Film ventures encourage youth

Kasi Movie Nights

Kasi Movie Nights (KMN) offers a double-feature film experience and empowers local entrepreneurs, such as amenities, food, ushers, security and sales of the DVDs of the featured films for audiences to purchase after the experience.

"Ultimately, the aim is to reignite the culture of cinema to the masses by bringing our cinema trucks to their doorsteps. Our mobile theatres will move from township to township and rural area to rural area. Our audiences, averaging 1000 per screening, get to see a double bill of two quality South African feature films, as well as commentary and Q & As with the stars of the screened movies," explains Jamie Ramsay, founder behind the brand.

The company has a long-term vision to become a viable and sustainable distribution platform for not just South African films but African films across the borders. "We want to take our films to the underprivileged areas that do not have direct access to the cinema or simply cannot afford it, via this initiative. We believe this could grow our local film industry's distribution platform, which is currently struggling to get our local films out to the people and bridge the gap between the local film industry and its mass audience.

KMN debut

KMN will debut at the Jabulani Amphitheatre in Soweto on 22 June 2012. Gates will open at 6pm and screening starts at 7.30pm and ends at 11pm. The double-feature bill will consist of the local films Skyf, a witty tale that interweaves the journeys of seven strangers who are all connected by their common addiction, and Jozi King, which is a dramatic and tense film, set in the undercurrent of the Jozi crime world, where only the strongest survive.

Students who are issued tags will get in free and entrance for adults is only R10. A family can buy a blanket fee of R50 and bring a blanket for their family of five to sit on. Food and beverages will be sold on the evening but no alcohol will be permitted. The community will be given the opportunity to meet the stars and crew of the two premiered movies.

The company's team consists of Ramsay, actor Thapelo Mokoena as the producer and Matshepo Maja, a young up-and-coming filmmaker who is set on making a lasting impact in the South African film and television industry.

ACDC Project

A vision of director Benjy Francis, the ACDC project takes it baton from the Afrika Cultural Centre, an independent Section 21 not-for-profit educational, cultural and developmental organisation.

Collaborating internationally with the Association of Danish Film Clubs for children and young people (DaBUF), Francis developed the idea of a vibrant, voluntary cultural movement that would engage young people using the medium of film as a vehicle for understanding and change. Furthermore, it would be inclusionary of the youth it sought to embrace. Through the self-development of the organisational framework of a club, it would empower the participants with skills that would give their own lives structure and develop their vocational and entrepreneurial abilities.

Currently, the ACDC is in the process setting up workshops and is preparing for its first programme of screenings. Francis envisions the project growing to encompass the youth in all areas of South Africa and wants to encourage other communities to take part in the programme.