Early this morning South African hearts beat in delight when The Motion Picture Academy announced that ‘My Octopus Teacher’, filmed in Simonstown in Cape Town, won the 2021 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, a Netflix film.
When the film was launched during Lockdown last year it was a ray of light at a bleak time of the Corona Pandemic, and was viewed by millions around the Continue reading →
Cape Town’s tourism players are ecstatic about ‘Searching for Sugar Man’, the documentary filmed largely in Cape Town and documenting the search for ‘Seventies singer Sixto Rodriguez, winning the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards in the early hours of this morning. This is the Oscar association with South Africa our country would far rather be known for and proud of!
Searching for Sugar Man’ tells the story of Capetonian Sugar Segerman’s search for ‘Seventies American rock star Rodriguez, who was more popular in South Africa than in any other country, and who ‘disappeared’. Through an internet appeal, Segerman found Rodriguez and brought him back to South Africa for a series of concerts in the ‘Nineties. Swedish film producer Malik Bendjelloul heard about the Rodriguez story from Segerman, and made a documentary, which won acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival when it was launched last year.
The bulk of the film is shot in Cape Town, and shows off our City’s icons such as Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, Camps Bay beach, and the scenic Victoria Road between Camps Bay and Hout Bay, with the Twelve Apostles as a backdrop. Segerman’s record shop Mabu Vinyls off Kloof Street is also featured.
Not only has ‘Searching for Sugar Man’ won the film industry’s highest award, but it has also won the BAFTA for Best Documentary, and won the Special Jury Prize and Audience Award for best international documentary at the Sundance Film Festival, reports The Times.
‘Searching for Sugar Man’ tells the story of the revival of Sixto Rodriguez as a performer, having just completed his latest South African tour, whilst showing off our beautiful city to audiences around the world, especially after the latest Oscar accolade.
POSTSCRIPT: 25/2: Western Cape Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism Alan Winde proudly sent out a media statement congratulating ‘Searching for Sugar Man’ in winning the Oscar, and to ‘Asad’, having been nominated for Best Short Film (Live Action) : “Congratulations to the teams behind ‘Asad’ and ‘Searching for Sugarman’, you have done us very proud. Both films showcase the natural beauty of the Western Cape and will undoubtedly encourage international and local viewers to come and visit our Province. The film sector is a priority sector in the Western Cape’s economy. It generates R5 billion and creates an estimated 6,058 direct jobs and 2,502 indirect jobs. In the year ahead we will ramp up the support the sector receives. Last year, we announced that Wesgro, our Destination Marketing, Investment and Trade Promotion Agency, will now take up the role of promoting Cape Town and the Western Cape as a film destination.” Minister Winde continued.
In improving the support for the Western Cape’s film sector, for the 2013/2014 financial year, Wesgro’s efforts in marketing of Cape Town and the Western Cape as a film destination will include:
• Together with the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism, facilitating access to national film rebates.
• Supporting commercial orientation of existing film makers.
• Exploring potential of developing local content film making.
• Developing local film audiences.
• Trade and investment missions in collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry.
• Development of a film market within the provincial film festivals.
• Focused engagement with Cape Town Film Studios for investment purposes in the long film and TV productions.
• Hosting regular engagements with industry on key issues for the Western Cape in collaboration with the City of Cape Town, the Media, Information and Communications Technology SETA (MICT SETA), the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and the Department of Trade and Industry.
Minister Winde concluded: “Oscar Winner ‘Searching for Sugarman’ not only depicts the natural beauty of our City, it also tells the story of who we are as a people. The spirit with which South Africans have embraced Rodriguez was also shared with the foreign travellers who visited us during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. We are a friendly, warm and welcoming nation. Our people are undoubtedly our biggest asset.”
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage
An exciting line up of shows is planned for Cape Town in the next few days and months, according to the Weekend Argus, and could be good for the City’s tourism coffers, as we experienced with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers last week, visitors having flown in from Johannesburg and other parts of the country to attend the concert.
On the programme for this year to date are the following shows:
* Rodriguez performs at another two concerts this week, at Grand West (‘Search fro Sugar Man’ awarded a BAFTA for Best Documentary last night)
* Cirque du Soleil‘s new show ‘Dralion’ will run over five days at Grand West from 5 March.
* Internationally acclaimed Chinese pianist Tian Jiang is doing a charity performance at the Franschhoek Dutch Reformed Church on 29 March for La Residence Hotel and Villas, in aid of Lelieblom
House for Children and the Stuart Andrew McFarlane Foundation for Motor Neuron Disease. Tickets cost R325, and include canapés and bubbly. Tel (021) 876-4100 (Chantell)
* Metallica performs at the Cape Town Stadium on 24 April
* Bon Jovi plays at Cape Town Stadium on 7 May
* The Justin Bieber show at Cape Town Stadium on 8 May is already sold out.
* John Cleese will do stand-up comedy in June, at a venue to be advised.
Big Concerts has not confirmed speculation that Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, and Mumford & Sons will be performing in Cape Town later this year. Big Concerts pushes Cape Town as a concert destination, said its CEO John Langford: ‘Cape Town is a great destination for live entertainment of all forms, and we are certain that it will continue to play a major role in all future international tours‘.
Given the huge tourist attraction concerts generate for Cape Town, Big Concerts in conjunction with Cape Town Tourism should consider ticket/accommodation/restaurant packages for big acts performing in our city.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter:@WhaleCottage