Jameson First Shot: a springboard for SA filmmakers

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Jameson First Shot: a springboard for SA filmmakers --

Fri, 04 Dec 2015 10:45

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SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE: On a local and international level, Jameson has had a long standing focus on independent film and filmmaking. The Jameson First Shot competition further entrenches this strategy, offering talented emerging filmmakers from around the world the opportunity to have their short film produced by award-winning Hollywood production company, Trigger Street Productions. South Africa has produced four previous Jameson First Shot winners but will face stiff competition in the 2016 edition with filmmakers from UK, Ireland, India, Australia, Canada, Bulgaria, Kenya, Russia and the US all vying for the chance to direct Hollywood A-lister Maggie Gyllenhaal in their films.

Seth Pereira, head of marketing for Jameson South Africa, says that based on comments and feedback from the Trigger Street Productions team in LA, the SA submitted scripts are getting stronger and stronger each year. Last year of the eight participating countries involved, SA had the fourth most scripts submitted, bettered only by the US, UK and Russia. Given how mature those markets film industries are, we think this is a great achievement. However we are aiming for even better this year and are hoping that we beat those countries mentioned in 2015, he comments.

Not only has the competition advanced the careers of the four previous winners; Mark Middlewick, Henco J, Hanneke Schutte and Alan Shelley; it has also encouraged entrants such as Jasyn Howes to develop their creative abilities. Howes might not have won the inaugural Jameson First Shot competition, but taking part forced him to develop his script to completion. A couple of years later he returned to the idea, updated it for a local context, and now has film of his own: a quirky short film about extra-terrestrial encounters in a time of flux called Lost in Translation. So the competition is certainly working in finding and exposing talented South African filmmakers, says Pereira.

Middlewick, last year s Jameson First Shot winner, advises those who want to participate in the competition: write what you know and stay true to the type of filmmaker you are.

Six step guide to Jameson First Shot:

1. Write a script

2. Get a call from Kevin Spacey

3. Fly to Hollywood

4. Maggie Gyllenhaal is your star

5. Dana Brunetti and Trigger Street produce your film

6. You re directing the film

Interested filmmakers need to visit the Jameson First Shot website for all entry rules as well as tips from past winners and Trigger Street producers Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti.

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