Press Release
16 June 2008
Wild Cinema Short Film Competition:
Huge Interest by local film makers
Namibia’s first-ever Short Film Competition is off to a flying start with a total of 23 scripts submitted by local film makers and writers in the first round of judging by the international panel of jurors. The film competition launched in conjunction with the cultural exchange organization, ‘p.art.ners berlin-windhoek’, during the 2008 Windhoek International Film Festival in April this year, called for scripts for a 5 minute film on the theme “18 Years in Windhoek”. The theme is open to creative interpretation, and films can be produced in any genre except strictly documentary. The winners for the best four scripts will be announced by the beginning of July 2008 and awarded with a production budget of N$ 50 000 each.
The deadline for the finished films is the 20 September 2008 and will enter a second round of judging for the best overall short film. Film makers will, however, still have the opportunity to produce their films independently and submit it for the final round of judging. The overall winner of the competition will be invited to attend the next Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) in February 2009 and participate in the Berlinale Talent Campus, an exchange and networking opportunity for talented and promising film makers from around the world.
The international Jury, comprising 2 Namibian and 2 Berlin Jurors will make their decision official by the beginning of July 2008.
Namibian Jurors include Wild Cinema Film Festival Director, Irmgard Schreiber and Windhoek based film and television industry player, Paul van Schalkwyk. While Ms Schreiber’s credentials as juror include 5 years as board member of the Wild Cinema Windhoek International Film Festival Trust, her annual visits to the Berlinale, one of the worlds most important A-listed film festivals, have adequately equipped her with regards to international presentations and professional standards. Paul van Schalkwyk, well-known local business man and a driving force behind the local film and television industry, is also an internationally acclaimed filmmaker, who has won more that fifty local and international awards and nominations.
The two international jurors include Alexander Martins, from Berlin-based production company Mafilm GmBH, and German film maker and ‘p.art.ners’ project coordinator Jana Cisar. Alexander Martens, locally know for his unfailing support of the Windhoek International Film Festival over the past three years, has extensive production experience both in Namibia as well as in Morocco, Tunisia, Tanzania and South Africa, and has directed countless Television Series, commercials and most recently a feature film currently touring the festival circuit. Jana Cisar in turn has served as juror on several internationally acclaimed film and television panels and produced a string of documentaries, art-house and feature films. She heads her own production company and is instrumental in coordinating the film component of ‘p.art.ners berlin-windhoek’´s cultural exchange project in Berlin. |
