The learners of Paarl Boys’High school have through the years proven themselves time and time again to be great contenders on both the sports and academic fields. But now they are proving also to be excellent in the field of film making.
This became evident during the recent Filmit Festival for high schools across South Africa which was hosted by Paul Roos Gymnasium.
Here Boishaai’s Film Society walked away with no less than six awards, and that after the society only being in existence for barely three years.
Boishaai’s winners are: Best Documentary: Keys aren’t just black and white, Bruwer Bornman; Paarl Boys’ High, PaarlBest Wardrobe: Say Cheese, Wian van de Vyver and Dawid Oelofse; Best Production Design: Say Cheese, Dawid Oelofse; Best Editor in a Short Film: Say Cheese, Juan Roberts and Charl Steenkamp; Best Editor in a Documentary/Other film: Keys aren’t just black and white, Bruwer Bornman; Special Jury Award (Screenwriting) Certificate: Say Cheese, Dawid Oelofse, Paarl Boys’ High, Paarl.
In this year’s Filmit award young filmmakers from across the country could enter films in one or more of the following categories: Advertising, Documentaries, Music Videos, Animation films, “Other” films and the ever so popular Short Film.
The event was also attended by main sponsor ClemenGold representative Charlene McKenzie – who handed over the Advertisement prize. Learners who entered in this category had to develop an advertisement for ClemenGold. Veteran actor Deon Lotz handed over all other prizes during the course of the evening. Cobus van den Berg (producer at Kaapland Films) and representatives of the SAE Institute (who all served on the judging panel alongside Kabous Meiring and Nico Scheepers) also attended the awards ceremony.
Supporting sponsors SAE Institute and Orms Direct presented their products and course offerings during reception and answered any tech and study-related questions the aspiring filmmakers might have had.
The winners of the evening were as follows: The Boishaai Film Society team is led by Paarl Boys’ High drama teacher, Wiwe Ras-Pretorius, who is over the moon about the young film makers’ success.
She said the Film Society has only now been getting off the ground and with little equipment. “I am astounded at the boys’s creativity and perseverance. The society currently has little funds, but the boys made do with what they had, mainly cellphones and one microphone.”
Ras-Pretoriu, who has been teaching drama at various schools for decades now, said the move into visual arts is just another way in which the art form of drama is evolving. She added the visual-arts industry of film- and video making has also opened many doors to a wide variety of job opportunities.
All the winners received a trophy, a cash prize (R750-R3 000) and a mentoring session with an industry professional. These sessions will take place in 2024.
Interested persons can watch the ceremony, extracts from the various films and the screening of the winning short film, Social Species, on the Filmit Festival YouTube Channel. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5tkSFlfioo.
