Arts writer
MORE than 250 films, eight cities and one weekend of pure film celebration – for the sixth year running, shnit International Shortfilmfestival comes to Cape Town. Now in its thirteenth year globally, and featuring some of the best short films from across the world, shnit 2015 will once again see the Mother City joining Bern, Buenos Aires, Bangkok, Cairo, Hong Kong, Moscow and San Jose in simultaneously hosting the global film festival from October 7 to 11, before all cities come together in a New York awards ceremony.
shnit is thrilled to announce acclaimed South African actor, writer, director and producer Sharlto Copley as this year’s Made In South Africa jury president.
With a resume including District 9, The A-Team, Elysium and Maleficent, he will lead a local jury of Bridget Pickering, Ian Rijsdijk and Sibs Shongwe-la Mer in judging shnit’s selection of South Africa’s best shorts of the last 12 months.
A former Made in South Africa-nominated director, Shongwe-la Mer’s debut feature film Necktie Youth released in cinemas in September, after success at Berlin and Tribeca film festivals.
The Made In South Africa category will see 14 films compete for the top title, with a further 24 local films screening out of competition.
Sixty films from around the world will compete in the International Open competition, which will award five films with the coveted Flaming Faun award in both jury and audience categories.
Director Jahmil XT Qubeka represents South Africa on the International Competition Jury. Over 250 films will screen in total, in and out of competition, across the eight host cities.
shnit 2015 kicks off in style on October 7 with a gala event at the Castle of Good Hope, and screens for five days at The Labia Theatre in Orange Street, with highlight South African outdoor double-bill screenings every evening.
For the first time, The Elements Short Film Lab will run concurrently to the festival, offering film-makers a chance to learn and expand their horizons through panel discussions, roundtables and networking events.
October 12 will see shnit sign off for another year with a closing awards ceremony at The Cape Town Club, also featuring the premiere of Real Time competition films in an extra-special collaboration with The South African Film Orchestra.
shnit is made possible by the support of the National Film and Video Foundation and the Cape Film Commission with support through the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund and other partners.
l www.webtickets.co.za, www.shnit.org