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SA film heads to the Oscars
21/09/2004 10:56 - (SA)
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| The film is currently showing in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. |
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Cape Town - The ground-breaking isiZulu feature film, Yesterday, has been selected by a panel of experts to represent South Africa at the 2005 Academy Awards.
The Independent Producers Organisation (IPO) constituted a panel of five as required by the Oscar Awards regulations to view and vote upon a film to be put forward for the Best Foreign Language Picture award category.
The production of Yesterday saw key South African film industry players in Videovision Entertainment, M-Net and The National Film And Video Foundation, team up with the Nelson Mandela Foundation to produce the first-ever commercial isiZulu feature film.
Written and directed by veteran director Darrell James Roodt (Place Of Weeping, The Stick, Sarafina!, Cry, The
Beloved Country), Yesterday stars Leleti Khumalo of Sarafina! fame, Kenneth Kambule (Backstage, Generations) and newcomer Lihle Mvelase.
Yesterday is a story of a young mother named Yesterday who falls ill and discovers that she is HIV positive. Her husband, a migrant mineworker, refuses to accept this. Yesterday is left to fend for herself and her young daughter, Beauty, hoping that she will survive long enough to see her child
go to school.
'The first step in a long process'
"The selection of Yesterday as South Africa's official entry for consideration for the 77th Academy Awards is certainly an achievement for the team, especially director Darrell James Roodt, actress Leleti Khumalo and all the talented cast and crew of the film. We are proud that Yesterday has been chosen to represent South Africa at the Oscars next year," said producer, Anant Singh.
"Although we have had fantastic reactions to Yesterday in South Africa and at the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals, the selection of the film for Oscar consideration is the first step in a long process which will see Yesterday competing against films from a number of other countries across the world and we hope that we will find success in this extremely competitive category."
Carl Fischer, head of M-Net's MagicWorks division commented: "We at M-Net are pleased to have supported the production of Yesterday. We are delighted that the film will be representing South Africa at the 2005 Academy Awards.
We are privileged to be associated with the film which will be vying for the ultimate film accolade."
Eddie Mbalo, Chief Executive of the National Film And Video Foundation said: "We are delighted to have backed the production of an indigenous language film which will be the country's entry for the 2005 Academy Awards. The selection of Yesterday for Oscar consideration is indeed encouraging for local cinema. We believe in the film and its potential to bring an Oscar home to South Africa."
"We are thrilled that Yesterday will be representing South Africa at the Oscars next year," said Chief Executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, John Samuel.
- News24
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