THIS May, the directive from the TALA Namibia Film Festival is all in its name, which translates from Oshiwambo as to look, see or watch.
Presenting the online festival as a means to spotlight and distribute local film content, the web and mobile-based video streaming platform will host a week-long event showcasing Namibia’s finest films, live performance recordings, music videos, documentaries, TikToks, comedy, theatre and animation.
“While we are passionate filmmakers, we put all our effort in the production of the content but little effort in getting it to the audiences,” admits TALA Namibia communication manager Caillin Basson.
“While raising the bar in terms of quality has earned Namibian films international recognition, it has not increased the reach to Namibian audiences. In the end, it has also not made it any easier to raise funds for film as there is no clear distribution in place so you will not make money back.”
Basson also draws attention to the fact that while Namibian films may be celebrated internationally, back home Namibians lack access to these films and are consequently unfamiliar with local filmmakers and their work.
“This will not make it easier for filmmakers to get funding for their next film,” says Basson, who hopes the festival will succeed in getting local film, seen and appreciated by Namibians.
Though the platform is yet to be launched, it will, in effect, premiere for the festival that will take place from 12-19 May via talanamibia.com. Meanwhile, the search is on for content, the best of which will be awarded N$30 000 via audience vote.
Festival submissions opened on 21 March and close on 4 April. Prospective contributors can upload their films at talanamibia.com.
“Anyone who thinks they have audio-visual content that Namibians need to see and will like can submit their content,” says Basson, stressing that content needs to be in a file format and the work needs to be owned by the person submitting it.
“We expect award-winning films such as ‘The White Line’, ‘Baxu and the Giants’, ‘Invisibles’, ‘Iitandu’, ‘Katutura’ and more but also Free Your Mind comedy clips, dance shows and the latest music videos in one place,” Basson says.
“We are also looking into including golden oldies such as ‘Village Square’ and ‘Kauna’s Way’ for which we are looking for additional financial partners to get the content converted to digital files.”
Though the decision to include content such as TikToks is perhaps unorthodox, Basson believes efforts towards inclusivity and diversity hinge on an extension of eligible formats and ease of access, particularly during the home-bound reality of Covid-19.
“We really want to celebrate Namibian creative content. While it is important to include professional films, it is equally important to open it up to other forms of visual storytelling. There are so many funny clips in local languages that people put together but they are only shared on WhatsApp and the makers don’t get access to a broader audience. We want all of this in the festival,” Basson says.
“TALA is a web app so it can be accessed via an app online and on a phone. We stress the phone part in our communication as a lot of Namibians don’t necessarily access content on their computers but on their phones.”
Presented in partnership with the Namibia Film Commission and Nuella TV, the TALA Namibia Film Festival promises a showcase of diverse cultures, locations, languages and creative talent underscoring a “national spirit of resilience in triumphant response to the challenging times of Covid-19”.
“The public can look forward to seven days of unlimited access to the best of Namibian creative content that is funny, serious, romantic and in local languages,” says Basson.
“There will be something for everyone.”
Follow TALA Namibia Film Festival on Facebook and Instagram and visit the website for more information.
– martha@namibian.com.na;
Martha Mukaiwa on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter;
Martha Mukaiwa.com
