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US films assist local development
Two February blockbuster box office hits in America, Safe House and Chronicle, were not only filmed in Cape Town but also used trainee crew from the Film Industry Learner Mentorship (F.I.L.M.) programme, a Section 21, not-for-profit enterprise created by leading Cape film production and servicing companies to ensure mentorship, training and skills development in the South African film industry.
Patrick Vrieslaar
"Quiet, unassuming and totally dedicated"
Safe House had 21 crew on set, including grips assistant Patrick Vrieslaar, an ex-prisoner who was also a trainee on Chronicle.
"Patrick's story is complex," explains F.I.L.M's project manager Seton Bailey. "Many years ago, he grabbed a gun from gangsters and retaliated to save his own life. He was convicted and ended up doing seven years of a 12-year sentence for attempted murder."
Having worked on String Caesar with Alice Krige while still in Pollsmoor Prison, Vrieslaar was released on parole and joined F.I.L.M. "He's quiet, unassuming and totally dedicated. He has just gone from strength to strength," says Seton.
Vrieslaar, who also worked on German TV movie Treasure Guards and the TV series Labyrinth, is currently on the set of British TV series Mad Dogs for Left Bank Pictures. He was named one of four F.I.L.M. mentees of the year in 2011, while his mentor, industry stalwart John McKay, was named Best Mentor.
For more, go to www.filmsa.co.za.
