The third edition of the Cape Winelands Film Festival attracted approximately 11 713 people to watch a selection of local and international arthouse cinema.

Of the 65 films screened, just six have local releases: Oscar winner The Cove, Oscar nominee A Prophet (un Prophete), South African films Jakhalsdans, I Now Pronounce You Black and White and Shirley Adams, and Eyes Wide Open, which won Best Film at the festival.

Bought by Videovision for local distribution, Eyes Wide Open is a gay love story set in Jerusalem’s ultra-orthodox Jewish community. Directed by Haim Tabakman, it’s beautifully acted, capturing the painful inability of its characters to voice their desires or fears, marred only by its unnecessary final shot. Denise Newman received a special mention in the feature film category for her searing performance in Oliver Hermanus’ Shirley Adams, where she plays a Cape Flats mother caring for her crippled son. As the jury said, “Shirley Adams’ heroism is not the stuff of Hollywood filmmaking. There is no crusade against gun culture or a successful battle to stop the violence that is tearing communities apart. Her bravery lies in facing each day with the determination to survive it. Denise Newman presents us with the real face of motherhood; with the smallest of gestures that underpin her anguish and pain, she captures the spirit of a woman who will go to any lengths for her child and whose resilience knows no bounds.”

The Audience Award went to Loni Price’s Master Harold… and the Boys, an adaptation of the Athol Fugard play shot here with Spier Films. Starring Freddie Highmore, Ving Rhames and rising local star Patrick Mofokeng, Master Harold has some beautiful moments but never becomes more than a filmed play.

To be honest, the Audience Award is meaningless, as the voting system was completely stupid: whereas at Encounters, you tear off a corner of your ticket to give the film one to four stars, here you could only tear off a corner to vote for the film as your favourite. Since Master Harold was the first film screened, I’m not sure how anyone could have known it was their favourite unless they weren’t planning on seeing anything else.

Best South African feature went to uGugu noAndile, Minky Schlesinger’s adaptation of Romeo and Juliet for SABC1’s Shakespeare in Mzansi series. The film already had a number of awards to its name, including Best Picture in an African Language, Most Promising Actor and Most Promising Actress at the African Movie Academy Awards and Best Youth Film at Lola Screen Kenya. Catherine Meyburgh, who edited uGugu noAndile, also earned a special mention for her documentary, Kentridge and Dumas in Conversation, about the two legendary South African artists. Justin Strawhand’s War Against the Weak, about a plan to breed a eugenically superior race, won Best Documentary.

I had the pleasure of being one of the judges of the short film category. We watched 51 short films, including more than a few which are never going to be in contention for awards anywhere, so I’d recommend they split the programme next year into a smaller selection in competition and a larger body of shorts out of competition. I know members of the features jury felt the same about the amount of work they had to sift through.

In the end, we gave Best Short Film to Sam Donovan’s Hammerhead, at least partly because its use of humour was a refreshing change in a selection full of suicides and disabilities. We also gave a special mention to Pedro Pirez’ Danse Macabre, which somehow turns a dead body into a dancing thing of beauty. We could easily have given awards to a number of others, including Next Floor, Dear Child Jesus, and The Inflatable Grandma.

In contrast to the international selection, the South African shorts were disappointing. We gave the prize to AFDA graduate Jamie Beron’s Hidden Places (Fitlha), which was the only local short that was consistently strong in all areas.  Hidden Places tells the story of three childhood friends still haunted by the accidental killing of the son of a spaza shop owner 12 years ago.  Beautifully shot by Matthew Jankes with the edit clearly in mind, Hidden Places features great casting and subtle performances, especially by lead actor Takalani Phaslandwa in the role of Sammy. 

The Cape Winelands Film Festival also brought out a number of influential internationals, including Estonia’s Tiina Lokk, founder of the Tallin Black Nights Film Festival and the Baltic Event co-production market; the UK’s Ian Haydn Smith, the editor of The International Film Guide, an annual overview of world cinema; Belgium’s Jos Oleo, a member of the board of The African Film Festival; Brazilian director Eduardo Valente (Eye of the Storm); and a number of actors from the Oscar-nominated French film, Un Prophete (A Prophet).

But the festival suffered from a lack of sponsors and support: it would have attracted much larger numbers if there had been a poster advertising campaign, and there were a number of glitches that could have been avoided with more staff and a less stretched infrastructure. For instance, the screening of Sea Point Days at the Sea Point Pavilion was cancelled without enough warning; the colours were badly out at all screenings at Iziko Museum; and I only discovered what jury I was on on opening night. We need industry get behind this festival to take it to the next level.

Kevin Kriedemann