Gearing up for the ''Cannes of the Karoo''

Throughout the weekend, participants selected for the week-long Apollo Scriptwriting Workshop have been arriving on those trains and buses that pass through the town - usually during the early morning hours. As one participant remarked: "The adventure started as one stepped off the bus."

The workshop is being conducted under the auspices of SASWA (South African Scriptwriters Association) and is being attended by 18 beginner scriptwriters from as far afield as Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Johannesburg. The workshop is being conducted by John Tindall of the Community Video Education Trust, and Johann Potgieter, one of South Africa's most successful scriptwriters.

The Festival proper begins on Saturday 20 September with free movies in the Apollo, a street parade featuring local choirs and dancing, after which the festival will be officially opened by Mr Manne Dipico, Premier of the Northern Cape and the national deputy Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, Ms B P Sonjica. Ms Mandie van der Spuy of Standard Bank Arts Sponsorships and celebrity filmmaker, Jans Rautenbach will be special guest speakers at the opening events. After the formalities, a vibrant street party lights up the star-studded Karoo sky. It's an event definitely not to be missed.

The Apollo Film Festival is now widely being described as the Cannes of the Karoo –and of South Africa as a whole. Competition is keen for the various category awards, and visitors will see the finest films that South Africa has to offer.

A highlight of this year's event will be the opening, just before the Apollo Gala Awards ceremony on Saturday 27 September, of the Diamond Route Café by another of South Africa's foremost filmmakers, Katinka Heyns. This is a unique catering facility in the foyer of the theatre. The facility has been funded by De Beers, a long-standing supporter of the Apollo Development Association, the community-based economic development agency that organises the Festival. A closing street party will again fill the Karoo night with music by Karen Zoid and DNA Strings.

Booking arrangements (for the theatre and accommodation) can be made by telephoning Clare-Rose Julius on 053-6211185. But hurry. Space in Victoria West is at a premium.