Call for entries as Eastern Cape Film Festival expands

For its fifth instalment, the Eastern Cape Film Festival is introducing a fringe programme to accommodate regions that are unable to make it to the four-day event in East London.

When the main programme takes place  in the city from March 12 to 15, screenings of selected films will be held simultaneously at the remaining seven Eastern Cape regions from which the  festival accepts entries.

Festival founder Nceba Mqolomba, of Uitenhage, said the plan was to make people from those regions a part of the festival because they are often unable to travel to East London.

“While we receive entries from all these regions, Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City always dominate because they have the advantage of being bigger and able to accommodate big events such as this festival.

“But we want to expand and include those who are further away because there is also talent from those regions.”

With the help of the departments of education and sport, recreation, arts and  culture, Mqolomba said they were selecting pupils and members of the public to attend the screenings and organising venues and transportation.

“Films screened in the fringe programme will also be screened in the main programme and though we plan to screen as many entries as we can in the fringe programmes over the four days, we will prioritise films that are from those specific regions to give people content in settings they are able to identify with,” Mqolomba said.

For the past four years, he said, the festival had been mainly dominated by entries from Buffalo City, OR Tambo and Nelson Mandela Bay, with a few entries from the six other regions of the province.

He said screenings in the fringe programme would be accompanied by workshops and masterclasses tailored for each region.

“Thanks to the EC Film Forum, we have co-ordinators in each region who are able to inform us about what filmmakers there need a masterclass on, so that their needs are met,” he said.

Over the four days, the main festival will comprise panel discussions by industry leaders, and masterclasses and workshops by internationally recognised film makers, including Jahmil Qubeka and Layla Swart.

The daily programme is set to kick off between 8am and 9am, with information sessions during the day and screenings in the evenings.

Guests will be treated to a cocktail launch by the National Film and Video Foundation on the first evening.

Filmmakers can submit entries for documentaries, short films, student films, full-length films, animation and music video content.

Mqolomba said there was no specific genre required and films may be submitted in DVD, external device, USB or memory cards to any of the department of sport, recreation, arts and  culture offices in the Eastern Cape or the Eastern Cape Provincial Arts and Culture Council offices in Quigney, East London

“Those who are able to e-mail links of their work can do so at submissions@ecfilmfestival.co.za.

“These film submissions should include a synopsis, a trailer, profiles and pictures of the filmmakers involved,” he said.

The theme for this year’s festival is  If Content is King, Platforms are Queen.

Festival attendance fee is free of charge, but guests are to RSVP to info@ecfilmfestival.co.za.