ACCLAIMED Namibian director and screenwriter Tim Huebschle is in the running for a 2018 ‘Don’t Stop Wondering’ award at the upcoming Jozi Film Festival after he made the top 10 list of finalists.
His film, ‘Oom Land’, is set 50 years ago at the Volkswinkel – the People’s Shop – which opened for business at Rehoboth. The man behind the success story is Oom Land himself, and through this film you will get to meet him.
“It’s an incredible honour to be part of the top 10 for a second year. Much like Oom Land himself, I believe you just have to keep moving, no matter what tomorrow may bring. When the tireless push forward is recognised, it recharges my batteries and prepares me for more cinematic adventures to come,” Huebschle said of his nomination.
‘Oom Land’ will be screened Tuesday, 7 August, at 20h00 on Discovery Channel (DStv channel 121).
A jury of Discovery Channel and Jozi Film Festival panelists have filtered through all the amazing entries received from across Africa for this award with the top 10 finalists being some of the finest filmmakers from the continent.
Until Friday, 24 August, each film will be broadcast on Discovery Channel and it will be up to viewers to decide which film should be chosen as the overall winner. The winning film will be announced at the seventh annual Jozi Film Festival in September and the filmmaker will win a Canon XF-405 video camera with Singer Photographic camera accessories worth over N$75 000 to use for their next filming project.
“When we brought the Discovery Channel ‘Don’t Stop Wondering’ award with the Jozi Film Festival back for a second year in February, we wanted to find films which captured the ethos of curiosity and celebrated the uniqueness the African continent has to offer. With a shortlist that includes films from Namibia, South Africa, Ghana and Tanzania, we are confident that the top 10 once again represents this, and we look forward to broadcasting each film on Discovery Channel, and showcasing the many different ways these filmmakers celebrate Africa and the art of storytelling,” said Amanda Turnbull, vice president and general manager for Discovery Networks Middle East and Africa.
“The wealth of unique stories and creative subject matter our continent has to offer never fails to impress us here at the Jozi Film Festival, and we are delighted that through our partnership with Discovery Channel, we can once again provide African filmmakers the platform to showcase their creative storytelling to a wider audience. We hope the public gets behind the top 10 by voting for their favourite film and acknowledging the fantastic filmmaking talent we have across Africa,” said Lisa Henry, founder and organiser of the Jozi Film Festival.
Each of the films will be broadcast four times throughout the voting period. Voting opened on Monday on discoverychannelafrica.com and closes at 19h00 on Friday, 24 August.
– Multichoice Namibia
