Ava DuVernay’s Array Releasing has partnered with JetBlue on an exclusive in-flight pop-up channel, offering a curated selection of 12 independent features from artists of color and women directors.
The films will be accompanied by a special video introduction from DuVernay, debuting across select JetBlue aircraft on December 1. The in-flight partnership is the first for Array, which has acquired and distributed more than 40 independent features since 2011.
“Over the years, I’ve experienced transformative moments by watching films while flying. Something about the intimacy of being in the air as stories unfold has always appealed to me,” shared DuVernay. “We launched Array Releasing in 2011 as a way to connect audiences with indie cinema made by underrepresented filmmakers. Our hope is that JetBlue travelers will sit back and enjoy the magic of these films, exploring new visions and new voices while in the majesty of mid-air.”
“We are thrilled to take Array...
The films will be accompanied by a special video introduction from DuVernay, debuting across select JetBlue aircraft on December 1. The in-flight partnership is the first for Array, which has acquired and distributed more than 40 independent features since 2011.
“Over the years, I’ve experienced transformative moments by watching films while flying. Something about the intimacy of being in the air as stories unfold has always appealed to me,” shared DuVernay. “We launched Array Releasing in 2011 as a way to connect audiences with indie cinema made by underrepresented filmmakers. Our hope is that JetBlue travelers will sit back and enjoy the magic of these films, exploring new visions and new voices while in the majesty of mid-air.”
“We are thrilled to take Array...
- 12/1/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Indie filmmakers who are women and directors from the global majority will now have access to a new level of audience — literally.
Ava DuVernay’s distribution vehicle Array Releasing has partnered with JetBlue to launch a pop-up in-flight channel that will screen a dozen Array features.
“Over the years, I’ve experienced transformative moments by watching films while flying. Something about the intimacy of being in the air as stories unfold has always appealed to me,” DuVernay said in a statement. “We launched Array Releasing in 2011 as a way to connect audiences with indie cinema made by underrepresented filmmakers. Our hope is that JetBlue travelers will sit back and enjoy the magic of these films, exploring new visions and new voices while in the majesty of mid-air.”
Available starting today Thursday, each film will be preceded by a short video featuring DuVernay giving...
Indie filmmakers who are women and directors from the global majority will now have access to a new level of audience — literally.
Ava DuVernay’s distribution vehicle Array Releasing has partnered with JetBlue to launch a pop-up in-flight channel that will screen a dozen Array features.
“Over the years, I’ve experienced transformative moments by watching films while flying. Something about the intimacy of being in the air as stories unfold has always appealed to me,” DuVernay said in a statement. “We launched Array Releasing in 2011 as a way to connect audiences with indie cinema made by underrepresented filmmakers. Our hope is that JetBlue travelers will sit back and enjoy the magic of these films, exploring new visions and new voices while in the majesty of mid-air.”
Available starting today Thursday, each film will be preceded by a short video featuring DuVernay giving...
- 12/1/2022
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As a way to keep audiences enlightened and entertained during social distancing and quarantine, Ava DuVernay’s Array will launch #ArrayMatinee on April 1. The new weekly digital film series will include independent films from Array Releasing’s roster of global features.
Every subsequent Wednesday after April 1, Array will showcase five films from their slate. Viewers and cinephiles will be able to “watch and tweet” to engage and connect with each other — while using the #ArrayMatinee hashtag of course.
More from DeadlineCoping With Covid-19 Crisis: Hollywood's Asian Community Calls On Allies For Support As Coronavirus Misinformation Incites HateDisney's 'Fancy Nancy' To Spotlight Autistic Character For World Autism Awareness Day'Almost Paradise's Dean Devlin Goes Back To His Roots With First-Ever American TV Series Shot In The Philippines
Below you can read more about the films that will be featured in the #ArrayMatinee film series.
Ayanda (South Africa) – April 1, 1Pm Pst (Vimeo)
After tragedy strikes,...
Every subsequent Wednesday after April 1, Array will showcase five films from their slate. Viewers and cinephiles will be able to “watch and tweet” to engage and connect with each other — while using the #ArrayMatinee hashtag of course.
More from DeadlineCoping With Covid-19 Crisis: Hollywood's Asian Community Calls On Allies For Support As Coronavirus Misinformation Incites HateDisney's 'Fancy Nancy' To Spotlight Autistic Character For World Autism Awareness Day'Almost Paradise's Dean Devlin Goes Back To His Roots With First-Ever American TV Series Shot In The Philippines
Below you can read more about the films that will be featured in the #ArrayMatinee film series.
Ayanda (South Africa) – April 1, 1Pm Pst (Vimeo)
After tragedy strikes,...
- 3/31/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Festival will open with omnibus film Half The Sky from five female directors.
Mohamed Ben Attia’s Dear Son (pictured), Yeo Siew Hua’s A Land Imagined and The Man Who Surprised Everyone, from Natasha Merkulova and Aleksey Chupov, are among the films selected for the Crouching Tigers section of this year’s Pingyao International Film Festival (Pyifff).
The section, dedicated to debut or second features from new talents, will also screen the world premiere of Hotel Imperio, from Portuguese director Ivo Ferreira (see full line-up below).
Meanwhile, the festival’s Hidden Dragons section, dedicated to “imaginative and original genre...
Mohamed Ben Attia’s Dear Son (pictured), Yeo Siew Hua’s A Land Imagined and The Man Who Surprised Everyone, from Natasha Merkulova and Aleksey Chupov, are among the films selected for the Crouching Tigers section of this year’s Pingyao International Film Festival (Pyifff).
The section, dedicated to debut or second features from new talents, will also screen the world premiere of Hotel Imperio, from Portuguese director Ivo Ferreira (see full line-up below).
Meanwhile, the festival’s Hidden Dragons section, dedicated to “imaginative and original genre...
- 9/28/2018
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
The second edition of the Pingyao International Film Festival will kick off next month with a screening of “Half The Sky,” in which five female directors approach the subject of womanhood and femininity by telling the stories of different women.
The film is directed by Daniela Thomas, Elizaveta Stishova, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Liu Yulin, Sara Blecher and produced by Jia Zhangke, the Chinese auteur who established the festival.
The festival, which runs Oct. 11-20 and counts Marco Mueller as its artistic director, is located in the United Nations heritage town of Pingyao in North East China’s Shanxi Province. Purpose-built venues include a main theater in a converted diesel engine factory, and five smaller halls.
The female angle is given additional heft with “Lust Stories,” a four-part anthology film telling stories about women, which joins “Sky” among the four gala screenings. Its three men and sole woman director are Anurag Kashyap,...
The film is directed by Daniela Thomas, Elizaveta Stishova, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Liu Yulin, Sara Blecher and produced by Jia Zhangke, the Chinese auteur who established the festival.
The festival, which runs Oct. 11-20 and counts Marco Mueller as its artistic director, is located in the United Nations heritage town of Pingyao in North East China’s Shanxi Province. Purpose-built venues include a main theater in a converted diesel engine factory, and five smaller halls.
The female angle is given additional heft with “Lust Stories,” a four-part anthology film telling stories about women, which joins “Sky” among the four gala screenings. Its three men and sole woman director are Anurag Kashyap,...
- 9/27/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The current wave of high end South African films continues with Sara Blecher's crime drama Mayfair, a film that enters in to the Muslim-Indian communities of Johannesburg with a tale of conflicted loyalties and escalating violence. Computer whiz and prodigal son Zaid is on a quest for spiritual discovery. As an international aid worker, he lives as far away as possible from his father, Aziz Randera, a successful import-exporter, and occasional money launderer and loan shark. But when he is fired from his job in a refugee camp for ignoring the rules and actually doing good rather than shuffling papers, Zaid returns to South Africa and to Mayfair, an Indian Muslim enclave in Johannesburg, for the first time in years. At home, everything has changed....
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 9/5/2018
- Screen Anarchy
Durban — When we’re first introduced to computer whiz Zaid (Ronak Patani) in the opening scene of Sara Blecher’s “Mayfair,” he’s playing Robin Hood in an east African refugee camp—distributing sacks of food that have been left to rot in an aid group’s warehouse. That charitable impulse gets him canned, the first sign that an ambiguous morality pervades the world of Blecher’s latest feature.
As the action picks up in Johannesburg, Zaid has returned to the teeming immigrant neighborhood of Mayfair, where he lives in the shadow of his father, Aziz (Rajesh Gopie)—a thriving import-exporter with a murky side racket as a money launderer and loan shark. When a murderous rival gang threatens the family’s business, Zaid is forced back into the life he’d hoped to leave behind, struggling to figure out right and wrong in a world where the two aren...
As the action picks up in Johannesburg, Zaid has returned to the teeming immigrant neighborhood of Mayfair, where he lives in the shadow of his father, Aziz (Rajesh Gopie)—a thriving import-exporter with a murky side racket as a money launderer and loan shark. When a murderous rival gang threatens the family’s business, Zaid is forced back into the life he’d hoped to leave behind, struggling to figure out right and wrong in a world where the two aren...
- 7/22/2018
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Durban — The Durban Int’l. Film Festival opened Thursday night with a celebration of South African womanhood and a commitment to diversity in film, even as it mourned the passing of a festival icon and commemorated the 100th anniversary of the birth of Nelson Mandela.
The 39th edition opened with Jerome Pikwane’s “The Tokoloshe,” a psychological thriller about a destitute hospital cleaner who’s forced to confront the demons of her past to try to save a child’s life.
In prepared remarks, delivered by a colleague at Thursday’s opening ceremony because she wasn’t able to attend, Diff manager Chipo Zhou described the movie as a parable of womanhood in a country plagued by sexual violence.
“It is a horror film…unveiling the menace that is our everyday burden as women in this country,” she said, adding more hopefully that the movie “sets the scene for a...
The 39th edition opened with Jerome Pikwane’s “The Tokoloshe,” a psychological thriller about a destitute hospital cleaner who’s forced to confront the demons of her past to try to save a child’s life.
In prepared remarks, delivered by a colleague at Thursday’s opening ceremony because she wasn’t able to attend, Diff manager Chipo Zhou described the movie as a parable of womanhood in a country plagued by sexual violence.
“It is a horror film…unveiling the menace that is our everyday burden as women in this country,” she said, adding more hopefully that the movie “sets the scene for a...
- 7/19/2018
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
"Ayanda" next screens at the ongoing Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles this Sunday, February 14, at 5:30 pm. For ticket information and other details click here. *** What does modern Africa look like? For the American film audience, this is not a common question. The narratives of contemporary African countries and their inhabitants remain marginalized, which makes the concept of a film like Sara Blecher’s "Ayanda" all the more exciting, especially when it’s being released under the banner of Ava DuVernay’s film collective Array. And indeed, the mere prospect of a South African woman director, teaming with a woman producer to tell the fictional,...
- 2/10/2016
- by Shannon M. Houston
- ShadowAndAct
A double-shot of Array news this afternoon... First, the distribution company founded by Ava DuVernay has announced the Netflix releases of its most recent acquisitions: Sara Blecher's "Ayanda" and Takeshi Fukagana's Spirit Award nominated "Out of My Hand." Set in the vibrant, Afropolitan community of Johannesburg’s Yeoville, "Ayanda" is a coming-of-age story of a 21-year-old "Afro-hipster," who embarks on a journey of self-discovery, when she has to fight to save her late father’s legacy – a motor repair shop - when it is threatened with closure. She’s thrown into a world of gender stereotypes and abandoned vintage cars once loved,...
- 1/19/2016
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Exclusive: Nfdc’s Co-Production Market project On the Way to Paradise has received funding from three separate government bodies in South Africa: the Department of Trade and Industry, the National Film and Video Foundation and KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission.
Director Sara Blecher’s Real Eyes Films has also secured a pre-sale deal with South African TV network M-Net.
On The Way To Paradise has now raised half of its $1.5m funding, and producer Imraan Jeeva is at Film Bazaar looking for the final financing.
The project is on track to start shooting in early 2016 in Johannesburg’s vibrant immigrant-filled suburb Mayfair.
Blecher’s first English-language film is loosely inspired by The Godfather, as the story revolves around a young Muslim man of uncompromised integrity who is drawn unwillingly into his father’s money laundering scheme.
Blecher’s Ayanda, a social drama about a young woman who inherits a garage from her Nigerian father, opened this year...
Director Sara Blecher’s Real Eyes Films has also secured a pre-sale deal with South African TV network M-Net.
On The Way To Paradise has now raised half of its $1.5m funding, and producer Imraan Jeeva is at Film Bazaar looking for the final financing.
The project is on track to start shooting in early 2016 in Johannesburg’s vibrant immigrant-filled suburb Mayfair.
Blecher’s first English-language film is loosely inspired by The Godfather, as the story revolves around a young Muslim man of uncompromised integrity who is drawn unwillingly into his father’s money laundering scheme.
Blecher’s Ayanda, a social drama about a young woman who inherits a garage from her Nigerian father, opened this year...
- 11/21/2015
- ScreenDaily
Array, the re-launching of the distribution collective previously known as Affrm, opens two films today: South African drama "Ayanda," directed by Sara Blecher ("Otelo Burning") and Takeshi Fukunaga’s directorial debut, "Out of My Hand." Both films kicking off their theatrical runs starting today, November 13, in Los Angeles and New York City, followed by a national tour to include Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Seattle, Houston and Boston. “'Ayanda' and 'Out of My Hand' are films that represent the breadth and width of diverse filmmaking. A drama dissecting love in all forms directed by a South African woman, and a story of...
- 11/13/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
What does modern Africa look like? For the American film audience, this is not a common question. The narratives of contemporary African countries and their inhabitants remain marginalized, which makes the concept of a film like Sara Blecher’s "Ayanda" all the more exciting, especially when it’s being released under the banner of Ava DuVernay’s film collective Array. And indeed, the mere prospect of a South African woman director, teaming with a woman producer to tell the fictional, coming-of-age story of a woman mechanic is thrilling. As a result, one’s expectations for this film might be unfairly high. And although "Ayanda" does not deliver on all fronts,...
- 11/10/2015
- by Shannon M. Houston
- ShadowAndAct
Just over a month after the distribution collective announced its re-launching, along with what will be its next two releases ("Ayanda" and "Out of My Hand"), Array Releasing has now set a Fall 2015 special "double feature theatrical experience" that will include both pickups, kicking off on November 13 in Los Angeles and New York City, followed by a national tour to include Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Seattle, Houston and Boston. Directed by South African filmmaker Sara Blecher, "Ayanda" is set in the vibrant, Afropolitan community of Johannesburg’s Yeoville, and tells a...
- 10/21/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
★★★☆☆ Blurring the lines between documentary and fiction, South African director Sara Blecher's Ayanda (2015) is, on the one hand, an energetic and intimate tale of one woman's plight to save her family garage business. This personal thread serves as the cornerstone of a broader portrait of the whole continent by fictional photojournalist 'The Expressionist' (Minenhle Nqaba Shazi), his moral and social insider's point of view seeking to highlight what it means to be African outside of the (Western) misconceptions of war, famine and strife.
- 10/13/2015
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Read More: Ava DuVernay Wants You to Be a Rebel and Join the Movement for Diverse Films Affrm (the African-American Festival Releasing Movement), founded in 2010 by filmmaker Ava DuVernay, has just re-launched as Array, with an expanded focus on filmmakers of color and women filmmakers. The newly-named collective has also announced its acquisition of two films to be released this fall: Sara Blecher's "Ayanda and the Mechanic" and Takeshi Fukunaga's "Out of My Hand."Since DuVernay's own struggles with finding distribution for her debut feature, "I Will Follow," the director has committed herself wholeheartedly to finding ways to expose films by people of color and women to audiences across the country. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Ava DuVernay outlined her attempt to diversify filmmaking and storytelling: "Right now, there is a fundamental disrespect inherent in the distribution and amplification of films.There is a cinema.
- 9/9/2015
- by Tarek Shoukri
- Indiewire
Ava DuVernay‘s African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (Affrm) rebranded itself as Array on Tuesday, and announced two acquisitions that reflect its newly broadened focus on Latino, Asian, Native American, Middle Eastern and female filmmakers. The group plans November releases for “Ayanda and the Mechanic” (photo, top), a coming-of-age story from South African writer-director Sara Blecher, and “Out of My Hand” (photo, below), the tale of a Liberian plantation worker who journeys to New York from Japanese director Takeshi Fukunaga. Both were picked up after playing at the Los Angeles Film Festival, where “Ayanda and the Mechanic” won the Special Jury Prize in.
- 9/9/2015
- by Todd Cunningham
- The Wrap
The premiere post-tiff destination (September 20-25th) in the film community and a major leg up for narrative and non-fiction films in development, the Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) announced a whopping 140 projects selected for the Project Forum at the upcoming Ifp Independent Film Week. Made up of several sections (Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers program, No Borders International Co-Production Market and Spotlight on Documentaries), we find latest updates from the likes of docu-helmers Doug Block (112 Weddings) and Lana Wilson (After Tiller), and among the narrative items we find headliners in Andrew Haigh (coming off the well received 45 Years), Sophie Barthes (Cold Souls and Madame Bovary), Terence Nance (An Oversimplification of Her Beauty), Lawrence Michael Levine (Wild Canaries), Jorge Michel Grau (We Are What We Are), Eleanor Burke and Ron Eyal (Stranger Things) and new faces in Sundance’s large family in Charles Poekel (Christmas, Again) and Olivia Newman (First Match). Here...
- 7/22/2015
- by admin
- IONCINEMA.com
South African drama "Ayanda and the Mechanic," directed by Sara Blecher ("Otelo Burning"), has been announced as the opening night film of the 36th Durban International Film Festival (Diff), which takes place from July 16 to 26 this year. But first, it'll make its North American premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 13, just 5 days from today. Set in the vibrant, Afropolitan community of Johannesburg’s Yeoville, "Ayanda and the Mechanic" is a coming-of-age story of a 21-year-old "Afro-hipster," who embarks on a journey of self-discovery when she has to fight to save her late father’s legacy – a motor repair shop - when it is...
- 6/8/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
South African drama "Ayanda and the Mechanic," directed by Sara Blecher ("Otelo Burning"), has been announced as the opening night film of the 36th Durban International Film Festival (Diff), which takes place from July 16 to 26 this year. Set in the vibrant, Afropolitan community of Johannesburg’s Yeoville, "Ayanda and the Mechanic" is a coming-of-age story of a 21-year-old "Afro-hipster," who embarks on a journey of self-discovery when she has to fight to save her late father’s legacy – a motor repair shop - when it is threatened with closure. She’s thrown into a world of greasy overalls, gender stereotypes and abandoned vintage cars once loved,...
- 6/5/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Durban FilmMart, which runs in Durban, South Africa from July 17-20, has announced its project selection for this year.
The 6th Durban FilmMart has selected the 19 docs and features from more than 120 submissions from African filmmakers.
Dfm is a joint initiative between the Durban Film Office and the Durban International Film Festival (July 16-26).
“This year, we are pleased to welcome projects from a diverse range of countries on the continent, including Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa,” said Toni Monty of the Durban Film Office.
“The Dfm has become an important springboard for projects that have been conceptualized by African filmmakers, to support them as the projects move from the idea to exhibition.
“Over the last five years we have seen many projects go on to be awarded further opportunities to develop at various other markets, and eventually be screened in cinemas and festivals around the globe.
“In previous...
The 6th Durban FilmMart has selected the 19 docs and features from more than 120 submissions from African filmmakers.
Dfm is a joint initiative between the Durban Film Office and the Durban International Film Festival (July 16-26).
“This year, we are pleased to welcome projects from a diverse range of countries on the continent, including Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa,” said Toni Monty of the Durban Film Office.
“The Dfm has become an important springboard for projects that have been conceptualized by African filmmakers, to support them as the projects move from the idea to exhibition.
“Over the last five years we have seen many projects go on to be awarded further opportunities to develop at various other markets, and eventually be screened in cinemas and festivals around the globe.
“In previous...
- 5/22/2015
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Durban FilmMart, which runs in Durban, South Africa from July 17-20, has announced its project selection for this year.
Durban FilmMart is in its sixth edition, and selected the 19 docs and features from more than 120 submissions from African filmmakers.
Dfm is a joint initiative between the Durban Film Office and the Durban International Film Festival (July 16-26).
“This year, we are pleased to welcome projects from a diverse range of countries on the continent, including Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa,” said Toni Monty of the Durban Film Office. “The Dfm has become an important springboard for projects that have been conceptualized by African filmmakers, to support them as the projects move from the idea to exhibition. Over the last five years we have seen many projects go on to be awarded further opportunities to develop at various other markets, and eventually be screened in cinemas and festivals around the globe. In previous...
Durban FilmMart is in its sixth edition, and selected the 19 docs and features from more than 120 submissions from African filmmakers.
Dfm is a joint initiative between the Durban Film Office and the Durban International Film Festival (July 16-26).
“This year, we are pleased to welcome projects from a diverse range of countries on the continent, including Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa,” said Toni Monty of the Durban Film Office. “The Dfm has become an important springboard for projects that have been conceptualized by African filmmakers, to support them as the projects move from the idea to exhibition. Over the last five years we have seen many projects go on to be awarded further opportunities to develop at various other markets, and eventually be screened in cinemas and festivals around the globe. In previous...
- 5/22/2015
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Top brass at the 21st Los Angeles Film Festival have announced the Us Fiction, Documentary and World Competition sections.
Seventy-four films in total will screen at the event, scheduled to run from June 10-18, while 54 play in competition including 39 world premieres.
Organisers pointed out that nearly 40% of the directors in the six competitive categories are female and nearly 30% of the films are directed by people of colour.
New sections this year are the Us Fiction and World Fiction Competitions and Launch, as well as the previously announced Buzz, Nightfall and Zeitgeist programmes.
The Launch section is designed to showcase innovative storytelling crafted in digital media including music videos, web series, podcasts, interactive games and digital activism shorts.
Selections include Making Cool Sh*t: The Music Videos Of Ok Go followed by a talk with frontman and director Damian Kulash and Funny Or Die’s Make ‘Em Laff Showcase.
Among the Us Fiction Competition entries are world premieres...
Seventy-four films in total will screen at the event, scheduled to run from June 10-18, while 54 play in competition including 39 world premieres.
Organisers pointed out that nearly 40% of the directors in the six competitive categories are female and nearly 30% of the films are directed by people of colour.
New sections this year are the Us Fiction and World Fiction Competitions and Launch, as well as the previously announced Buzz, Nightfall and Zeitgeist programmes.
The Launch section is designed to showcase innovative storytelling crafted in digital media including music videos, web series, podcasts, interactive games and digital activism shorts.
Selections include Making Cool Sh*t: The Music Videos Of Ok Go followed by a talk with frontman and director Damian Kulash and Funny Or Die’s Make ‘Em Laff Showcase.
Among the Us Fiction Competition entries are world premieres...
- 5/5/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
An S&A highlight of 2012, award-winning filmmaker Sara Blecher's "City of God meets Blue Crush" South African coming-of-age drama Otelo Burning - a gripping story of township kids as they discover surfing, set in late 1980s, against the backdrop of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison - makes its Netflix streaming premiere today, March 25, 2014. It's also already available on several other platforms including iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Microsoft Xbox, Sony Entertainment Network, SundanceNOW, Vudu and YouTube. The film is available through the partnership between Sundance Institute and Ifp, who release several...
- 3/25/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
An S&A highlight of 2012, award-winning filmmaker Sara Blecher's "City of God meets Blue Crush" South African coming-of-age drama Otelo Burning - a gripping story of township kids as they discover surfing, set in late 1980s, against the backdrop of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison - makes its digital premiere on January 14, 2014 on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Microsoft Xbox, Sony Entertainment Network, SundanceNOW, Vudu and YouTube. The film is available for pre-order through Sundance Institute’s Now Playing page. After capturing 17 International Awards, the film enjoyed a limited theatrical run, starting at New...
- 12/11/2013
- by Natasha Greeves
- ShadowAndAct
Glad to announce that one of our 2012 highlights will be getting a UK release this spring.South African drama Otelo Burning, directed by award-winning filmmaker Sara Blecher, will be released in the UK this spring, courtesy of Aya Distribution, in association with the New Black Film Network. The emotional coming-of-age drama, set against the backdrop of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison, all seen through the eyes of a child, will have a six-night theatrical release from the 16th until the 21st of April, screening in venues right across London. Accompanying some of these screenings (some of which will take place in universities) will be...
- 4/1/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Let's celebrate Woman's Day on AfricaFilms.tv, discover a selection of titles directed by or celegrating the African Woman...
Films
Moolaade by Ousmane Sembène 2004 – Senegal
Sembène Ousmane’s last film is an award-winning tribute to non-conformism, women and a stance against female genital mutilation.
Bal Poussiere by Henri Duparc 1988 – Ivory Coast
Half-God has five wives. He decides to add a sixth one: one for each day of the week, while Sundays are strictly reserved for the best wife of the week.
Saint-louis Blues by Dyana Gaye 2008 -Senegal
En route to Saint Louis from Dakar in the company of one taxidriver, seven passengers, and nineteen musicians.
Long Street by Revel Fox 2010 - South Africa
An intimately rendered portrait of the fragile relationship between recovering drug addict Sia and her mother Maria
Zimbabwe by Darrell James Roodt 2008 - South Africa
The courageous journey of a 19-years old girl trying to find a better life through emigration. Selected in more than 30 festivals worldwide.
Visa/Vie by Elan Gamaker 2010 - South Africa
Anna, a French emigré, is caught working illegally in a Cape Town restaurant. She has 48 hours to find a husband to avoid having to leave the country...
Adera by Nega Tariku 2010 – Ethiopia
A story of emigration and adoption. Box office champion in Addis Abeba in 2009.
Series
The Mating Game by Alex Yazbek 2010 - South Africa
Men come in all shapes and sizes. Some bring us love. Some bring us money. And some bring us sex. Seldom do we get all three.
Secrets by Sitsofe Akoto & Juliet Asante 2008 – Ghana
At Saints folks from all walks of life cross paths. What unites them is that they all have something to hide.
Games People Play by Jake Aernan 2005 – Ghana
One restaurant, four adult daughters, two ex-husbands. No wonder Ma Getty needs a young lover by her side.
Documentary
Women Bear Africa On Their Back by Idrissa Diabate 2009 - Ivory Coast
The daily life of 5 courageous African Women. A multi-awarded documentary by one of the leading masters of the genre on the continent.
Puberty Rites by Richard Prempeh 2010 - Ghana
The passage from childhood to womanhood is not easy, but the Dipo rite makes for a smoother transition.
Surfing Soweto by Sara Blecher 2010 - South Africa
With nothing to lose, taking drugs and surfing trains might be less frightening for Prince, Lefa and Mzembe than growing up in a society that has nothing else to offer.
Lome Vivina by Marie-Samantha Salvy 2011 – Togo
The puzzling phenomenon of Sunday crowd jogging in Lome, Togo. A still-doccie that became a festival must.
Films
Moolaade by Ousmane Sembène 2004 – Senegal
Sembène Ousmane’s last film is an award-winning tribute to non-conformism, women and a stance against female genital mutilation.
Bal Poussiere by Henri Duparc 1988 – Ivory Coast
Half-God has five wives. He decides to add a sixth one: one for each day of the week, while Sundays are strictly reserved for the best wife of the week.
Saint-louis Blues by Dyana Gaye 2008 -Senegal
En route to Saint Louis from Dakar in the company of one taxidriver, seven passengers, and nineteen musicians.
Long Street by Revel Fox 2010 - South Africa
An intimately rendered portrait of the fragile relationship between recovering drug addict Sia and her mother Maria
Zimbabwe by Darrell James Roodt 2008 - South Africa
The courageous journey of a 19-years old girl trying to find a better life through emigration. Selected in more than 30 festivals worldwide.
Visa/Vie by Elan Gamaker 2010 - South Africa
Anna, a French emigré, is caught working illegally in a Cape Town restaurant. She has 48 hours to find a husband to avoid having to leave the country...
Adera by Nega Tariku 2010 – Ethiopia
A story of emigration and adoption. Box office champion in Addis Abeba in 2009.
Series
The Mating Game by Alex Yazbek 2010 - South Africa
Men come in all shapes and sizes. Some bring us love. Some bring us money. And some bring us sex. Seldom do we get all three.
Secrets by Sitsofe Akoto & Juliet Asante 2008 – Ghana
At Saints folks from all walks of life cross paths. What unites them is that they all have something to hide.
Games People Play by Jake Aernan 2005 – Ghana
One restaurant, four adult daughters, two ex-husbands. No wonder Ma Getty needs a young lover by her side.
Documentary
Women Bear Africa On Their Back by Idrissa Diabate 2009 - Ivory Coast
The daily life of 5 courageous African Women. A multi-awarded documentary by one of the leading masters of the genre on the continent.
Puberty Rites by Richard Prempeh 2010 - Ghana
The passage from childhood to womanhood is not easy, but the Dipo rite makes for a smoother transition.
Surfing Soweto by Sara Blecher 2010 - South Africa
With nothing to lose, taking drugs and surfing trains might be less frightening for Prince, Lefa and Mzembe than growing up in a society that has nothing else to offer.
Lome Vivina by Marie-Samantha Salvy 2011 – Togo
The puzzling phenomenon of Sunday crowd jogging in Lome, Togo. A still-doccie that became a festival must.
- 3/8/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
New Yorkers! Launching at the new Mist Harlem Cinemas in Harlem, New York this upcoming weekend, Friday, February 22nd through Monday, February 25th, is the Creatively Speaking film series event In Living Color: Love Stories in Black, White & Brown. Curated by Michelle Materre, In Living Color will feature two New York City premieres: Obama in Ghana by Tony Regusters and the Sara Blecher documentary Surfing Soweto. Read the rest of the press release below for details on features and shorts. Join Creatively Speaking on Facebook for film descriptions and schedule. Harlem, New York, February 1, 2013 - Creatively SpeakingTM , the curated film series with a seventeen year...
- 2/21/2013
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
If you live in NYC, I cannot encourage you enough to go check out this film, before it leaves! Award-winning filmmaker Sara Blecher's "City of God meets Blue Crush" South African coming-of-age drama Otelo Burning is a gripping story of township kids as they discover surfing, set in late 1980s, against the backdrop of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. It opened quite strong about 2 weeks ago at New York’s new cinemas at Mist Harlem - and affair that I was present for and moderated the Q&A that followed, with the filmmaker, and one of the stars of the film, Sihle Xaba! And...
- 12/11/2012
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Ambitions clash against a violent backdrop in Sara Blecher's Otelo Burning. But while its late '80s South Africa setting might suggest obvious ways to invoke Shakespeare's Othello, the insidious jealousy here isn't primarily about lust or military glory -- it's over surfing. Though sorting through the way Blecher's tale does and doesn't line up with Shakespeare's proves distracting in the end, the allusions may draw deserved arthouse attention to a finely acted film that can stand on its own. Charismatic if sometimes inarticulate, Otelo (Jafta Mamabolo) is one of a trio of black teens who discover surfing, quickly seeing it as
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- 11/30/2012
- by John DeFore
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It opens this week in a limited theatrical run at the new Mist Harlem Cinemas in NYC, and gets an enthusiastic thumbs up from S&A, meaning you really Should see it if you're in New York, while it's available. Sublime in its rich ocean scenery, where you will indulge in for most of the film, the majestically photographed Otelo Burning is actually set in the South African province of Lamontville in the late 1980’s, around the time when Nelson Mandela was released from prison. But the refreshingly unconventional and gripping film isn’t a political narrative; that serves as more of a backdrop. Written by Sara Blecher, James Whyle and The Cast Workshop, and...
- 11/30/2012
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
It's finally here! The USA theatrical run begins Tonight for award-winning filmmaker Sara Blecher's "City of God meets Blue Crush" South African coming-of-age drama Otelo Burning - a gripping story of township kids as they discover surfing, set in late 1980s, against the backdrop of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. It stars some familiar South African actors whose names have been mentioned once or twice on this site, attached to previous films, like Kenneth Nkosi, who also starred in Paradise Stop and White Wedding (South Africa's entry in the 2009 Oscars in the foreign film category). Otelo Burning...
- 11/28/2012
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Blecher Rides Waves, Inelegantly
Cutting her teeth with the surfing 2010 short doc Surfing Soweto, director Sara Blecher has forged ahead, tackling similar territory with her fictional wave bound feature debut, Otelo Burning. Often feeling a bit puerile, films that fixate on surfing tend to use the sport as an over arching symbol of freedom and escape, and Blecher’s film is no different. A quartet of friends face a myriad of adolescent problems, only to find that surfing could be their ticket away from their issues to fame and fortune atop a gloriously blue break. It does however successfully employ the played out athletics to explore racial tensions and political unrest that plagued South Africa before the end of apartheid during the 90s with surprisingly grim inflection of tonal balance.
Blecher sets the familiar pieces in play with our dark skinned leading teens, Otelo (Jafta Mamabolo) and his little brother...
Cutting her teeth with the surfing 2010 short doc Surfing Soweto, director Sara Blecher has forged ahead, tackling similar territory with her fictional wave bound feature debut, Otelo Burning. Often feeling a bit puerile, films that fixate on surfing tend to use the sport as an over arching symbol of freedom and escape, and Blecher’s film is no different. A quartet of friends face a myriad of adolescent problems, only to find that surfing could be their ticket away from their issues to fame and fortune atop a gloriously blue break. It does however successfully employ the played out athletics to explore racial tensions and political unrest that plagued South Africa before the end of apartheid during the 90s with surprisingly grim inflection of tonal balance.
Blecher sets the familiar pieces in play with our dark skinned leading teens, Otelo (Jafta Mamabolo) and his little brother...
- 11/22/2012
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Vanessa saw Sara Blecher's Otelo Burning at Abff in July, and reviewed it positively Here. The rest of you, those who live in NYC anyway, will get your opportunity to see it when it opens for a week of "Buzz Screenings," November 9th – 15th at reRun Theater, Brooklyn. Details in the press release below... trailer and poster underneath: Opens for a week of Buzz Screenings - November 9th – 15th reRun Theater, Brooklyn City of God meets Blue Crush in Otelo Burning, a beautiful, coming-of-age drama by award-winning filmmaker Sara Blecher. The new South African feature film presents a gripping story of township...
- 11/2/2012
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Following on from the “25 New Faces” screening series that we have been organizing around the country, I’m very happy today to announce that Filmmaker and Ifp will be programming theatrical runs at the reRun Theatre in Brooklyn, starting on November 2. The first three films we will be showing at reRun are Jacob Krupnick’s crowdpleasing NYC dance movie Girl Walk // All Day (above), Sara Blecher’s South African drama Otelo Burning, and Susan Youssef’s Gaza-set love story Habibi.
We’re incredibly excited to be entering into this partnership with reRun and, through it, to continue what the magazine has been doing for 20 years, namely championing great — and often overlooked — cinema. In the very near future, we will launch an online form on the Ifp site which will facilitate filmmakers submitting their films for consideration for a theatrical slot at reRun, as it is our intention to cast a...
We’re incredibly excited to be entering into this partnership with reRun and, through it, to continue what the magazine has been doing for 20 years, namely championing great — and often overlooked — cinema. In the very near future, we will launch an online form on the Ifp site which will facilitate filmmakers submitting their films for consideration for a theatrical slot at reRun, as it is our intention to cast a...
- 10/24/2012
- by Nick Dawson
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Unknown independent filmmakers have a new opportunity to see their work shown in New York courtesy of the Independent Filmmaker Project’s Filmmaker Magazine editorial staff and Brooklyn’s reRun Theater. Ifp, Filmmaker and Dumbo’s reRun have banded together to program weeklong runs of films from self-distributing filmmakers; the first three titles to take advantage of the new initiative are Jacob Krupnick’s “Girl Walk // All Day” (Nov. 2), Sara Blecher’s “Otelo Burning” (Nov. 9) and Susan Youssef’s “Habibi” (Nov. 16). Ifp and reRun are throwing a kickoff event October 30 at 6pm at the reRun that is open to the public. Read More: Ifp Set to Run Ambitious New NYC Media Center in Dumbo to Create Jobs and Advance New Media Storytelling “In the reRun Theater, Ifp has found a partner equally dedicated to our core belief in nurturing diverse voices on the independent scene,” said Ifp executive...
- 10/22/2012
- by Jay A. Fernandez
- Indiewire
Vanessa saw Sara Blecher's Otelo Burning at Abff in July, and reviewed it positively Here. The rest of you, those who live in NYC anyway, will get your opportunity to see it when it makes its Us theatrical debut on October 3rd, at the new Mist Harlem Cinemas. Details in the press release below... trailer and poster underneath: New York, NY (August 27, 2012) City of God meets Blue Crush in Otelo Burning, a beautiful, coming-of-age drama by award-winning filmmaker Sara Blecher. The new South African feature film presents a gripping story of township kids as they discover surfing - a newfound freedom through water. The film will make its U.S. theatrical premiere at New...
- 9/11/2012
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Otelo Burning, the Sara Blecher-directed drama set in South Africa in the late 80's, was one of the highlights screening at American Black Film Festival over the weekend (see my review Here). The film will have it's U.S. theatrical release this September 2012 at My Image Sudios (Mist) in Harlem NY. Mist houses films from African and Latino Diasporas, where Otelo Burning will be one the first films to premiere in. Otelo film premiered in the U.S. at The Seattle Film Festival’s New Directors Showcase and was nominated at the San Francisco International Film Fest for the Golden Needle award. Otelo will also screen at the Chicago International Film Festival, which...
- 6/27/2012
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
Sublime in its rich ocean scenery, where you will indulge in for most of the film, the majestically photographed Otelo Burning is actually set in the South African province of Lamontville in the late 1980’s, around the time when Nelson Mandela was released from prison. But the refreshingly unconventional and gripping film isn’t a political narrative; that serves as more of a backdrop. Written by Sara Blecher, James Whyle and The Cast Workshop, and directed by Blecher (Surfing Soweto), Otelo Burning is a coming of age story - based on real life events - about three boys: Otelo Buthelezi (Jafta Mamabolo), his best friend named New Year (Kenneth Nkosi- Paradise Stop,...
- 6/26/2012
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
I can't remember a time I went to the Seattle International Film Festival (Siff) press launch and looked over the list of films and saw so many I was interested in seeing. The claim to fame for over the years is to call it the largest and most-highly attended festival in the United States. This is a fact I've often taken issue with as I don't equate quantity with quality. Granted, there has been a large number of quality features to play the fest over the years, including Golden Space Needle (Best Film) winners such as Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), My Life as a Dog (1987), Trainspotting (1996), Run Lola Run (1999), Whale Rider (2003) and even recent Best Director winner, Michel Hazanavicius's Oss 117: Nest of Spies in 2006. That said, looking over this year's crop of films I see a lot of films I will be doing my absolute best to see.
- 4/27/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The double bill I’m most looking forward to features Boardwalk Empire’s Michael Shannon, who I first saw in the brilliant Shotgun Stories (2007). Take Shelter is his second collaboration with writer/director Jeff Nichols and finds Shannon in dark territory again as a man whose psychological problems put him at odds with his small-town community.
Shannon also plays the husband of Linda Cardellini’s stressed-out combat veteran in Return, a film about the pressures of war on those left at home. The Missing Person showed that Shannon can temper his intensity with a wonderfully dry sense of humour and he definitely has the talent to be a leading man and not just an accomplished supporting player.
Michael Fassbender’s A Dangerous Method and Shame have already been reviewed during the recent Toronto International Film Festival, though I am keen to see to both them. Do we need to talk about Kevin,...
Shannon also plays the husband of Linda Cardellini’s stressed-out combat veteran in Return, a film about the pressures of war on those left at home. The Missing Person showed that Shannon can temper his intensity with a wonderfully dry sense of humour and he definitely has the talent to be a leading man and not just an accomplished supporting player.
Michael Fassbender’s A Dangerous Method and Shame have already been reviewed during the recent Toronto International Film Festival, though I am keen to see to both them. Do we need to talk about Kevin,...
- 9/25/2011
- by Susannah
- SoundOnSight
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