Despite the coronavirus pandemic shaking the world, a passionate duo of film-makers want to boost the industry by proposing an initiative for Namibians to produce films.
The Namib Film Festival will house a cultural ten-movie theme for 2020, seeking to save the industry.
Producers Dantagos Jimmy-Melani of Ndapunikwa Investments and Ellen Ernst of Sneefel Media Productions are launching the Stay At Home Fest in collaboration with the Destination Africa Media Holdings streaming platform.
The partners are confident the initiative will foster job creation in a myriad of arts and cultural occupations, including music, scriptwriting and camerawork.
They estimate 1 000 jobs will be created for Namibians, including indigenous tribes and communities – the focal point of the film series.
The streaming service will enable Namibians and people from around the world to access the selected films in the comfort and safety of their homes.
In addition, the platform will introduce Namibian content to a wider international audience in which creatives will be recognised for their work.
“It’s important for Namibia to create content to build a mass archive for future generations to explore culture and heritage through the lens of Namibians,” says Jimmy-Melani.
Submissions are open to people with fully developed film ideas.
“People can submit until the end of the year, as the festival will run into 2021, even though production will commence next month. We expect to begin with screenings for the festival by December this year.”
The duo urges the public to offer their financial support where possible as the initiative aims to yield a diverse skill set for those involved.
Ernst, who started off with a basic entry-level digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera in 2007, says the journey has been long and challenging, but worth the ride.
Starting off with corporate video work and national agenda building for various ministries in the country, the duo slowly built their enterprises over the years and acquired top-tier equipment.
“Many promising film-makers are reluctant to start shooting because of a lack of resources. I started off with very basic gear and now that we have acquired the necessary tools to execute internationally worthy content, it is time to give Namibians the resources they need to contribute to the industry,” she says.
Jimmy-Melani is a self-driven producer who is a financial expert by trade.
She holds an MBA from Maastricht Business School and is a registered securities trader on the Johannesburg and Namibian stock exchanges.
Her work focuses on improving the Namibian public’s access to and understanding of socially relevant information via business consulting services and training initiatives.
She is inspired by classic 1930s films and the arthouse genre.
The duo’s dream to complete a feature-length film remained untainted, and all the work and consistency culminated in the recognition received when their production ‘Hairareb’ was nominated in seven categories at the Namibia Theatre and Film Awards in 2019, scooping three awards for best narrative film, best male actor and best director.
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