Du Toitskloof Wines from Rawsonville has expanded its commitment to Afrikaans art and culture by becoming the official wine sponsor of kykNET’s pioneering Silwerskerm Festival, which will be held for the fourth time this year in Cape Town from 27 to 30 August. To celebrate this sponsorship, Du Toitskloof Wines will offer two people the chance to win an exclusive package allowing them VIP access to this year’s Silwerskerm Festival. This includes tickets for all the films they wish to attend, accommodation, travel to Cape Town and the opportunity to rub shoulders with many well-known film stars in the Afrikaans industry who will be attending the film festival.
To become eligible for this prize, purchase a bottle of Du Toitskloof wine bearing a neck tag with competition information at your nearest wine merchant. One bottle of wine and one sms, and a weekend with the stars could be yours!
The festival programme annually consists of debut short and full-length films, discussion panels as well as a glittering awards event – which the winners of the Du Toitskloof Wines competition are naturally invited to. The festival is a showcase for the Afrikaans film industry and this year’s showcase will be broadening its scope even further with a new category for documentary films, 15 new short films produced by kykNET and Silwerskerm, 25 existing films and a project in conjunction with Cape Town’s World Design Capital initiative.
The short films are a definite highlight on the programme. The aim of the short films is to provide an opportunity for a younger generation filmmakers to develop their talent under the guidance and mentorship of established names in the film industry. The entries in this category trippled this year from previous years and due to the high quality of entries received, it was decided to produce 15 instead of the usual 13 films. Under the mentorship of Mitzi Booysen, Herman Binge, André Stoltz and Deon Opperman, 24 presentations were selected from the many entries received and invited to participate in text development sessions. From this group the final 15 texts were chosen for festival production. The short films are funded by kykNET.
According to Marius Louw, CEO of Du Toitskloof Wines, the kykNET platform presents a unique opportunity to communicate the cellar’s wine culture.
“As wine sponsor of the popular Kokkedoor programme, the latest series which has just reached its conclusion, Du Toitskloof Wines experienced first-hand how strongly the public identifies with Afrikaans lifestyle television,” says Louw.
“With our sponsorship of the Silwerskerm Festival, we are expanding our involvement with kykNET to the magical world of original films and local creativity. For us it is a win-win combination: we see wine and its history as a cultural treasure and a true asset to South Africa. And let’s not forget that creativity and winemaking go hand in hand. The grape farmer and the winemaker both have to employ a certain amount of creativity to create the end product, and together we look forward to showcasing our respective works of art to the many creative souls and films stars attending the Silwerskerm Festival.”
