Johannesburg, 06 February 2019- The fourth annual RapidLion – The South African International Film Festival has unveiled its lineup of featured directors, ramping up the anticipation for the festivities, which will run at the Market Theatre from March 1 to March 10 2019. The selection of directors, like the films on offer, is varied, including documentary filmmakers, short film specialists and seasoned feature film directors.
The strong presence of filmmakers bodes well for creative crosspollination and intercultural dialogue across the BRICS countries, enhancing RapidLion’s profile as an unmissable event on the international cultural calendar.
Among the heavy-hitters slated to speak is director Jahmil X.T. Qubeka, and producer Layla Swart whose film Sew The Winter to My Skin presents the true story of John Kepe, dubbed the “Samson of the Boschberg Mountains”. Kepe, very much his own man was taken as something of a Robin Hood figure in the Karoo mountains that he called home. Like in his earlier film Of Good Report, Qubeka relies on little dialogue, preferring to propel his films through landscape, casting and cinematography. The 7.30pm screening of Qubeka’s film on March 6 will be followed by a question and answer session with the director and producer.
Link to trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPWan65Hpi4
Representing China is director Da Fei, whose feature length film, Silent Winter, is about the lengths people would go to, to have offspring or to protect their family from the supposed stigma of childlessness. The film will screen twice, first on March 7 (5pm) and again on March 9 (1.30pm).
Another Chinese film being screened and followed by a Q&A session is Zhang Taihai’s Whack. The film, screening at 5pm on March 3, 2019, depicts the story of 39-year-old kickboxer Hongbing, a fighter close to retirement who must deal with a string of intertwined family dynamics and his fading fortunes.
Angela Matemotja, whose film Elevate, tells the story of a dispatch operator who struggles to complete just one day of healthy eating while being body shamed.
Matemojta, who grew up in Tanzania, Russia and Kenya seeks to explore the social, sub-cultural and international aspects of the societies she has been a part of. Matemotja will participate in two Q&A sessions on two consecutive days, the first on March 7 at 10.30am and the second on March 8 at 17h30 hours.
There is also a strong selection of shorts, with Rafeeqah Galant’s 13-minute film In The Light of Fire being screened twice (on March 2 at 11am and March 8 at 18:00).The film tells the story of Slindile, who, having escaped a mental institution in KwaZulu-Natal finds herself alone to brave the woodland. By acknowledging her past, in the form of three characters who remind her to never forget where she comes from.
Some of the short films to be screened in the presence of their directors fall under the ambit of the festival’s LBGTQI shorts, which explore the lives of characters in varying environments. Adetokumboh M’Cormack’s 18-minute film Irish Goodbye, directed and acted by McCormack, tells the story of a young, closeted gay man who is a conflicted but devout Muslim refugee from Syria. On a night out with a quixotic Irishman named Eric, they will confront issues of trust, abandonment, tragedy and privilege.
Born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to diplomat parents, McCormack was raised in Kenya and England. His acting credits include leading roles in Battle Los Angeles, Blood Diamonds and Captain America: Winter Soldier. Representing his directorial debut, Irish Goodbye will screen on March 1, the opening day, at 2pm.
About RapidLion- The South African International Film Festival
RapidLion recognises the achievements and excellence of filmmakers who are born in Africa, are members of the African diaspora and are citizens of BRICS countries. The 2019 festival will take place from the 1st to the 10th of March at the Market Theatre, in Johannesburg.
The official partners for RapidLion 2019 are The Department of Arts & Culture, Brand SA, The National Film & Video Foundation, Gauteng Film Commission, Callsheet and Trace Urban, The Ngakane Family, The Market Theatre Foundation, SFilmmaker.
For more information visit, www.rapidlion.co.za
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