Father Geek here with our man on the scene in Africa at the SOUTH AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL in Cape Town, Dr. SOTHA. Lots of cool info this week, and another great review from Rigobert Song, check it all out below...

“DR.SOTHA this is the South African Plant Homicide Division, we need to talk to you about a vegetable crop raped and pillaged in Heidelberg. Some witnesses put you at the scene of the crime 30 minutes before this act of barbarism was committed. We’re coming round to bring you in for questioning.” This is the type of message I need to hear on my machine after a long night at the trauma wards. Try telling these jerks it was an experiment for an organic deer transmutation. You think they gonna buy that, you really think they gonna buy that?

I did what any person charged with flora murder would do - I hightailed it out of town, and ended up in Cape Town (where coincidentally the South African Film Festival was being held). I’ll wait for the heat to cool down before returning. Geez they died for a good cause in any case.

Send me an alibi to africaaicn@hotmail.com

SOUTH AFRICA

* Mr. Ebert’s in town, but I’m still waiting for the call…South Africa's best known funnyman, Leon Schuster's latest film Mr Bones, produced by Anant Singh was screened on Wednesday night at a Sithengi market premier at Cinema Starz in Goodwood, Cape Town. The film was screened to an invited audience which included Chicago Times film critic, Roger Ebert. It will have its world premiere in Gauteng at the Montecasino Cinema, Fourways on Sunday, 25 November. The film was directed by Gray Hofmeyr who co-wrote the script with Schuster and Greg Latter.

* In another boost for Cape Town's film industry, a major production starring Christopher Lambert (of Highlander fame) and Denis Hopper (Easy Rider) is to be shot in the Mother City next week. According to press reports, the multi-million dollar movie, 'The Piano Player' will be shot over 35 days in and around Cape Town as well as in the Cederberg. South Africa apparently pipped Turkey as the location for the movie following the US attacks in September.

* D-V-8 Films (Pty) Ltd, an alliance of film producers Joel Phiri (Ice Media), Jeremy Nathan (Avatar Digital) and Kobus Botha (Ballistic Pictures), announced at Sithengi the 14 projects selected for extensive development for the DV8 project – a South African initiative in the vein of the Dogme movement. DV8 was established as a platform to produce commercially viable digital feature films to be made by the very best Southern African filmmakers, focusing on commercial challenging stories that are cinematically told. Selected stories and writers are: Abracadabra - Amanda Lane; A Matter of Time - Jeanette Harrison; Dancing with Shadows - Philip Roberts; Does God Travel Second Class? - Bronwen Roberts; Forgiveness - Greg Latter; Gam Brulee - Leon van der Merwe / Ian Gabriel; Harry Moonstar - David Bass; P.I.G. - Jean Meeran; Shark's Egg - Henrietta Rose-Innes / Michele Rowe; The Block - Jason Xenopoulos; The Beach House -! Anthony Makin; The Concubine -Zinaid Meeran; The Russian Princess - Mia Couto / Ramadan Suleman / Catherine Weineck; Virgin Margaritas - Licinio Azevedo. The first script workshop is to be held between 20 and 25 November 2001 outside Cape Town and will be facilitated by Claire Downs of the National Film & Television School (NFTS in London) and Athos Kyriakides of ScreenTalk fame. Full first draft scripts will be ready by the end of January 2002 ready for the Rotterdam film festival.

* Panelists from the documentary pitching session on Wednesday said prior to hearing pitches that they were looking for project ideas that could be recognised instantly and with international appeal. The panel included Nick Fraser of BBC Worldwide, Catherine Olsen of CBC, Mark Atkins of SBS Television Australia, Matthew Frank of RDF International, Bjorn Arvas (SVT Sweden), Mette Hoffman-Meyer (TV2 Denmark), Iikka Vehkalahti (YLE Finland), Eve Vercal (Dune Productions, Paris) and Diane Weyermann (Sundance Documentary Programme). Asked to comment during the tea break on pitches heard, Nick Fraser said that most pitches were all works in progress and that the ones he had seen thus far showed great potential. Commenting on a pitch by a white Afrikaner aspirant filmmaker, Fraser stated frankly that his story would have more value internationally if it were to be told by a black filmmaker as there was very little interest i! n hearing about white South African angst in relation to the country. (Where’s a white Spike Lee when you need one? – DR.SOTHA)

* In addition to launching the Mama Africa series at Sithengi, Zimmedia's Simon Bright punted his next feature film, The Captain, set during the genocide in Rwanda. To be shot on 35mm, it is the story of a Senegalese UN soldier who tries to save lives and ends up paying with his own. The film is scripted and already has the first two commitments for budget from Fonds Sud (France) and EZEF of Germany. Bright is planning to co-produce the film with Canada as this real-life story is features Romeo Delaire, the Canadian commander of the UN forces in Rwanda. The story also focuses on a young Canadian aid worker. Set to take a starring role is Canadian, Sarah Polly. Zimbabwean Ingrid Sinclair (Flame / Riches) is the writer / director. The Captain will mostly be shot in Zimbabwe (with some filming in Rwanda) towards the end of next year.

* South African-born London-based literary agent Julian Friedmann was at Sithengi launching a new scriptwriting magazine. "I have worked with writers for over 30 years," said Friedmann, "and they need a platform to discuss and explore their professional work. Writers tend to be somewhat isolated and the magazine will give them a 'virtual' community, a sense of identification, where problems and craft skills can be explored." The magazine's first issue comes out this week and articles cover a wide range of subjects from interactive writing, a guide to genre, problems of assessing audiences, the role of music in scripts, the ways in which men and women use language differently and many others. Subscriptions and further information can be obtained from the website www.scriptwritermagazine.com

* Brian Tilley's latest documentary, ‘It's My Life’ has been selected in the main competition at the prestigious documentary Festival IDFA (22 Nov - 2 Dec 2001). The film is based on the life of AIDS activist Zackie Achmat. The feature length documentary followed Zackie for six months this year. It was recently completed. The film is produced by Philip Brooks of Dominant 7 and Steven Markovitz of Big World Cinema. The documentary is co-produced with STEPS of the Future.

* At Sithengi ICE Media announced its projects for next year. Co-productions include Modjadji, a 5 x 60-minute historical epic drama with Vanessa Jansen's Bafumahdi Productions and the SABC; The Badge, a 13 x 26-minute "cop" drama series with Shane Mohabier's Video International Productions and the SABC; and DV8 - the digital video feature film project which will see 12 digital video features produced over three years. Two features will also be released with partners Film Resource Unit (FRU) and Ster-Kinekor Pictures. They are the award-winning Lumumba (scheduled for February 2002) and the Mama Africa series soon thereafter. On the feature film side ICE Media will also be making its first Dutch co-financed feature, ‘The Bird Can't Fly’, directed by first-time Dutch director, Threes Scheurs, which will be shot in South Africa and Namibia. The company is also going into the second series of African Renaissance with Rapi! d Blue and TVE in the UK. In addition, there is Letters Home, a Canadian co production directed by Genevieve Lefebre and written by Philip Roberts.

* SABC3 and Swedish Television (SVT) are embarking on their first-ever co-production since the signing two years ago of an Agreement of Co-operation between SVT and South Africa. Transit Caf̩, written and to be directed by South African newcomer Catherine Stewart, is a 24-minute, one-off short film, which will commence shooting before year end in South Africa. It has a budget of R500 000. Meetings between SVT, SABC3 and local production company Film Afrika took place yesterday at Sithengi to finalise details for the film. The project was mentored by the Goteborg Film Festival. (I want to say a big thank you to the Scandinavians who attended Sithengi, but even more importantly Britt Eckland, for being Britt Eckland РDR.SOTHA)

* During a presentation at Sithengi, president and CEO of the Banff Television Foundation Pat Ferns announced that a major theme of Banff Television Festival from 9 to 14 June 2002 will be a special salute to Africa. "We recognise the potential of African talent and want to share our Canadian experience of building an industry to tell our own stories while contributing to cultural and industrial development," commented Ferns. An African delegation, including filmmakers from various parts of the continent, will be in attendance participating in various seminars throughout the week. The Festival will showcase and screen a selection of African films from the STEPS For The Future collection which was celebrated at Sithengi. Negotiations are underway for an African premiere during the weeklong event. Canada's co-production treaties with countries in Africa will be on the agenda.

NORTH AFRICA

* Here’s your fix of Rigobert Song

Hello readers, and for all those that have seen the extraordinary documentary ‘Down From The Mountain’ on Bluegrass music directed by Doc God DA Pennebaker, then get set for the music documentary ‘The Music District’. Like Pennebaker’s film ‘The Music District’ exposes a musical revolution that has taken Washington by storm, with really real and engaging characters. Remember to email me at rigobertsong@hotmail.com with your comments on African film.

The Music District Produced & Directed by Susan Levitas -- 57 minute

The Music District swings to the beat of four vibrant but little known African American musical traditions flourishing within blocks of the centers of national power. The members and fans of four bands describe how each emerged within a specific local musical context and remain largely supported by community audiences.

In the intimate atmosphere of a neighborhood club we meet the Legendary Orioles, a three generation-old rhythm and blues quartet, now in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. The Orioles are preserving a singing style, with roots in 19th century black sacred music quartets, which was secularized by such popular groups as the Ink Spots and the Mills Brothers. As one listener observes, "The Orioles give you 45 years of music in 45 minutes."

The Four Echoes, a five decade-old Jubilee style gospel quartet, grew out of the same southern traditions. Their songs, drawn from the Bible, are in close four-part harmony with the lead shifting from bass to tenor.

Younger audiences flock to the Junk Yard Band which originally used cans and buckets to drum out the non-stop beat of a unique DC style, Go Go. The band has adapted the "call and response" singing of black churches to an urban setting, with songs that involve the audience by incorporating fan's names and neighborhoods into an improvised narrative.

At the United House of Prayer for All People (called "God's White House"), we are swept up by the "thundering" of a brass "shout" band, the Kings of Harmony. Their style, unique to this denomination founded by Daddy Grace, replaces vocals with a joyous chorus of trombones and percussion.

Throughout The Music District, we glimpse unfamiliar vistas of national monuments framed by the store front churches, clubs and row houses of Southeast Washington. They remind us of the vitality of African American communities which continue to invent new musical forms in the face of national neglect and prejudice.

As one listener puts it, "This music lifts you up and makes you feel you can take another step just a little bit further." Don’t believe me, this is what the Washington Post had to say: "The Music District is a warm, respectful and vibrant film that illuminates a side - and a sound - of Washington that too few people know."

* On the Friday preceding Sithengi, Zimmedia's Simon Bright heard that his six-part series Mama Africa (co-produced in conjunction with pay-TV channel M-Net) had been pre-sold to the French station, ARTE. This follows pre-sales to Winstar of the US, Canal Plus, Canal Horizon and Finnish TV. Mama Africa comprises six short films made by African women from different regions on the continent. "I set out to give a profile to the untold stories of African filmmakers and the results have exceeded my wildest dreams," says the Zimbabwe-based Bright. In addition to the long list of pre-sales, Mama Africa has already won international awards, the latest being the Best Short Film Award at the Naumar Film Festival (France) for Close Up On Bintou, written and directed by Fanta Nacro of Burkina Faso. This film also made the Director's Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.

* Five new short films will be produced as part of M-Net's New Directions Africa II (NDAII) initiative in 2002. The selected countries have made it through to the final round of a rigourous selection process which is based upon script development workshops and directors' pitches. Pay-TV broadcaster M-Net conceived and launched the New Directions initiative seven years ago. The focus was on skills development for scriptwriters and directors. Now, the initiative has been extended to cover over seven countries on the continent, simultaneously. For more information on New Directions email Newdirectionsafrica@mnet.co.za

* The Harvard Film Archive will award Souleymane Cissé of Mali with the fifth annual Genevieve McMillan and Reba Stewart Fellowship for Distinguished Filmmaking and show four of his most important films. The event will take place from 16 to 18 November. He will be present at most of the film showings. A public reception for Cissé is planned for the evening of Saturday, 17 Nov. To be screened as part of the programme is Waati which is well-known in South Africa for its political allegory theme about apartheid. A South African grandmother tells a story of how humans and animals once fought for control of the earth. From this legend, Waati changes to the modern day story of Nandi, a young girl who, after losing her family, revolts against the oppressive rule of the white regime, flees across the continent, and begins her studies at the university. Through the efforts of Johannesburg-based Film Resource Unit, South Africans have come to appreciate Cissé as o! ne of Africa's leading directors. He has crafted a body of films that combine visual elegance with Marxist ideology and allegorical storytelling.

AFRICAN AMERICAN

* Orlando Jones is in negotiations to star in Fox 2000's "Drumline" for director Charles Stone. The feature project starts shooting Dec. 3 in Atlanta with Wendy Finerman producing. "Drumline" is described as "Bring It On" set in the world of black college marching bands. The project is about a talented drummer from Harlem who receives a full scholarship to a college in Atlanta that recruits marching band members in a manner similar to the way other universities recruit athletes. After a rocky start, the student ends up leading his school's band to victory.

* British actor Damian Lewis will take on his first lead role in a feature, starring in Castle Rock Entertainment's adaptation of Stephen King's best-selling novel "Dreamcatcher" for filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan. Lewis joins cast members Thomas Jane, Tom Sizemore, Jason Lee and MORGAN FREEMAN in the film, which goes into production in January in Vancouver, British Columbia. "Dreamcatcher," adapted by William Goldman and Kasdan, is a thriller about four childhood friends -- three of them played by Jane, Lee and Lewis -- who share telepathic powers. Years later, they must reunite and use their powers to save Earth from a mysterious force.

* Muslim leaders across America are saluting Will Smith for embracing their religion after completing the Muhammed Ali biopic. Smith was introduced to the religion while learning about the legendary boxer's life - Islam is Ali's religion of choice. Friends close to Smith claim the megastar is now embracing the religion in his own life and is eager to learn more about it. Director of the American Muslim Association of North America, Sofian Zakkout says, "Muhammad Ali is one of the best examples of Muslims in this country. He's been a wonderful spokesperson for the religion and if Will Smith can continue Muhammed Ali’s work that would be wonderful." He continues, "Islam is a peaceful religion and if good people such as Muhammad and Will can carry that message then it would be wonderful. It would be a positive message for peaceful Muslims all over the world." Smith appeared at the America: A Tribute To Heroes telethon in September alongside Ali, defending I! slam in the wake of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

* Samuel L Jackson was delighted when Robert Carlyle agreed to star alongside him in new flick The 51st State - because he's a huge fan. The slick Pulp Fiction star says he was incredibly impressed by the Scottish actor's performance as violent con man Francis Begbie in heroin movie Trainspotting. He says, "I'm a great admirer of his work. After seeing Trainspotting, you go, 'Who's this little, intense person?', and man, he's got a great sense of humor. This is perfect: our statures give you an immediate picture. You have these two very different guys: there's this very smart, tough guy and this big black guy who's also streetwise and tough."

DR.SOTHA REVO & OUT