast Tourism,  Isolezwe,  Ukhozi,  Radio Sunny South,  Sollywood Films , Herminic IT Solutions,   Viper Protection and Bodyguarding,  SMG, South Coast Herald.

SPOTLIGHT ON INDODA AYIKHALI FILM SUBMISSION

Q: Please introduce yourself and your role in the film.
A: My Name is Zamo Ngcobo and I am the director of the film.


Q: What does the film title mean? Who came up with the title and what was the inspiration behind it?
A: The film title means A Man Does Not Cry. I came up with the title of this film after witnessing cases of violence against men.The film was inspired by a series of research for a documentary about domestic violence against women and wanted to find the root cause of this social pandemic and do a documentary that might remedy the problem. Men do not want to discuss their cases of abuse in public and this inspired me to do a film that will give a voice to these men.


Q: Who wrote the story?
A: The story has been written and produced by Nombulelo Malandula.


Q: What is the lesson in the film? Who are you directing the lesson to and why?
A: The film is directed to parents, men who are unable to voice out and share their pain with others and the society as a whole. This will create an awareness of such cases and also reach out to the many men who does not have a voice because of society’s expectations of them. Men suffer in silence, and when a man is speaking of his pain it is considered a taboo or he is stigmatized for being weak since society expects men not to cry, never to show emotion but to remain strong.


Q: How many other films have you made?
A: I have done two films a comedy called The Fly Motion, Indoda Ayikhali I and Indoda Ayokhali II this is the third one.


Q: Who selected your cast? Where do your cast members come from?
A: The cast selection was done by myself and Nombulelo Malandula. They are all talented youth from different backgrounds in Kwazulu Natal who we auditioned and cultivated their acting skills to give them a platform in the film industry.


Q: How do you feel about the film industry role in shaping the South African community?
A: It is slowly growing and empowering communities which is a positive thing to see, by continuing to grow it will create more employment and inspire communities to support locally produced content.


Q: Is it cheap to make a film in SA? Is it easy to find sales and distribution agents?
A: Making a film in South Africa is not cheap and not easy if you do not have the budget and the right equipment. Finding distributors is a biggest challenge and not an easy task, and we have piracy to compete with which is destroying the film industry in the whole world.


Q: What makes your team members of your crew and cast trained in Film production and tv acting?successful?
A: We are a family with a really strong passion for the film industry and that is the glue that keeps us together. We also respect one another.


Q: If there's one piece of advice you can give to a new film producer before they make a film what would it be?
A: Before making a film, you must have passion for what you are doing, be willing to do the work and the rest will fall into place

Charity begins at home

The festival director and some of the organizing team members went to local schools to share the good news about Ugu Film Festival yesterday!

Pandora's Shadow Film Submission

NAME OF PROJECT: Pandora’s Shadow

NAME OF AUTHORS: Lee Francis McCabe and Samantha McCabe

GENRE: Horror / Surrealism / Fantasy / Thriller / Drama/Neo Noir TAGLINE or CUTLINE: “Upon pale moonlight, the Shadow is made Flesh”

SYNOPSIS: THE SHADOW SIDE “In this process we experience the disintegration of the persona (mask in Latin) and the consequent collapse of the external world. The evil spirits of our own shadow emerge as real living beings. We are not who we pretended to be." ”Carl Jung” Based upon the dark spirit of Africa, comes a story of the forgotten and society’s lack of humanity and understanding of innocence. A story of schizophrenia / possession and murder


Please copy and paste the link below to your browser to view trailer: Teaser/Trailer link on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/456184537747437/videos/10150976382276319/

I AM CURSED FILM SUBMISSION

The Story is set in a News office. Lisa is a frustrated News writer/reporter waiting for her big break. Much to her annoyance all the bigger stories are given to other writers including Dan who has better family connections. Then Lisa's biggest story walks into the office in the form of Jay. He is incredibly introvert and mysterious. He finds it difficult to interact socially and to make friends for good reasons as Jay brings with him a deadly secret! Lisa befriends Jay and they share adventurous assignments together. Dan's jealousy takes over and Jay soon becomes a target of his gang. It is not long before mysterious killings start taking place within the office. Lisa investigates and makes a startling discovery about Jay. Lisa’s further investigation leads her into Jay's deadly secret and the connection to his Supernatural truth is revealed. Will Lisa be the next Victim? Who is the real Jay? A victim or a misguided soul?

SPOTLIGHT ON THE FILM: I AM CURSED

Shiraz Khan shared his story behind the making of the film "I Am Cursed" with Duduzile Mpase.

 Q: Please introduce yourself and your role in the film I am Cursed

 A: My Name is Shiraz Khan. I play the role of Jay Desouza. I am also the Writer, Director and Producer as well. 

 Q: How do people react when they hear your film title and how did you come up with this title? 

 A: Don't judge me by my past. I don't live there anymore. - Petteri Tarkkonen #quote: People are intrigued upon hearing the title I am Cursed. The idea of the title came from the belief of Jay who has been convinced that he is cursed. 

 Q: Please describe how the film industry is like in your country.

 A: The film industry is very competitive in the UK. The industry is very small with very few Distributors and big studios. Although new opportunities are always emerging.

 Q: What is the message you want viewers to take from the film? 

 A: That do not underestimate or look down at anyone. 

 Q: Who decided on the film genre and why?

A:  I decided the genre as I wanted to blend Drama with a Supernatural twist.

 Q: Please share with us your funniest moments on set 

 A: We turned up on set one day and found out it was the wrong day! 

Q: Whose music do you use on your film and why? 

 A: My friend Amy Sinha lent three songs from her new Album A Sin of Love. They suited the various situations in the film.

Q : Who is your lead character? is the lead character drama trained? 

 A: Shiraz Khan is the lead character. Yes Shiraz has done a one year Intensive Acting Course 

 Q: Where did you get the money to produce the film? 

 A: The film was self funded. 

 Q: Why are you in the film industry? Is there any other person from your family who is in the film industry? 

 A: I have great ambition to succeed in the Film Industry both as an Actor and as a film maker. No I am the only person in this industry... So far though my Nephew is studying media. 

 Ugu Film Festival team would like to extend its gratitude to Shiraz for taking time to share his story!

IMINJUNJU YAFUTHI FILM SUBMISSION

A successful and humble woman falls in love with a new her new career: journalism, her assignment is to write about woman abuse. Her supportive unemployed boyfriend recommends his own mother to help his girlfriend complete her assignment since his own mother was once abused at an early stage. Without knowing her mother in law dark side she becomes the victim of abuse. This is a new film and it is the first screening ever since it was produced.

Nation On Fire Film Submission

Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, has been gripped by unrest in recent times. This is a unique portrait of a nation in suspense, a nation in fear, a nation in waiting. This short documentary is unlike others made about the Ukrainian Revolution. It's a rare and exclusive snapshot of the days after the riots but before the storm.