Meet the Jury

Although it will only be the second Namibia Film Awards, so much has already been accomplished since its inception barely a year ago. Sanctioned by the Film Commission Secretariat of Namibia and the Film Makers Association of Namibia (FAN), and judged by an independent panel of jurors elected from the public as well as the private sector, the Namibia Film Awards can be considered the only real stepping stone for Namibia’s talented and ambitious film makers.

For this reason jurors invited to select entries for the Wild Cinema Windhoek International Film Festival are drawn from a wide field of expertise based on their established knowledge of film and professional cinematic standards. The jurors this year are:

• Robin Tyson, well known Namibian media personality and journalist, needs no introduction. He has been instrumental in shaping the content and management of both NBC radio and television since its inception after independence in 1989.

Currently Mr Tyson is lecturing Media Studies at the University of Namibia, as well as being in charge of broadcasts on UNAM radio. He has also published numerous papers and essays on the topic of journalism in Namibia.

• Rosa Namises is a Member of Parliament and a prolific community and social welfare activist. Ms Namises is the founder and coordinator of Woman’s Solidarity in Namibia, championing several philanthropic programs and organisations in Namibia, particularly urging government to make ARV drugs available to HIV positive people and protecting the rights of minority groups.

• Vickson Hangula, acclaimed playwright and respected Namibian film maker, is both a member of the Film Makers Association of Namibia (FAN) as well as a board member of the Film Commission Secretariat of Namibia (NFC).

Already a household name, Mr Hangula has also adapted for the screen Namibia’s first Head of State, President Sam Nujoma’s Autobiography, Where Others Wavered. The film, directed by Charles Burnett, has since been released under the title “Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation”.

• Michaela Bauer, German-born production manager and owner of Media Logistics Namibia, is an established feature in the Namibian film and television industry. Instrumental in founding the Wild Cinema Film Festival Trust during 2003, Ms Bauer has contributed considerably towards establishing the by now well-known Windhoek International Film Festival.

Her close ties to Germany’s film and television industry have translated into numerous successful television series filmed on location here, popularizing Namibia not only as a sought after travel destination on Europe’s largest tourism market but also as an affordable film location for foreign productions.

• Michael Mansfield, the jury’s rank ‘outsider’, is better known as one of Swakopmund’s successful, independent fine-artists. His early career as arts and culture journalist of almost 10 years – “because politics was too complicated” – instilled in him a honed sense of cinematic taste and aesthetics, practically addicting him to all forms of moving media.

Saddled with selecting the most outstanding productions from close to 20 submissions and 35 music videos entered this year for the sought after Namibia Film Awards, the jury was hard pressed for choices.

But find out who will walk away with a “Noscar” on April 16 at the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN) and join Namibia’s film elite for their finest hour at the 2008 Namibia Film Award. Tickets N$50, advance sales as from 11 April @ NTN Box Office.

Welcome to the 2008 Wild Cinema “Open Your Mind” Windhoek International Film Festival. On show for the next ten days are 23 international screen gems from 20 countries, as well as 12 selected Namibian films and 15 Namibian music videos in competition for the Namibia Film Awards. Screenings will take place at the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre (FNCC), The Warehouse Theatre, Ster Kinekor, Zoo Park and the Goethe Centre.

According to the organisers the past few years’ festivals have shown that audiences consider the Wild Cinema Film Festival as a festival for culture vultures and that the general movie going audience has not been particularly enticed to be part of the festival.

In an attempt to recruit a greater audience while also transmitting a message of fun and entertainment, the organisers decided to embark on a more aggressive awareness campaign, highlighting the fact that films from not only Namibia but also from around the world, open our minds to experiences and emotions which we are not commonly used to.

Thus this year’s festival is bursting at the seams with every conceivable genre available on the local and international scene: action, adventure, drama, thrillers, family films, documentaries, shorts, funnies – you will find it all at the Wild Cinema Windhoek International Film Festival. Open Your Mind to the unusual, exotic yet entertaining world of international and local cinema.

Aside from the program printed in today’s Kollig, programs are also available at the FNCC, Warehouse, Ster Kinekor, the National Theatre of Namibia and the Goethe Centre or online at the official festival website (www. wildcinema.org). All screenings at the FNCC and the Warehouse cost N$10 while the Zoo Park screening of Big Fellas will be N$20. Screenings of the 35mm films at Ster Kinekor cost N$25.