The South African film industry has been waiting a long time for the light at the end of the tunnel to arrive. Perhaps now, in the form of Afda (the South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance), it is finally here.
“What makes Afda unique is that it started exactly with the rebirth of this country in 1994. It was like the new wave. It was ahead of its time and grounded on the right academic principles,” says Afda graduate Norman Maake, whose R4-million movie Soldiers of the Rock recently earned him two awards at the Sithengi film market in Cape Town.
Maake says Afda’s emphasis on letting students develop in their own directions and its focus on nurturing students’ characters makes it one of the best training institutions around.
“They have got the right balance between theory and practice. This balance enables students to really enjoy what they do and that is very important,” says another graduate and achiever, SL magazine’s arts editor, Jono Hall.
Afda has “formalised strategic links with the industry”, it says in a press release for its upcoming film festival. This gives students practical training and allows graduates to get into filmmaking quickly. It aims to gear them for “a profitable and sustainable career in the entertainment industry”.
With campuses in Cape Town and Johannesburg, the school has been listed by the Council of Higher Education as one of the top six South African private tertiary institutions. In order to give its students some exposure, the school holds an annual Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance Festival at its campuses.
The event encompasses films, music videos, commercials and live performances. It serves as an examination for third- and fourth-year students. Audiences grade the students using response cards and this forms 50% of each student’s graduation score.
“The audience gets a chance to give direct input into the kind of films they want made. This is great because it teaches students to make films for the audience,” Hall says. The showing of work at the festival creates a euphoric feeling among students. The films depict who they are, what is around them and what they go through.
“All ideas are original and very personal. Take our film for instance,” says third-year student Moyahabo Phosa, whose movie Gijima will be evaluated at this year’s festival. “It is about a day in the life of a pair of street kids. Everything is strong in that film, especially the cinematology.”
“South Africans need to attend this festival,” says Maake. “They must come and see themselves and their culture. We must stop not being interested in ourselves. Afda students are making films about today. Those cinemas at the festival need to be packed so we can all celebrate our culture.”
The festival will end with an awards evening to be held at The Zone, Rosebank, on November 23.
The details
The festival starts on November 21 and runs until November 23. For more information call Tel: (011) 482 8345.