By Iminza Keboge
Published June 1, 2018
A documentary film festival in its 20th year has to raise ZAR700 000 over the next week or get closed.
Encounters South African International Documentary Festival that opened in Cape Town and Johannesburg on May 31, 2018 has sent out an urgent appeal for financial bailout saying its main funder, National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), has declined funding it on opening night.
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“After two applications the NFVF responded today saying they will not be supporting this much loved festival,” an e-mail message from Nololo Lange says.
“This a call to all action to all documentary fans, filmmakers and the media to save our Festival” says Mandisa Ralane, a Member of the Encounters Board of Directors. “Encounters has a proud two decade legacy of bringing the best documentary films to South African audiences but will be unable to continue unless R700,000 is raised in the next week”.
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We urgently ask you to support Encounters by contacting thundafund.com/project/helpsaveencounters, Lange’s appeal says.
In its 20th year, Encounters was scheduled to run between May 31 and June 10, 2018 at the Labia, Nouveau V&A Waterfront and Bertha Movie House, Isivivana Centre in Khayelitsha and the Bioscope and Nouveau Rosebank.
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“It is sad that Encounters should should close at this juncture, says Reggie Khanzi, Guest Director of Encounters Festival. “After years of providing a platform to so many filmmakers to present their work, aiding filmmakers with development of their films into marketable and distributable products, providing training, skills transfer and other opportunities to so many, particularly aspiring filmmakers from historically disadvantaged communities.”
