Sanjeev Singh, Head Of Acquisition and Distribution for Videovision Entertainment announced today that the company will participate in the Durban International Film Festival with five films. The films include Prey (which is also produced by Videovision), Emmanuel’s Gift, Gracie, River Queen and Pan’s Labyrinth.
Prey will have its South African premiere on 26 June at the Durban International film festival with producer, Anant Singh and director, Darrell James Roodt in attendance. It stars Bridget Moynahan, Peter Weller, Jamie Bartlett and Carly Schroeder. The film is the terrifying story about the peril of an American family on holiday in Africa that becomes lost in a game reserve and are stalked by lions.
Emmanuel’s Gift is a touching documentary feature directed by Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern and narrated by Oprah Winfrey. The film chronicles the life of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, a young Ghanaian man born with a severely deformed right leg, who today, against incalculable odds, is opening minds, hearts and doors-and effecting social and political change throughout his country. While Emmanuel’s message is vital: people with disabilities are valuable contributors to any society, his method is inspirational. Emmanuel begins his quest with a bicycle ride, over 600 kilometers, across Ghana with one leg-and continues to spread his vision with grit and resolve.
Gracie set in 1978, is an inspirational film about a teenage girl who overcomes the loss of her brother and fights the odds to achieve her dream of playing competitive soccer at a time when girls’ soccer did not exist. Based on true events from the lives of the Shue family, the film is directed by Academy Award-winning director, Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) and stars Carly Schroeder, Elizabeth Shue, and Dermot Mulroney. Gracie will be released in South Africa on 21 December 2007.
River Queen, directed by Vincent Ward, is set in 1868 New Zealand during the war between British colonists and resisting Maori tribes, and places a very human story at the centre of this clash. An Irish woman, has a relationship with a Maori man and gives birth to a son. The boy is kidnapped by his Maori grandfather, and it takes years before Sarah finds him again, living with his grandfather’s tribe. As the tribe prepares for battle against the colonizers, Sarah is caught between the two sides. The film stars Samantha Morton, Kiefer Sutherland, Temuera Morrison and Stephen Rea and will be released in South Africa on 26 October 2007.
Closing the Festival is director, Guillermo del Toro’s multi Oscar winning film, Pan’s Labyrinth. The film straddles the fantastic and the tragic. In 1944 at the end of the Spanish Civil War, recently married Carmen moves with her daughter Ofelia into the house of her new husband, the sadistic fascist Captain Vidal. Finding her new life hard to bear, Ofelia seeks refuge in a mysterious labyrinth she discovers next to the sprawling family house. Pan, the guardian, a magical creature, reveals that she is none other than the long princess of a magical kingdom. To discover the truth, Ofelia will have to accomplish three dangerous tasks. Pan’s Labyrinth will be released in South Africa on 6 July 2007.
Sanjeev Singh commented, “As a Durban based company we are committed to the Durban International Film Festival and we are pleased to continue our relationship with them. We are also delighted to be presented both commercial and critically acclaimed films that we have recently acquired.”
