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Our History in Mpumalanga

Fifteen years ago, it would've been difficult to bring a film festival to the successful notoriety as many claim around the world today. Film critics and acquiring distributors looked to the already established market for well-known directors and well-financed films. Due to the rise in popularity of independent films and the help of Robert Redford, audience attention towards smaller film festivals outside of Cannes and Hollywood grew to spectacular paramount. As common, the film market outside of the United States led the trend, but it was the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah that paved the way for smaller festivals today, such as Slam dance, Taos Talking Pictures, Chicago Underground, and the Telluride festival. To credit the American director, Jim Jarmusch ("Stranger than Paradise," "Down by Law," "Dead Man," and recently "Ghost Dog."), it was he that helped the U.S. audience take notice of festivals around the world. Jarmusch lack of faith, and lack of funding from U.S. sources made him popular abroad and the American filmgoers looked onward with him. Today, distribution companies and film reviewers are paying attention to smaller film festivals that are seen popping up far and wide. One of the major film industry magazines, Variety, looks to Seoul, San Francisco, Belgium, Toronto, Ireland and any place where a film festival has brought new films and filmmakers to light to find their topics. Some say that 5 years ago was the prime time, when Sundance was at its peak, but I deny this viewpoint. In the past couple of years, more and more filmmakers and audiences are becoming disappointed with the much hyped-about anticipation for the wintry festival in Park City, and are looking elsewhere for a renewing sense of hope. With the advent of the digital camera, the Danish film movement "Dogma '95" and the incredible Cannes win of Lars von Trier's "Dancer in the Dark," the possibilities of more affordable movie-making has opened the door for lower-budgeted festivals in which to showcase them.’ Therefore in South Africa we are only hosting 3 international film festival and only hosted by the three city namely Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, which put the rest of the provinces at less recognition and at a risk of not participating, leaving upcoming filmmakers to fail to reach to the international market. It all started from a short film festival and today we all look at what we have, now, today I embark on a journey to place our province at a Map to host a Provincial Film Festival which will open eyes, doors, and create awareness to the public, private and international market that in South Africa it’s not only the 3 cities but the fourth one is yet to be born and raised to the national film festival, opening opportunities for young people to showcase their work in the form of films.

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