Snub for Anant Singh as GoPro documentary is picked to open Durban Film Fest

26 May 2016 - 16:02 By Shelley Seid

Filmmaker Anant Singh’s award-winning movie‚ Shepherds and Butchers‚ will not be opening the 2016 Durban International Film Festival on June 16.Instead‚ said newly appointed festival director‚ Peter Machen‚ at the launch of the festival on Thursday‚ the opening film will be The Journeymen‚ a South African documentary. The change in programme comes after the former festival manager Sarah Dawson resigned from her position due to alleged interference by the University of KwaZulu-Natal's deputy vice chancellor of Humanities‚ Professor Cheryl Potgieter‚ in the selection of the festival's opening-night film. She said that Singh’s movie had been “unilaterally confirmed” as the opening night film by UKZN by Potgieter after direct discussion between Singh and Potgieter.Dawson described this as being “simultaneously neglectful‚ anti-democratic and meddling”.In a social media post about her resignation‚ Dawson said media reports claiming that she had resigned over allegations of censorship‚ were misleading.Responding to Dawson’s allegations‚ Machen said the issue was “an internal conversation” which should not have been made public. He said it had been made public for a variety of reasons which didn't have much to do with the festival.“Curatorial autonomy has been restored. It should be pointed out that in the 37 years of the festival there has never been any interference with the programme. There were intimations that this was the thin edge of the wedge but I can say with certainty that this is not the case.”He said that it was "perfectly normal" for producers to use all kinds of pressure to try to persuade the festival to accept their films as part of the programming “but the actual programme is decided on by the festival director and informed by a rich conversation with all of those involved in the selection”.Filmed in 2014‚ the year South Africa celebrated 20 years of democracy and the year that Nelson Mandela died‚ The Journeymen chronicles the experiences of three South African photographers as they travel in a motor home around the country with GoPro cameras strapped to their chests.“The film is inclusive and democratic‚” said Machen‚ “It talks to all South Africans and is a particularly appropriate movie to be screened on Youth Day‚ June 16.”Singh and Dawson were not immediately available to respond to queries.- TMG Digital/Durban Bureau..

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