48 Hours to film fame and fortune

More than 100 short films created in 48 hours by emerging and professional filmmakers promises to captivate audiences when they are screened at Suncoast Cinecentre cinemas today as part of the 48 Hour Film Project.

The project challenged participants to produce films within a tight 48-hour time-frame, prompting diverse storytelling that resonates with societal issues, personal struggles and the indomitable spirit of creativity.

There are films that address mental health, human trafficking, LGBTQ+ issues, as well as female superhero films and mobile filmmaking productions.

Over a weekend last month, film enthusiasts in KwaZulu-Natal had 48 hours to make a 5-7- minute short film.

The 48 Hour Film Project is a global event that happens in more than 100 cities on different weekends throughout the year. In each city, local film teams, from beginners to pros, compete to make a short film in a weekend.

The annual competition has teams of filmmakers assigned a genre, a character, a prop, and a line of dialogue and have 48 hours to create a short film containing those elements.

Among the notable films is Unheard and Unseen crafted by a team of hearing-impaired filmmakers. The film paints a poignant picture of the frustrations faced by deaf individuals, particularly young women, who often feel invisible and unheard in society.

Hearing impaired Sinethemba Solomzi Mtati, 29, a first-time filmmaker who produced and directed Unheard and Unseen said deaf people had limited access to education, healthcare and general services like reporting cases to the police.

Unheard and Unseen reveals how deaf and hearing-impaired people feel about being invisible in society and having to deal with silent struggles. This film is about two deaf young women, who are frustrated by their struggles and feel they are merely existing and surviving in the world.

“There is a communication barrier. They are also socially isolated and are excluded. Deaf women are also vulnerable to abuse, with abusers knowing full well that they can get away with the abuse. Therefore, this film is about this isolation of being unheard (literally and figuratively). As a result, they are unseen,” said Mtati.

Also involved in the making of the film was Qinisile Felicia Magubane, Latifah Andile Jooma and Nolita Mtati.

“Myself, Qinisile and Latifah, who are also deaf, brainstormed the ideas and wrote the script. I wanted to put out there the struggles of deaf people, especially women. I also wanted to prove to myself that I can be a filmmaker. Most people do not believe that a deaf or hearing-impaired person can be a filmmaker. I want to break the stereotype that we cannot amount to anything. We are here and we also deserve to be included in our societies,” she said.

She said their biggest achievement was making a film that was 100% acted in South African sign language (with subtitles, to accommodate people who do not understand sign language) in 48 hours.

Another inspiring entry was Run To Freedom, created by 13-year-old Isabella Fitt and her friends Chelsea Larett, Courtney Logie, Amy van Dijk and Kaitlin Coetzee.

Fitt, a Grade 7 pupil at Winston Park Primary in Gillitts, said her drama teacher suggested she get involved in the project.

“The film is based on a true story. My dad once told me a story of a friend who stole his mother’s car, got caught and was sent to a detention camp from which he ran away. I found this story fascinating and thought it would make a nice story for a film. The message from the film is that being free is not about running away, it’s finding where you belong,” said Fitt.

She said she could not wait to watch it on the big screen in a cinema today.

“It was also lovely to show that piece of art at school. This is the start of my movie-making journey. I am looking forward to high school drama and taking it further,” said Fitt.

The Land, scripted by Zama Ngwane and produced by Fazel Khan, is about the realities and lived experiences of shack dwellers trying to make a living to sustain themselves.

“The Land focussed on family life which is also important in the informal settlements. They live normal lives and have normal relationships. They have hopes, visions and dreams. Despite their living conditions, they are motivated and have a daily aspiration to change their living conditions through promised developments.

“We wanted to reflect the lived experiences of shack dwellers in the form of a drama genre,” said Khan.

Project co-ordinator Nerusha Maharaj Sadapal said this year’s submissions revealed an incredible range of talent, creativity, and diversity.

“Additionally, we had participation from Tafta (The Association for the Aged), symbolising our commitment to inclusivity and age diversity,” said Sadapal.

Screenings will take place today at Suncoast Cinecentre cinema followed by an awards ceremony, where more than 30 local awards from best film, best cinematography, best actor to best mobile film will be presented.

Three filmmakers will walk away with a bursary in filmmaking compliments of Creative Arts College and an unlimited equipment rental voucher from Panavision. The overall winning film will represent Durban internationally. They will compete against the other 130 cities’ winning films. The top 10 films will then be screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

Today’s screenings are at 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm. The awards ceremony is at 8pm. Tickets cost R89 and are available to purchase online from Suncoast.