Filmmakers – just do it – without funding!
For various reasons, and not only because Editorista was hanging out in ‘film city’ Cape Town with the rest of Jozi this Krismuzi, films and how to make them seems to be highly topical. Well in our world anyway. Ed’s got friends moving to Durbs to make wildlife documentaries (lions in Durbs?), chomees in the Eastern Cape building their own crew accommodation ’cause there’s none available, Jozi film mates driving frantically round dodgy areas looking for a cheap laugh on HD and amazing travelogues being produced on a song and a prayer using 30 second still cameras (Ed will remain the originator of this one!Trademark.) So we decided to ask one half of one of our favourite film teams, CoalStove, to give us their predictions for all filmmakers in SA in 2007. Scotnes Smith, you rock! Leading Questions. There is something about leading questions that gets one so much quicker to the point then an ordinary monologue. Phrases like, “Did you have sexual relations with you secretary Mr President?” or “So you took a shower before or after the affair sir?” always get a conversation moving along swiftly. So imagine my surprise when Editorista herself dropped me a line and asked me to do an article for the glossy pages of Represent. What was surprising wasn’t that she asked, but that she asked me to do it by myself. That left me with that slightly vacant look of someone being caught enjoying a really good fart. Faced with the terrifying task of spilling my guts alone, I had better go big. Last time I was talking about an event we at Coal Stove launched last year called Off the Shelf. Its about celebrating young film talent. We hope when people leave they do so with a warm feeling that something is being done to change the face of filmmaking in South Africa. It’s something fuzzy feeling you get watching Bambi. That is not the sense you get sitting in the auditorium at the Gauteng Film Commision’s first annual Film Indaba though. Picture this: a room full of weather-beaten filmmakers, going at the throats of a group of flustered civil servants trying to explain that the ways of getting the money are complicated but do exist. Flying insults, cups of tea and the occasionally pantaloons; besides, it was a decidedly drab affair. Everyone in the room is convinced that the only way to build the local film industry is by having the government sponsor films which don’t make their money back. Here is where I get gutsy. THAT IS NOT THE ANSWER! The way to get the film industry going...
Represent Recommends: Kate Nash
Gotta love the raw accent “in’it” of chart-climbing North Londoner Kate Nash – we love her brash storytelling style of singing/talking – it’s almost like we’re listening to her diary entries being sung out live and loud. “know wot ah mean luv?” Kate Nash has something MPeople meets Sinead OConnor about her warbling when she’s in the singing parts – although her semi-spoken style is often compared to Lily Allen… Editorista has been chasing her voice down for a while now and eventually found it. Hows this for lyrics – listen to the video below : So I went to that party and everyone They were kind of arty And I was wearing this dress Because I wanted to impress But I wasn’t sure if I looked my best ‘Cause I was so nervous But I carried on regardless Strutting through each room Trying to find you And when I saw you Kissing that girl My heart it shattered And my eyes, they watered And when I tried to speak I stuttered And my friends were like whatever You’ll find someone better His eyes were way too close together And we never even liked him from the start And now he’s with that tart And I heard she done some really nasty stuff Down in the park with Michael He said she’s easy And if your guy’s with someone that’s sleazy Then he ain’t worth your time ‘Cause you deserve a real nice guy So I proceeded to get drunk and cry And lock myself in the toilets For the entire night...
Win Tickets to WELCOME the Smirnoff 10
We can’t give away the venue, but let’s just say it has lots to do with another article on this page, Editorista is super chuffed and you REALLY want to be there. Smirnoff recently searched SA for one lucky South African to join a global team travelling the globe in search of the most original Smirnoff Experiences. That winner is a Represent reader, subscriber and chomee – Akona! Join Smirnoff III Distilled as we welcome winner Akona home (she’s homesick!) and her nine fellow globetrotters passing through SA in search of the most original night out. Let’s make sure the 10 remember this party as THE BEST! Stand a chance to win one of 3 double tickets to this exclusive Smirnoff Experience party at a private location on Sunday 2nd December. Terms and conditions apply and you must be over 18 to enter. Join us ekasi, for a party you don’t want to miss… Clearly Original, clearly Smirnoff. Please drink responsibly. Not for sale to persons under the age of 18. REPRESENT SUBSCRIBERS ONLY!!!! Simply answer this question: What’s the name of the South African member of Smirnoff 10? Then email your Name, ID number and contact details to editor@represent.co.za –...
Photo-Story: Soweto’s Holiday Inn
The bonus of hosting overseas visitors is that we get to do the tourist thing in our own country. And then we share it with you Representers! Editorista popped off to Walter Sisulu Square to show some foreign friends around and was delighted to visit the BRAND NEW four star Holiday Inn Soweto. It’s so new the only guests were workers and interior-design looking types doing final touches. Good job to them, the decor is fantastic – a wonderful blend of local flavour and contemporary chic. Click HERE to go to our PHOTO-Story. We were lucky enough to get a tour from the highly informative and very friendly Jeffreys who made us feel right at home. The hotel lines the “Russianesque” Walter Sisulu Freedom Square, with rooms facing into it featuring glorious sized balconies (we can just imagine New Year there!) or the other way out onto the bustling Union Street that captures the authentic Sowetan spirit. There is so much to see and do in and around the HUGE square including the superbly put together Kliptown Open Air Museum that takes us back to the 50s and the drawing up of the Freedom Charter – very emotional but very important. All that was missing were lots of open-air restaurants, pubs and meeting places although we are sure they are on the cards. Events organisers take note, for your next imbizo, exec gathering, premium brand launch or medium size dinner, BOOK it at the Holiday Inn Freedom Square for something different and memorable. The hotel boasts 46 luxury rooms, we got to see the twin, double and presidential suite, all gorgeously decked out and appealling … from R1500 up, they are well worth it. WE CANNOT RECOMMEND A VISIT TO WALTER SISULU SQUARE MORE HIGHLY – GO GO...
Facebook: “Venues that screw Entertainers”
This is where FACEBOOK and user-generated content gets interesting. People get together, form a group, express their collective feelings about an entity or behaviour and SHOUT OUT “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”. A powerful united voice is then created and there is a much better possibility that change will happen or that at least a few b*stards will sweat. We’ve previously mentioned the anti-Vodacom meerkat group (although we CANT BELIEVE it’s back – clearly the creators want to continue to mindnumb those poor fans who are ‘dumbed-down enough’ to enjoy it)…. anyway we digress, In this article we are referring to a brilliant Facebook group Editorista was recently invited to join called “Venues that screw Entertainers”. We all know that South African entertainers, whether they’re models, designers, musicians, choreographers, filmmakers, poets, dancers or comedians etcetera, all struggle and fight to be artists and that many barely manage to survive on the sometimes badly attended, marketed or meagre paid gigs, unscrupulous record deals and dodgy corporate contracts (where their fees are sometimes marked up by promoters!). This group serves as a platform for anyone that is done over by a venue or a promoter or even an events company, it’s purpose is to let everyone know about the misdeed. We only hope that if there is a valid “other side” of the story that the ‘accused’ will be big enough to stand up and state their case, but for now we will enjoy watching artists standing up for their rights. Hopefully this group will do something towards upping the state of artistic affairs in SA. Nice one. Now if only we could start a group for “events with shocking sound”, “boring, let down events” and “event food that made me physically ill.”...
BREAKING NEWS: TED Africa in 2008
We hope as true TEDizens that we bring it to you first and that you remember how we brighten up your lives! We are delighted to share with you the wonderful news that there will be another TED Africa conference in Africa. It’s in Cape Town and it’s in September 2008. TED is currently one of THE most important, inspired and visionary movements/organisations/gatherings of our time. For those not familiar with the awards or the conference, in a nutshell, it’s an annual conference that brings INCREDIBLE people together from the worlds of Technology, Entertainment and Design… “the worlds most fascinating thinkers and doers who are challenged to give the talk of their lives.” The tickets are sold out within hours in the states as people hungry for growth flock to grow their minds and worlds. What’s great is there’s very little bullshit, wool-over-eyes-pulling, smarmy self-help rubbish or wealth promotion – it’s an intelligent, insightful conference, steeped in integrity with meaningful and authentic intentions and outcomes. Read more about the annual TED awards here. We have been TEDizens for a while, which is how we know about this first, we share the breaking news below… but for now Representer’s we cannot emphasize more how important it is for you to GO GO GO. We look forward to finding out who’ll be speaking. NICE ONE! Dear TEDizens, We’re delighted to tell you that there will be another TED conference in Africa next year and that we hope to make it an annual event on the continent! TEDAfrica will be held in Cape Town, South Africa on September 29-October 1, 2008 (save the date!), and will follow the format of this year’s event in Arusha, Tanzania. The conference will be organized by a wonderful local team with whom we have just signed a license agreement. The four-person team includes TED Fellow Kelo Kubu and the conference will be operated out of a new South Africa-based non-profit organization devoted to promoting a better future for the continent, the “TED Africa Foundation”. We will be supporting the foundation both financially and logistically to help ensure that the event maintains and builds on the quality and success of the Arusha event. Initially we had intended that conference to be a one-off, but we received such enthusiastic feedback that we had to find a way to bring it back and in the summer we invited groups to apply for a license to host the conference. Kelo’s team were one of several who submitted bid and we were stunned by the quality of the proposals. The winning bid included several brilliant ideas to make TED Africa even better, and also featured a strong plan to ensure the event’s financial success and long-term sustainability. We therefore have enormous confidence that the next TED...
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