Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Paul Mashatile wishes to acknowledge the creative talent behind the South African romantic comedy ‘Fanie Fourie’s Lobola’, which recently won the Audience Choice Award for Best Comedy at the 19th Annual Sedona International Film Festival, in the USA.
"Once again, South African film makers are doing us proud on the international stage. This is a great achievement. We are not just sharing our stories with the globe, but also showcasing the world class talent, within our film industry," said Mashatile.
Touted as a celebration of the best in independent film from around the world, the Sedona festival includes features, shorts, documentaries, animation and foreign films. It has been recognised by filmmakers and audiences as one of the top festivals in the world, and named the “Fest to Impress” by Movie Maker Magazine.
The film festival honours filmmakers motivated by passion for their art and driven by a love for making timely, moving and important films. This year, the festival screened 145 films.
"We have confidence that the South African film industry can soar to even greater heights, that is why we continue to support it, through the National Film and Video Foundation and as we implement the Mzansi Golden Economy strategy. The strategy aims to increase the role of Arts and Culture in job creation. Its through these efforts that we hope to enhance skills within this crucial sector and also increase the growth of the industry locally and abroad," Mashatile added.
“To win the Audience Award for Best Comedy against the level of competition at Sedona is a huge accolade for ‘Fanie Fourie’s Lobola’, said the film’s producers, Lance Samuels and Kweku Mandela of Out of Africa Entertainment.
“This is a highly regarded festival, and the audience award is widely recognised as one of the most important awards of any festival, because the winning film is selected by the audience attending the festival, rather than by a few members of a festival jury. This is the second audience award that the film has won, following the Jozi Film Festival Audience Award in February.”
'Fanie Fourie's Lobola' opened in cinemas across South Africa last weekend.
"Growth within this sector, also extends to audience development and appreciation for South African films. Expansion within the film industry can’t come from just winning awards but also from box office success. This will ensure the sustainability of the industry in future," concluded Mashatile.
Just last month, another South African production also won acclaim. Layla Fourie, a feature film by Berlin-based, South African filmmaker, Pia Marais, played in Main Competition at the Berlinale International Film Festival, in Berlin, where it won a Jury Special Mention Award.
Contact:
Percy Mthimkhulu, Spokesperson
Cell: 082 389 2684
