With three production country credits at the 81st Venice Film Festival, South Africa is the dominant African country at this year’s event.
As one of the oldest film festivals in the world, the Venice Film Festival occupies a special spot in the world. Yesterday, it kicked off its 81st edition with a screening of Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a sequel to the 1980s hit Michael Keaton vehicle.
Below we bring you how Africa will be represented.
Jury – Abderrahmane Sissako
The Mauritanian filmmaker is part of the jury, which, this year, is headed by French actress Isabelle Huppert. Other members of the jury include Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi and American director James Gray.
Orizzonti – Carissa
South African filmmakers Jason Jacobs and Delmar Devon will have their feature film Carissa screened in the Orizzonti section of the festival. Synopsis: “Carissa is a young woman living with her grandmother Wilhelmiena in a small village nestled in the Cederberg mountains.
“Wilhelmiena disapproves of Carissa’s lack of ambition and incessant phone use, which fuels their constant bickering. In an attempt to steer Carissa in a different direction, she drags her to a presentation by a business conglomerate, Mont Royale. They plan on taking over the community’s rooibos tea land to build a new luxury golf estate.”
Immersive – Strangeways
Adam Lieber and Chris Bianchi will have their project Strangeways berth at the Venice Immersive, the section covering immersive media. Thei project is credited to United Kingdom, South Africa, and Malta.
According to the festival, “Strangeways floats and flows beyond our own strangled world. It’s where corridors twist into gardens, and fingers scribble sketches of dreams.”
College Cinema – The Fisherman
Ghana turns up in the section of the festival devoted to the Biennale College Cinema via director Zoey Martinson’s The Fisherman. Production is credited to Luu Vision Media’s Kofi Owusu Afriyie and Korey Jackson.
The synopsis reads: “Atta Oko is a retired traditional fisherman from Ghana. His life takes a whimsical turn when he is forced into retirement and partnered with a modern, bougie talking fish, leading him on an adventure to Accra.
“Joined by his three quirky ‘Associates’, they pursue their dream of owning a boat, navigating the chaos of the modern world. Filled with laughter, magic, and the vibrant culture of Ghana, this is a delightful tale of friendship, dreams, and the enduring spirit of a true fisherman.”
Final Cut In Venice Support Programme – Ique Langa and Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese
In 2013, the Venice Film Festival began a support programme for films from Africa and the Middle East. This year two of the chosen projects for the Final Cut in Venice are credited to African countries.
They are Ique Langa’s animation project The Prophet (O Profeta) and Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese’s Ancestral Visions of the Future. The former has Mozambique and South Africa as production countries. The latter has France, Germany, and Lesotho.
