Aspiring filmmakers in the Mangaung Metro will have the perfect opportunity to get first-hand information on the industry’s pros and cons during a screening programme set for 23 and 24 March at the Bloemfontein Civic Theatre. It will entail a feature-length film and a documentary made in the country.
This initiative is made possible by Bringing Cinema to Your Doorstep (BCDS), which is the brainchild of Bloemfontein-based filmmaker Mpho Tau, the founder of 1976 Films. He has experience working in the television and film industry, having started as a film intern.
Tau has worked on shows like Isidingo, Skeem Saam and The Voice, and in African countries besides South Africa, namely Angola and Nigeria.
Tau’s work portfolio includes being part of the production team for Big Brother Xtremo, Mabhandi (a feature film) and a Close-Up commercial. In 2019 he was the camera operator, and also formed part of the crew, for an international drama series called The Professionals – as a vocational and technical (VT) trainee.
In order to master film production, Tau enrolled to study film and television production with the National Electronic Media Institute of Nemisa in 2013. He continued his journey when he enrolled at the Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking in 2018, acquiring and sharpening his production abilities.
According to Tau, the Bringing Cinema to Your Doorstep initiative intends to introduce a culture of consuming South African and African made films from the Free State and, in particular, Bloemfontein.
“This marks the first edition of this initiative, and thanks to the National Film and Video Foundation in partnership with the Presidential Economic Stimulus Programme this has come to life,” said Tau.
“This promises to be an exciting project, which carries much potential of being an annual event. In future we could see films made in the Free State forming part of this programme.”
Being part of film organisations like the Independent Black Filmmakers Collective, Independent Producers Organisation, and Documentary Filmmakers Association has afforded Tau an opportunity to bridge the gap that exists when bringing opportunities to local filmmakers and audiences.
“My ultimate goal is to make people from the Free State love watching movies, be it fiction or non-fiction, made in their country, province, and the African continent.”
Interested filmmakers, as well as school learners and university students, are invited to attend the event for free. To do bookings, call Tau on 078-218-3012.
