News

Intersexions drama series wins the worlds oldest and most respected prize for electronic media- The Peabody Award

viva@curious.co.za — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:11:51 +0000

The widely popular drama Intersexions produced by Curious Pictures and Ants Multimedia and funded by Johns Hopkins Health and Education South Africa in association with USAIDS and PEPFAR was named a recipient of the Peabody Award, the worlds oldest and most respected award for electronic media.

Thirty-eight recipients of the 71st Annual Peabody Awards were announced last week by the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. The winners, chosen by the Peabody board as the best in electronic media for the year 2011, were named in a ceremony in the Peabody Gallery on the University of Georgia Campus.

The awards will be formally presented at a luncheon ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City on May 21. Sir Patrick Stewart, star of two Peabody winners, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Macbeth, will be the host.

The producers and developers of Intersexions envisioned that it would rise above any entertainment education television series ever produced in South Africa in terms of being able to communicate relevant public health messages without sacrificing the quality of drama or audience appeal.

Guided by contemporary evidence-based research into the transmission of HIV, the series delved into the lives of ordinary South Africans in order to portray what is known about the HI virus and the various contexts which place people at the greatest risk of infection. The series focused on love, sex and relationships and a range of individual and social factors that result in dynamic and complex phenomena that drive the HIV epidemic in South Africa.

Although Intersexions does not present itself as an overtly HIV/AIDS drama series, the experimental drama series ‘mapped’ out a sexual network over 25 independent, but interrelated episodes that follow an HIV infection chain as it cuts across geographic, age, racial and class boundaries. Each story aimed to take viewers closer to understanding the interconnectedness of their own sexual networks.

The Peabodys, the oldest awards in broadcasting, are considered among the most prestigious and selective prizes in electronic media. The Peabody Awards recognize excellence and meritorious work by radio and television stations, networks, webcasters, producing organizations and individuals. The 16-member Peabody Board is a distinguished panel of television critics, industry practitioners and experts in culture and the arts.
All entries become a permanent part of the Peabody Archive in the University of Georgia Libraries. The collection is one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most respected moving-image archives. For more information about the Peabody Archive or the Peabody Awards, visit www.peabody.uga.edu.

Follow Intersexions on the following sites:

http://www.intersexions-tv.co.za/

join on twitter @Intersexions

join on facebook InterSEXions.

South African Film and TV Awards honors Intersexions with 11 Golden Horn awards

viva@curious.co.za — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:22:06 +0000

The ceremony for the 6th Annual South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAS) was held on 10 March at Gallagher Estate in Midrand. Curious Pictures and Ants Multimedia production Intersexions was sitting with 23 nominations in various categories and ultimately took home eleven Golden Horn statuettes at the industry event.

The Intersexions drama series took the nations attention in 2011 with a 26 part drama series that broke conventional television models and brought a fresh storytelling approach to the small screen. Viewers nationwide have made the series a talking point on social media with 3,000 twitter fans and 24,000 facebook fans creating a growing social dialogue on sexuality and HIV/AIDS. The series is funded by John Hopkins Health and Education South Africa with USAIDS and PEPFAR funding. Intersexions will be returning to SABC1 for a second season but audiences will have to wait patiently as the series is still in development. Fans can check out http://www.intersexions-tv.co.za/ or join on twitter @Intersexions and facebook InterSEXions.

Curious Pictures is exceedingly proud of the awards for Intersexions and congratulates the amazing work of the talented and creative individuals how gave their best work to making Intersexions an award winning production.

Congratulations to the following winners.

Best TV Drama Series
Intersexions Curious Pictures and Ants Multimedia

Best Director of a TV Drama Series
Intersexions
(EP 4 & 20) Rolie Nikiwe

Best Actor in a TV Drama Series
Intersexions Siyabonga Radebe as “Muzi”

Best Actress in a TV Drama Series
Intersexions Lungelo Dladla as “Buhle”

Best Writing Team of a TV Drama Series
Intersexions (EP20) Brent Quinn Linda Bere and Team

Best DOP / Cinematographer of a TV Drama Series
Intersexions (EP8) Trevor Calverley

Best Editor of a TV Drama Series
Intersexions (EP20) Melanie Golden

Best Production Design of a TV Drama Series
Intersexions Marna Heunis

Best Music Composition of a TV Drama Series
Intersexions Sue Lubner

Best Make-up & Hair stylist of a TV Drama Series
Intersexions Smartie Olifant
Best Sound Design of a TV Drama Series
Intersexions (EP4) Janno Muller, Tim Pringle

INSIDE STORY was awarded Special Jury Recognition in the Feature Narrative category at Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival

viva@curious.co.za — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:44:32 +0000

–African-Produced Feature Film Combines Football and Science to Entertain and Enlighten Millions Across Sub-Saharan Africa About HIV/AIDS–

After three successful screenings at the 20th Annual Pan African Film Festival, the nonprofit Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership’s INSIDE STORY was awarded Special Jury Recognition in the Feature Narrative category yesterday in Los Angeles.

After debuting on World AIDS Day 2011 in Johannesburg and last month in Washington, D.C., INSIDE STORY’s February 11th premiere at the Pan African Film Festival marked its first public screening. Hailed by LA Weekly as “a rousing success,” the film stars Kevin Ndege Mamboleo (Changing Times) as Kalu, a gifted footballer who moves from rural Kenya to urban Johannesburg to follow his dream and support his family. His path becomes more challenging when he falls in love with the coach’s daughter, Ify (Kendra Etufunwa), and subsequently finds out he is HIV-positive. Newcomers Mamboleo and Etufunwa (Jacob’s Cross) are joined by international stars including Hakeem Kae-Kazim (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Hotel Rwanda, 24) and Fana Mokoena (Blood Diamond, Hotel Rwanda).

Directed by Rolie Nikiwe (Tsha Tsha, The Lab, Intersexions), INSIDE STORY is a truly pan African project – produced by Curious Pictures South Africa, filmed in South African and Kenya and featuring actors and actresses from across the continent. INSIDE STORY also distinguishes itself by combining a compelling narrative with realistic CGI animations that take the viewer into the body to demonstrate the science of HIV in a personal, practical and memorable way.

Produced with the support of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Chevron, Discovery Communications, Access Bank, the South African Department of Trade and Industry, SEACOM and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership plans a comprehensive rollout of the film – including national broadcasts across sub-Saharan Africa and distribution through grassroots efforts of NGOs, schools and governments – later this year. The trailer for the film and regular updates on the project can be found at insidestorythemovie.org and facebook.com/insidestory.

The Pan African Film Festival is America’s largest and most prestigious international Black film festival. In its 20th year, the Festival featured 170 films, representing 30 countries, spanning narratives and documentaries.

To keep up to date on Inside Story check out

www.insidestorythemovie.org/

www.facebook.com/InsideStory

Twitter: #insidestory

The 6th Annual South African Film and Television Awards announce 31 nominations for Curious Pictures productions

viva@curious.co.za — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:36:46 +0000

The nominees for the 6th South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) were announced on Thursday February 16th, 2012 at Melrose Arch. The Saftas ceremony will be held at Gallagher Estates on March 9 for the non-fiction categories and on March 10 for the fiction categories and will be broadcast on SABC3 on March 11th, 2012.

Curious Pictures received 23 nominations for the widely popular drama series Intersexions and 8 nominations for TV Soapie Rhythm City.

Curious would like to thank the many individuals who contribute their limitless talent to the making of these productions; cast, crew and post production. We are honored to work with the most talented people in the industry.

Please find listed below details of the nomination categories:

Best TV Drama Series

Zone 14 (The Bomb Shelter)
Intersexions – Curious Pictures
Sokhulu & Partners (Paw Paw Films)

Best Director on a TV Drama Series

Intersexions EP 4 & 20 (Rolie Nikiwe)
Sokhulu & Partners (Natalie Haarhof)
Intersexions EP 8 (Catharine Cooke)
Best Actor in a TV Drama Series

Thato Moraka as “Tshepo” (Intersexions)
Katleho Ramapakela as “Thami” (Intersexions)
Siyabonga Radebe as “Muzi” (Intersexions)
Best Actress in a TV Drama Series

Lindiwe Ntuli as “Mbali” (Fallen)
Lungelo Dladla as “Buhle” (Intersexions)
Linda Sokhulu as “Pam” (Sokhulu & Partners)
Best Supporting Actress in a TV Drama Series

Xolile Tshabalala as “Mandi” (Fallen)
Nolwazi Shange as “Ntombi” (Intersexions)
Harriet Manamela as “Ntombi Ntshebe” (Sokhulu & Partners)

Best Writing Team in a TV Drama Series

Chisanga Kabinga -Intersexions EP 4
Denis Venter, Portia Gumede (Sokhulu & Partners)
Linda Bere – Intersexions EP 20

Best DOP/Cinematographer in a TV Drama Series

Trevor Calverley – Intersexions EP 20
Trevor Calverley – Intersexions EP 8
Trevor Calverley – Intersexions EP 4
Greg Heimann (Sokhulu & Partners)

Best Editor on a TV Drama Series

Melanie Golden – Intersexions EP 4
Melanie Golden – Intersexions EP 8
Melanie Golden – Intersexions EP 20

Best Production Design in a TV Drama Series

Intersexions (Marna Heunis)
Sokhulu & Partners (Esme Viviers)
Zone 14 Production Team

Best Music Composition in a TV Drama Series

Afrika Mkhize (Fallen)
Sue Lubner (Intersexions)
Phillip Miller (Zone 14)

Best Costume Design in a TV Drama Series

Rochelle Selling (Intersexions)
Zanele Mhlanga (Sokhulu & Partners)
Nadia Kruger (Zone 14)

Best Make-up & Hair Stylist in a TV Drama Series

Smartie Olifant (Intersexions)
Evelyn Gambe (Sokhulu & Partners)
Sheila Petlele (Zone 14)

Best Sound Design in a TV Drama Series

Janno Muller, Tim Pringle- Intersexions EP 4
Janno Muller, Tim Pringle- Intersexions EP 20
Janno Muller, Tim Pringle – Intersexions Ep 8

Best Director on a TV Soap

Alex Yazbek, Johnny Barbuzano (The Wild)
Heleni Handt, Hlomla Dandala, Joshua Rous (Scandal!)
Herbert Hadebe, Eric Mogale, Kekeletso Mphuthi, Sacha Clelland-Strokes (Rhythm City)

Best Actors in a TV Soap

Mduduzi Mabaso as “Suffocate” (Rhythm City)
Tumisho Masha as “Modise Tladi” (The Wild)
Shona Ferguson as “Alex” (Scandal!)
Clint Brink as “Tino” (Scandal!)

Best Ensemble on a TV Soap

Rhythm City (Curious Pictures)
Isidingo (Endemol South Africa)
The Wild (M-Net Magic Factory)

Best Writing Team on a TV Soap

Rhythm City (Charlie Sapadin and Team)
Scandal! (Julie Barker, Mark Graham Wilson and Team)
Generations Writing Team

Best Technical Team on a TV Soap

Rhythm City
Scandal!
The Wild

Best Art Direction on a TV Soap

Rhythm City (Kagiso Malefane)
Isidingo (Art Directing Team)
The Wild (Marlene Ming)

Best Post Production Team on a TV Soap

Scandal!
Rhythm City
Generations

Best TV Soap

The Wild
Generations
Rhythm City
Scandal!
Isidingo
Muvhango

Voice of America’s health correspondent Linord Moudou reports on feature film, Inside Story.

viva@curious.co.za — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:44:39 +0000

Hopeville feature film screens at the 22nd Cascade Festival of African Films in the US

viva@curious.co.za — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:13:15 +0000

Hopeville, the feature film directed by John Trengove, will be screening in the United States at the 22nd Cascade African Film Festival.

Hopeville tells the story of Amos , a man on a mission to forge a relationship with his estranged son. Father and son arrive from the big city to the dusty town of Hopeville, which proves to be anything but hopeful. When the Amos decides to restore the public swimming pool so his son can pursue a swimming career, he is met with skepticism and resistance. However, his patience, determination, and acts of courageous selflessness ripple through the town, inspiring others to take positive action.

A note from the festival- “We view film as a medium for artistic expression and illumination. These films were chosen on the basis of their quality as film and their ability to captivate and move audiences. We also chose them because they represent different countries and cultures and a range of lifestyles from pre-colonial to modern times, including both rural and urban settings. Although it is impossible to represent a whole continent with only a few films, it is our hope that through this annual film series we will encourage American viewers to become interested in African cultures and to study them further.”

http://www.africanfilmfestival.org/films/hopeville/

LAWeekly gives Inside Story an applauding review in the run up to the Pan African Film Festival opening on Feb 9th 2012

viva@curious.co.za — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:53:41 +0000

Pan African Film Festival 2012

A A A Comments By Ernest Hardy Thursday, Feb 9 2012

The mission of the Pan African Film and Arts Festival puts it between the rock and hard place of being both a film festival and a cultural booster, two tacks that don’t always sync up smoothly. Its organizers want to bring you the best film fare from across the African diaspora but also want it to be a showcase for filmmakers whose work simply isn’t shown elsewhere in the United States, thus depriving them of the chance that scores of white filmmakers are allowed at, say, Sundance — the chance to be formulaic, mediocre, noticeably wet behind the ears and yet still rack up credibility.

This year there isn’t a lot of mediocrity on the menu, but there’s a lot that’s just competent-to-fine. That includes Aimee Lagos’ 96 Minutes, told largely in flashback as the perpetrators and victims of a carjacking gone awry deal with the horrific fallout. The film wants to talk about big issues (race, class, the death penalty) but is thwarted by simplistic conceptualization. The white-kid half of the carjacking duo is poor, dim, hyperviolent; the black kid — also poor but very smart — is right on the verge of breaking out of the hood when he makes a dumb choice. Lagos seems to want to upend racial expectation but has simply

Donovan’s Echo stars Danny Glover as Donovan, a brilliant mathematician who falls into three decades of depression and alcoholism after a family tragedy. Echo initially plays out as a moderately engaging supernatural thriller in which the violence of the past eerily starts to repeat itself in the present. Donovan must figure out why, and everything goes swimmingly for the viewer until one too many instances of Donovan endangering himself for a stranger sparks the realization that he’s yet another manifestation of the magical Negro, repeatedly putting himself at risk to save a white charge.

Meanwhile, High Chicago, set in Canada in 1975, is a better-than-average drama about a factory worker, Sam (British actor Colin Salmon), whose gambling and boozing endanger his family’s finances, and whose dream of opening a drive-in in Africa pushes his marriage to the brink of collapse. The sets look too much like sets (distractingly so), and too many of the secondary characters are stock, but the story pulls you in, and it’s always a treat to see the underrated Salmon do his thing.

Many of the documentaries are similarly just OK but with elements that are riveting. Mama Africa, a celebration of the life and career of the late South African singing icon Miriam Makeba, directed by Mika Kaurismaki, is pure documentary boilerplate — talking heads singing the subject’s praises, lots of old newsreels and photographs. But those newsreels and vintage photos are absolutely gorgeous, as is the generously served up performance footage of Makeba, which spans her career.

Mickey Madoda Dube’s Sobukwe: A Great Soul retrieves the late, formidable African activist Robert Sobukwe from the dustbin of history with dramatic re-enactments of key moments, lots of archival footage and talking heads, including Cornel West, Molefi Kete Asanti and Andrew Young. It’s must-see viewing for any serious scholar of African or progressive global politics. Unfortunately, Dube doesn’t trust the inherent drama or worthiness of Sobukwe’s tale, and veers hard into hagiography.

On the other hand, Sam Pollard’s documentary Slavery by Another Name is simply fantastic, as is Rolie Nikiwe’s Inside Story, about the struggles of a Kenyan soccer star with HIV.

The former teems with experts, research data and archival photos, yet is never dry. It’s an infuriating, often hard-to-watch look at the post–Civil War South and the ways in which former slaves were criminalized in order to be turned into free prison labor, in effect continuing the practice of slavery. The film connects the dots to the modern prison industry, while also pointing out the ways in which immigrants would be (and still are) pitted against African-Americans in a race to the bottom for cheap labor.

Inside Story shouldn’t work at all — it’s a stitching together of an HIV/AIDS PSA, the formulaic tale of an underdog sports team that defies all odds, and a poor boy/rich girl love story. Yet it’s a rousing success, delivering its safe-sex message in a way that tackles issues of poverty and struggle, captures cosmopolitan modern Africa and massages the tear ducts in the end.

PAN AFRICAN FILM & ARTS FESTIVAL | Feb. 9-20 | Rave Cinemas, Baldwin Hills | paff.org

http://www.laweekly.com/2012-02-09/film-tv/Pan-African-Film-Festival-2012/

To keep up to date on Inside Story check out

www.insidestorythemovie.org/

www.facebook.com/InsideStory

Twitter: #insidestory

INSIDE STORY: NOMINATED AT THE PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL IN LOS ANGELES FOR BEST FEATURE FILM

viva@curious.co.za — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:11:02 +0000

INSIDE STORY: The Science of HIV/AIDS, premiered in Johannesburg on World Aids Day 2011. It will be making its international festival premiere in Los Angeles at the 20th anniversary edition of the prestigious Pan African Film Festival running February 9th- 20th, 2012.

The Pan African film festival will screen 160 quality films from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, the South Pacific and Canada, all showcasing the diversity and complexity of people of African descent.

It is PAFF’s goal to present and showcase the broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images and help to destroy negative stereotypes. Festival information can be found at www.paff.org.

INSIDE STORY: The Science of HIV/AIDS directed by Rolie Nikiwe has been nominated for a jury award for Best Feature Narrative, award announcements will be made at the festival on February 20th 2012 in Los Angeles.

Here is the list of nominees for Best Feature Narrative at the Pan African Film Festival :

Inside Story (trailer)
96 Minutes (trailer)
Chico & Rita (animated. trailer)
David Is Dying (trailer)
Donovan’s Echo (trailer)
Ghett’a Life (trailer)
Ties That Bind (trailer)
Toussaint L’Ouverture
We The Party (trailer)

Curious Pictures Children’s Programming “I’m A Work of Art” selected for the Prix Jeunesse International

viva@curious.co.za — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:48:00 +0000

Curious Pictures’ 26 part series for SABC1 Children’s programming, “I’m A Work of Art” has been selected to screen in June at the Prix Jeunesse International 2012 in Germany.

The aim of the PRIX JEUNESSE Foundation is to promote quality in television for the young worldwide. It wants to bring forward television that enables children to see, hear and express themselves and their culture, and that enhances an awareness and appreciation of other cultures.

Curious Pictures is proud to be selected among the work of the the international world to represent the best in quality children’s programming.

Inside Story, Curious Pictures Latest Feature Film Launches in the United States

viva@curious.co.za — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:03:44 +0000

After debuting on World AIDS Day 2011 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the nonprofit Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership will host the U.S. Premiere of INSIDE STORY: THE SCIENCE OF HIV/AIDS on January 11 in Silver Spring, Maryland, joined by Ambassador Eric Goosby, United States Global AIDS Coordinator. Produced by Curious Pictures South Africa with the support of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Chevron, Discovery Communications, Access Bank, the South African Department of Trade and Industry, SEACOM and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the film reaches across class and educational boundaries through a compelling story of sports, love and ill fates to enlighten audiences about HIV/AIDS.

Directed by Rolie Nikiwe (Tsha Tsha, The Lab, Intersexions), INSIDE STORY stars Kevin Ndege Mamboleo (Changing Times) as Kalu, a gifted footballer who moves from rural Kenya to urban Johannesburg to follow his dream and support his family. Hispath becomes more challenging when he falls in love with the coach’s daughter, Ify (Kendra Etufunwa), and subsequently finds out he is HIV-positive.

Newcomers Mamboleo and Etufunwa (Jacob’s Cross) are joined by international stars including Hakeem Kae-Kazim (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Hotel Rwanda, 24) as Kalu’s mentor and tough-as-nails coach, Fana Mokoena (Blood Diamond, Hotel Rwanda) as the ruthless team owner, and Regina-Re as Kalu’s mother, Miriam. INSIDE STORY also demonstrates the science of HIV in a personal, practical and memorable way, leveraging realistic CGI animations that take the viewer into the body while replacing misunderstanding with facts.

“Knowledge is power, and with INSIDE STORY we have a powerful tool with which to share the science of HIV,” said Aric Noboa, President, Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership and Executive Producer, INSIDE STORY. “We were honored by the overwhelming response to the film’s premiere in South Africa last month and are grateful for the generous support of our partners. Understanding HIV/AIDS is central to making healthy decisions, complying with treatment, and ending stigma and discrimination. This is the right time for INSIDE STORY, an innovative approach to helping eradicate HIV/AIDS in Africa and beyond.”

“INSIDE STORY will be a valuable tool to inform people across Africa and the world about the science of HIV. With greater understanding of the virus people can seek to know their status, to protect themselves, and to adhere to life-saving treatment if needed,” said Ambassador Eric Goosby, United States Global AIDS Coordinator. “The global AIDS response is a shared responsibility. With strong leadership from the United States, and continued partnership from the private sector, we are seizing the opportunity the science has presented us to move toward an AIDS-free generation.”

“Chevron is proud to partner with Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership and sponsor INSIDE STORY, a powerful tool that will help demystify AIDS and communicate difficult and important messages that will resonate with a wide audience,” said Rhonda Zygocki, Executive Vice President, Policy and Planning, Chevron Corporation. “Chevron has been a leader in the global fight against HIV/AIDS for more than 25 years. Our commitment to HIV/AIDS outreach is powered by our partnerships with governments and nonprofit organizations around the world. One day, we’ll defeat AIDS – in our workplace, in our homes, our communities and our nations,” she added.

In the coming months, Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership will announce details of the comprehensive rollout of the film – including national broadcasts across sub-Saharan Africa and distribution through grassroots efforts of NGOs, schools and governments. Additionally, DCGEP will provide facilitator guides and DVD & online materials for use by community and public health organizations, as well as schools throughout Africa, to reinforce INSIDE STORY’s messages in both urban and rural communities. The trailer for the film and regular updates on the project can be found atinsidestorythemovie.org and facebook.com/insidestory.

About Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership

Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership (DCGEP) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit charitable organization that for the past 14 years has been working in under-resourced schools around the world, using the power of television to increase student learning, teacher effectiveness and the community’s access to information and involvement in their children’s schools. The initiative is locally managed, and involves a collaborative process of educational video program development that combines contributions of expertise and high-quality documentary footage from Discovery with the needs of educators in countries where DCGEP is active. In addition, DCGEP provides three years of teacher training and capacity building to ensure their ability to maximize the value of educational television as a tool forteaching and learning. For more information, please visit www.thepoweroftv.org.