Encountering movie making on cellphones
In a South African first, the Encounters Documentary Festival is bringing together a panel of new media experts to discuss the implications of mobile movies in South Africa. “We anticipate that mobile movies will introduce many South Africans to movie making – it is relatively inexpensive and very accessible,” comments Mandisa Zitha, Encounters festival director.
The festival, in association with Mobfest, will introduce movie buffs, filmmakers and amateur movie makers to the ‘fourth screen' through its workshop “Empowering Filmmakers through the use of New Media”. The fourth screen refers to the cellphone, which is touted to the fastest growing medium for movies. Mobile movies, or pocket films as they are called in some parts of the globe, is a phenomenon attracting much attention from filmmakers and cellphone manufacturers alike.
Paris hosted its third ‘Pocketfilm' festival in June this year, one of many mobile movie festivals popping up across the planet. Other international mobile movie initiatives include the “Global Short Film Project” spearheaded by Robert Redford and Sundance Institute, where well-known directors created cellphone movies. Some of the directors that participated included Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Farris (Little Miss Sunshine), Justin Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow, Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift) and Maria Maggenti (Puccini For Beginners).
Panellists
The panellists include spokespeople from MTN, Vodafone Live, M-Mobile Multichoice, Eject media, Endemol SA and Xenophile Media. Issues under the spotlight will include content, consumption, consumers, markets, distribution, media rights and authorship.
Attendees will also be treated to insights from screenwriter and Emmy award winner producer Thomas Wallner, who boasts a 20 year history in interactive media, documentary film and television production.
To create awareness of mobile movies, 10 filmmakers have been selected to produce 10 made-for-mobile documentary films during the festival using Nokia handsets. The three-minute films themed ‘How a cellphone changed my life', will be screened at the festival on Nokia handsets and monitors at the Mobfest/Nokia interactive desk in the cinema foyer.
The event will be sponsored by the Gauteng Film Commission, Cape Film Commission and the Western Cape Government.
Details
Joburg: Nu Metro Hyde Park: 6.30pm – 9pm, Wednesday 18 July 2007
Cape Town: Nu Metro V&A Waterfront 6.30 – 9pm, Monday 23 July
Tickets are R70, available at Computicket, Teleticket or at Nu Metro cinemas.
For more information, go to www.encounters.co.za.
