Dowbload Part 3 - size: 2.7mb - Screen Africa

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Piracy hits District 9
“Consequently, all the English subtitles in the film are obscured
by Russian subtitles.”
The camcording was traced by the international organisation,
the Motion Picture Association (MPA), of which SAFACT is a
member. Says Lennox: “The MPA has dedicated resources for
analysing camcordings. There are always watermarks on any
original pirate version. Just by way of comparison, in the case of
X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the piracy was due to a studio leak and
not a camcording.”
In Johannesburg pirates keep popping up in the same places
despite the fact that SAFACT always moves them on. The
Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) is,
according to Lennox, doing a great job in assisting the fight
against piracy.
“The real challenge is to stop camcorders in cinemas,”
comments Lennox. “Our low tech solution would be to have
cinema staff walking up and down the aisle looking for
camcorders. That’s what we did with Mr Bones 2 and it was very
effective. The film wasn’t pirated until the second day of DVD
release.”
SAFACT believes that it is vital that anyone involved in the
making of a feature film be sensitised to piracy. “Filmmakers and
their crews need to be committed to avoiding piracy and must
manage the risk. So we would advise no distribution on screeners
and having the film on 35mm for all screenings, even
classification screenings. No digital copies should be sent to film
festivals and the master must be protected at all times. If anyone is
making a film they are welcome to give us a call and we can
advise them on anti-piracy measures that won’t impact on the
budget,” concludes Lennox.
The organisation receives between 50 and 60 tip-offs a month
on Crime Line (ie. 32211), via faxes and through its website
(www.safact.co.za).
Refinery – business as usual
Charl van der Merwe
are going into our busiest
trading period for the year and
we have seen a slow upturn,
but an upturn nevertheless for
the next two months at least.
“We as management believe
in this business, and we made a
decision that if there is one
party who really understands
this business, and knows the
risks, it is the management.
Hence the reason for our
negotiations and discussion
with the current owners of the
Refinery.”
Van der Merwe said it was
important for the industry to
understand that the Refinery
Kenya/SA sci-fi film collaboration
of my heart. Her interpretation of Asha and the story was
painfully tender and through it new, undiscovered layers of the
film came alive.”
She explains the origins of the film’s idea: “The film was
inspired by a conversation I had with a friend about living in a
world where we bought bottled air, only to find out that oxygen
bars have been created and exist in some places in the world.”
On the film’s message she said, “Pumzi is about a world in the
future where there is no water. Some have called it an
environmental short film, others sci-fi. I think it is a cautionary
tale about where we are headed. When I got back to Kenya after
directing Pumzi, I found that the drought in Kenya has made
Pumzi a more tangible reality than is comfortable.
She added, “Creating a futuristic Africa lends itself to a touch of
sci-fi. The main character is also a scientist of sorts; she works as a
curator at the Natural Virtual History Museum. She runs tests
and experiments that create life where she thought there was
none.
“Sci-fi is definitely not a first in Africa, although it is not a genre
used often. More than the genre, I am confident in the story of
the film. The journey of Asha as she discovers life; the rebellion
of Asha when she chooses to follow what she has discovered. I am
confident that the story has heart, softness and courage. That is
what appeals to me more than the way it is made.”
Pumzi was shot in Cape Town in what the writer/director
described as “some of the most scenic and beautiful locations”. She
said that the internal shots were primarily shot at The Good
Hope Centre while the exteriors were shot in the Atlantis dunes,
the producer’s swimming pool and a parking garage.
Kahiu’s passion for film started at 16 when she began to intern in
entertainment companies in Kenya and internationally. This
included working as a production intern at Pinewood Studios,
London; a production assistant in Alexandria Productions,
Virginia; and as a director’s intern at Paramount Studios,
Hollywood, during the production of Italian Job directed by F
Gary Gray.
After attending UCLA’s Master programme in film directing,
Kahiu’s professional debut was directing a behind-the-scenes
documentary, The Spark that Unites (2006) for the film Catch-A-
Fire (Universal Films/ Working Title) directed by Phillip Noyce.
Kahiu honed her filmmaking skills with her first Kenyan film
Ras Star (2007), a short film based on a teenage artist trying to
make it into a talent show despite all odds. The film was
produced for M-Net.
In 2008, Kahiu completed her first feature film, From a
Whisper, based on the real life events surrounding the 7 August,
twin bombings of US Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in
1998. The film recently won awards at Nigeria’s Africa Movie
Academy Awards including Best Director and Best Picture. It
also won the Golden Dhow award for Best East African Picture
at Zanzibar International Film Festival 2009 and is still doing the
festival route internationally. M-Net has again commissioned
Wanuri to direct a documentary, this time about the life of Nobel
peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai, entitled For Our Land
(2009) as part of the flagship series The Great Africans.
and Waterfront Studios are
completely separate entities
and the Refinery management
was only concerned with
extricating the Refinery from
MFP Holdings.
“It is unfortunate that there
has been such a long delay in
making an announcement
regarding the future of the
Refinery, as this may have
created a negative perception of
exactly what is transpiring,”
said Van der Merwe.
“Furthermore, it’s important
for the industry to understand
that as management, we were
neither directors nor
shareholders of the Refinery,
and in keeping with good
corporate governance we could
therefore not disclose
information of a sensitive
nature.
“Unfortunately this
conundrum did not work in
our favour and has no doubt
caused harm to the reputation
of the Refinery. On the
positive side however and in
terms of the legal structure and
ownership we should be able to
make an announcement within
the next week or so. But
for now it is business as
usual.”
Int’l drama
films in JHB
London based
production company,
is working locally with
Out of Africa
Entertainment.
Strike Back, which is
a 6 x 60-minute drama
series, is a story of
deception, redemption
and revenge, all played
out in the interlinked
lives of two former
soldiers; Major Hugh
Collinson and
discharged veteran
John Porter. Their
paths last crossed
seven years ago. Now,
amidst a new hostage
crisis in the Middle
East, their lives are
about to collide again.
Shooting format is
35mm, processing is at
The Film Lab, and
the dailies transfers
are at The Refinery.
Stock and equipment
is from Media Film
Service.
DOP is Steve
Lawes and the A
camera operator is
local boy Harmon
Cusack, who is
enthusiastic about
shooting 35mm for a
drama series. “Film is
still the best capture
medium. Its large
exposure range is
unbeatable,” he says.
“On Strike Back we are
using two 35mm 3
perf. cameras most of
the time. Our format
is 16:9 and using the 3
perf. we are able to get
25% more value out of
our stock.
“Originally this
production was going
to be shot on HD,”
concludes Cusack.
“But with the
challenges associated
with this shoot, 35mm
was the preferred
choice. Steve Lawes,
our DOP, agrees that
HD would have been
difficult given the
logistics of this
production.”
The series is due for
flighting in early
2010.
October 2009 – SCREENAFRICA
47