African Choices Film Festival aims to promote African filmmaking globally
Johannesburg, 2015-7-14 — /Travel PR News/ — South African Airways (SAA) will this week launch the African Choices Film Festival on board across its wide body fleet’s in-flight entertainment systems. The festival is aimed at exposing African filmmaking to a potential global audience of approximately two million annual travellers on all SAA’s international routes. The festival comes in the wake of an African choices test phase that delivered encouraging feedback from passengers.
Between February and March the African Choices Film Festival will screen features by filmmakers from Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Kenya. “There is a myriad of talent in Africa,” says SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali, “and as a carrier with global reach and a platform to showcase the continental film industry, SAA is well positioned to support Africa’s immense cultural wealth.” Tlali says that SAA will sustain African Choices throughout the year and seek out titles from all the African destinations the airline operates to.
Showcasing African filmmaking affords benefits well beyond simply attracting new audiences. “More than just showcasing the talent we hold on the continent, African Choices will serve as a photobook of African location potential for international filmmakers as well as indicating that the necessary support services are available; indirectly creating new opportunities both for skills development and sharing as well as commercially,” says Tlali. The impact of the film industry is evident in Cape Town, South Africa where the catalytic benefits range from tourism through to almost every aspect of the local economy.
The potential of sectors such as filmmaking and other cultural activities to contribute to local economies has been well documented. “The importance of developing audiences while also propagating the attraction of producing titles in Africa holds widespread benefit. Sectors such as tourism, catering, logistics and hospitality benefit particularly small to medium enterprises, while a well-developed industry affords several employment opportunities.”
SAA’s African Choices will screen on its in-flight entertainment service on all wide-bodied flights in and outbound on its international network from this week.
During July customers can look forward to home-grown movies from the African continent, such as Die Windpomp; Elelwani; Traitors and Stuur groete aan Mannetjies Roux; and Die spook van Uniondale all from South Africa; with Des Etoiles from Senegal; Mke Mchafu from Tanzania; B for boy and The entrapped from Nigeria. Other movies are: When one door closes and Shameful deceit (US Nollywood (US and Nigeria Collaborations).
TV Series from South Africa are: Ashes to Ashes and The mating game.
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About South African Airways
South African Airways (SAA), South Africa’s national flag carrier and the continent’s most awarded airline, serves 67 destinations worldwide in partnership with SA Express, Airlink and its low cost carrier Mango. In North America, SAA operates daily nonstop flights from New York-JFK and direct flights from Washington D.C.-IAD (via Accra, Ghana** and Dakar, Senegal) to Johannesburg. SAA has codes share agreements with United Airlines, Air Canada and JetBlue Airways, which offer convenient connections from more than 30 cities to SAA’s flights. SAA is a Star Alliance member and the recipient of the Skytrax 4-Star rating for 13 consecutive years.
Issued by SAA Group Corporate Affairs
For media information, please contact:
SAA Spokesperson
Tlali Tlali
Email: TlaliTlali@flysaa.com
Mobile:+27 82 333 3880
Office: +27 11 978 2298