Pretoria - Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile has congratulated the makers of South African film “Fanie Fourie’s Lobola”, which recently won an international award.
“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 on Thursday.
The romantic comedy won the Audience Choice Award for Best Comedy at the 19th Annual Sedona International Film Festival in the USA.
The festival screens the best in independent films from around the world, including features and documentaries, among others. It has been recognised by filmmakers and audiences as one of the top festivals in the world. In 2013, the festival screened 145 films.
The minister said he was confident that the South African film industry could 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,” he said of the strategy that aims to increase the role of arts and culture in job creation.
“It’s 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.
The film’s producers, Lance Samuels and Kweku Mandela of Out of Africa Entertainment, were happy with the film’s achievement.
“To win the Audience Award for Best Comedy against the level of competition at Sedona is a huge accolade for ‘Fanie Fourie’s Lobola’.
“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,” said the producers.
The film 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," said Mashatile. - SAnews.gov.za
