Pretoria Film recognized in USA
Good work never goes unnoticed. It seemed a safe bet for Mr. B to make efforts and attend the 6th annual Silicon Valley African Film Festival in San Francisco (SVAFF). The SVAFF happens at a small town of Mountain View in San Francisco right in the heart of Silicon Valley. For those enthusiastic about American innovative history you will probably know that Silicon Valley is the birthplace of top digital companies and is hence dubbed the Digital Capital' of the US. Companies like Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Oracle, just to mention a few were conceived there, many still have their headquarters there. It seems fitting that Silicon Valley is a place to be if you want that idea to come alive. The SVAFF's key objective is to promote African culture, tell a more authentic story of Africa from the African lens. A better story than showing hungry children and people infected with Aids.
Back to glam, it's Friday the 16th of October 2015, the festival launches with a red-carpet event. African filmmakers from all over the world have come. The Mayor of Mountain View, John McAlister, is here to support the movement, audiences have flown in from as far as Zambia, and women adorn the space with a myriad of brilliant African regalia. Cameras are flushing everywhere, big cameras, small cameras, smartphones and selfies are as prominent as always. The stage is set. In this edition of the festival, 17 African countries are represented and Mr. B is here with his next action comedy flick SAFE BET to represent South Africa at his own expense.
Safe Bet tells the story of 2 stupid guys who decide to take their boss's money and spin it on a fixed boxing match. The movie was filmed predominantly in Pretoria but a few scenes were also set in Johannesburg. The film was officially selected in competition. I am very happy that I can showcase a film that shows a different side of South Africa, a non-violent, non-apartheid movie, a movie that does not portray us as a poverty stricken, hungry or violent community. I think it's time for us filmmakers to start painting a new Africa as a whole , says Mr. B.
Safe Bet was well received by the festival's audience. They actually got the jokes Mr. B says in maze. Comedy is often a complicated genre as what makes people laugh in South Africa does not necessary make the whole world laugh but Safe Bet is a safe bet, it cracked some ribs of most of the mixed audience. It's a funny movie, I was telling him (Mr. B) how amazing it was because it's so hard to make a comedy, it's so hard to make people laugh and especially if you have a film from a different culture, show it to people who don't understand South Africans that much and we were able to laugh and get the jokes and enjoy the film comments Eliciana Nascimento, a Brazilian living in the US. Even the Festival Director himself Chike Nwoffiah, a Nigerian residing in San Francisco attested to this and added that people were so inquisitive during the Q & A They wouldn't let him go, they were so curious adds Chike. But fellow filmmakers from Africa and in diaspora were not the only ones chuffed by Safe Bet, the film received recognition from the California State Assembly in addition to the ACHIEVEMENT IN NARRATIVE FEATURE FILM presented by the festival.
Safe Bet screened in San Francisco on the same day it screened in Bucharest, Romania It's a double laugh, I am hoping Europeans were giggling through it Mr. B hopes. Comedy Cluj is Europe's largest comedy film festival. Mr. B's movie was officially selected out of competition. Mr. B claims the festival went as far as subtitling the film to a local language. Asked what's next, he looks up as if to find answers in the universe Shuuuuuu, well, next stop is American Film Market, which I despise with all my heart but it has to be done. Amidst AFM is the 6th Bronzelens Film Festival happening in Atlanta, Safe Bet is there also in competition, I am forever delighted and hope to be there . Safe Bet releases in cinemas nationwide including Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe towards the end of the first quarter of 2016.
Source Mr B Bonginhlanhla Ncube
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Pretoria Film recognized in USA
