Multi-award winning local filmmaker Sallas de Jager’s period drama feature Free State has continued its winning streak by taking the honours for Best Cinematography at the Garden State Film Festival in New York. The film recently scooped Best Director at the Luxor African Film Festival.
“This is an amazing accolade and we are really thrilled that our Director of Photography Tom Marais has been singled out for his amazing work on this film” says de Jager. “It is further testimony to Tom’s dedication and passion for the medium of film. He has done us proud. This win is further proof that the complexities of our history resonate far beyond our borders and that our stories are universal”.
Written and directed by de Jager, the film is set in the Free State province during the 70s and examines the devastating consequences of an interracial relationship between an Afrikaans student and a handsome Indian man on the couple and their respective families.
Free State is a collaboration between de Jager’s Bosbok Ses Films and Utkarsh Entertainment in association with Indian production company, Parnam Entertainment. Former supermodel Nicola Breytenbach and ex-Mr South Africa Andrew Govender head up a cast which includes some of the country’s most celebrated and well-loved actors including Leleti Khumalo (Sarafina, Yesterday), Deon Lotz (Modder & Bloed, Skoonheid) and Rolanda Marais (Wolwedans in die Skemer, Ballade vir ’n Enkeling). It marks the first international appearance for Marathi and Bollywood star, Mangesh Desai.
Free State is distributed by Times Media Films and will be released nationally on 27 April 2016.
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Nicola Breytenbach and Andrew Govender. Photo courtesy of Times Media Films
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