SA's answer to the Sundance Film Festival

Victoria West is a small dorp, with not a mountain nor snow in sight. Blink and you might miss it and the small herd of sheep, lazily chomping the sparse vegetation on the never-ending road to Kimberley. here is nothing physical that prompts a comparison between this quiet village in the semi-desert of the Karoo and the bustling ski resort in Utah, US. But without their respective film festivals, no one would have heard of either of these small little cultural gems.

At Sundance, they celebrate American independent films. At Apollo, they celebrate South Africa's very latest ‘fillums'. For both festivals, a deep and abiding love of film and a dedication to exploring the profound visions of indie filmmakers has placed them firmly on the must-attend list of each country's film-watching community. Nowhere else in SA can you literally immerse yourself in the delights and heartbreaks of the silver screen for an entire, uninterrupted long weekend.

Unfettered reflection

As an unfettered reflection of SA's reality, the award-winning features in this year's lineup reflect the contrasts of the SA experience - from the life-altering addiction of the slots in Confessions of a Gambler to being transformed from teen nerd to rugby hero in Bakgat. The downfall and ultimate redemption of one of the nation's most respected figures is explored in Hansie, while the mean, gangsta-packed streets of Hillbrow echoes throughout Jerusalema. In the period romantic drama, Land of Thirst, the timeless influence of the Karoo weaves its magic, while technological savvy and stunning artistry mix in SA's first stop-frame animation feature, Tengers.

Opening the festival on Thursday 2 October is Triomf, the new offering from Michael Raeburn and, some would say, his tour de force. Set in 1994, five days after South Africa's first democratic election, he introduces the world to the highly dysfunctional Benade family who live in the poor white suburb that was built on the ruins of the legendary Sophiatown. Unavoidably dark, but also very funny, Triomf relentlessly pursues the tensions and finds the subsequent humour in our collective past. Triomf is based on the award-winning novel (M-Net Prize, CAN Prize, Noma Prize) of the same name by Marlene van Niekerk.

Detailing the past and present is the irrepressible lens of the documentary filmmaker. Confronting all manner of universal issues, that include the imprint of war, the dream of marriage, and the separate pursuits of meaning, identity, fear, happiness, spirituality and yes, even sports, this year's catalogue of documentaries catapults us into lives of the individual. Deep in the Karoo, we explore a love of lions in Daniel and our Cats, cement our identity in Inanda, My Heritage, and define the moment with a game of football on Robben Island in More Than Just a Game and examine the lasting psychological damage of the border war in Betrayed.

Q&A sessions

The directors and producers attending the festival to participate in the Q&As after the screenings include: Junaid Ahmed of More Than Just a Game, Frans Cronje of Hansie, Rina Jooste of Betrayed, Tendeka Matatu of Jerusalema, Asivhanzi ‘Asi' Mathaba of Walk like A Man, Tiny Mungwe of Akekho Ugogo, Meg Rickards of Land of Thirst, Michael J Rix of Tengers and Dylan Valley of Hip Hopera.

This year, the enviable task of watching and judging all this talent falls on Tonight senior film writer Theresa Smith, world-renowned filmmaker Khalo Matabane, and award-winning director/producer Bridget Pickering.

The Apollo Film Festival is sponsored by the National Film and Video Foundation and implemented by the Encounters Documentary Film Festival, with the support of Apollo Theatre, Durban International Film Festival, Northern Cape Tourism, and the Tourism Enterprise Programme.

Get there by hook or by shepherd's crook. However you do get there, it will be a long weekend worth the distance travelled in body, mind and soul.

Apollo Festival Hotline: cell +27 (0)82 858 2015.