by Thinus Ferreira
kykNET is expanding the content slate
of its 11th Silwerskermfees to television and is set to premiere pilot episodes
of new upcoming TV series while its awards show which is moving to the Cape
Town International Conference Centre that is expanding to include categories
for top TV productions..
Set for four days from 23 August in Camps Bay, the film festival organised by M-Net's Afrikaans channels division - and colloquially referred to as "Cannes in Cape Town" with a blue carpet rolled out at the Bay Hotel and Theatre on the Bay - is moving its awards show this year for the first time to the Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC) on 26 August.
Besides a new collection for 2023 of feature films and short films supported financially and upskilling-wise as part of kykNET's ongoing annual push to grow South Africa's film industry and to support video content creation in Afrikaans, kykNET's Silwerskerm film festival has expanded into documentary support.
Similar to the festival's existing short film mentoring project, the Silwerskermfees is now also supporting producers to craft documentaries. For the first time ever the film festival will premiere the pilot episodes of upcoming new TV series made for pay-TV and video streaming services in August.
The CTICC-held awards show will also include TV categories for the first time alongside film, with the awards show which will be broadcast the following night, Sunday 27 August on kykNET (DStv 144). The nominees for, and the various TV categories, will be announced at the end of June.
The competing films included in the film division of this year's awards ceremony include the five feature films, 14 short films and six documentaries which will all premiere during the film festival.
The feature films include Hans Steek die Rubicon Oor, Die Tragiese Saak van Pamina Vermaak, Fankie
en Felipé, Blindelings and Old Righteous Blues.
The short films at this year's Silwerskermfees include Helmhart, Hier/daar, Die Swart Draak Ontwaak and animation and puppet work films including Straatrotte and Thrift tot die Dood.
'n Doop chronicles the trauma of school initiation rites, with Dans dat die Biesies Bewe as well as Koors and Karen which are comedies.
Volle Bors and As will premiere as dramatic short films, with the buzzy Een Saam tackling the subject of gender dysphoria. Werpsel is a thriller with Die Blokke putting a new spotlight on the gang violence in the Cape Flats.
The six short documentaries include Teater na die mense about the Cape Flats
Players, the inspiring athlete profiles Langafstand and 'n Gids vir
Louzanne. Call of the Wild is a profile about a bling young woman's journey of discovery through nature.
Besmet looks at how the African lion is threatened by poisoning with the arresting Born Behind Bars about a pregnant woman getting a 10-year jail sentence.