It is official. The internationally-acclaimed film school, AFDA, is opening a campus in Port Elizabeth in 2015. This is the fourth campus of the South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance to open in South Africa. The other campuses are in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
The School’s Co-founder and Chairman, Garth Holmes, says they are excited to be part of the growing film industry in the Eastern Cape. “We believe that the region has a strong intellectual capital base, cultural heritage and capacity for generating local stories and entertainment production content.
“People create an industry, an industry doesn’t create people,” he says.
The first year intake for 2015 will be limited to 35 students on a first registered, first on class list basis. As a special introductory offer, all students who pay the registration fee before the 15th January 2015 will receive a R10 000 reduction in fees, excluding registration fee.
Aspiring filmmakers can for the Bachelor of Arts Motion Picture Medium degree, including the following disciplines: Producing; Directing; Writing; Editing; Sound Design; Production Design; Costume, Make-up and Styling; Cinematography and Data Management.
The Port Elizabeth campus will initially be housed at 99 2nd Avenue, Newton Park, in Port Elizabeth – the current premises of The Media Workshop, a Seta-accredited training provider that offers Film and Television Production qualifications up to National Certificate level.
The Media Workshop’s owner, Denise Roodt, was instrumental in bringing AFDA to the Eastern Cape.
“I realized there was a need for a locally-based institution that could offer degree and post-graduate programmes in film and television production and produce graduates who are equipped to produce quality content for the growing international market.
“I approached AFDA’s CEO, Bata Passchier, in 2012 and we have been working ever since to get the necessary accreditation in place to open the campus next year. Needless to say, we are very excited to be opening in February.”
Applications are now open for a Bachelor of Arts Motion Picture Medium degree, including the following disciplines: Producing; Directing; Writing; Editing; Sound Design; Production Design; Costume, Make-up and Styling; Cinematography and Data Management.
AFDA is the only South African film school ever to have won an Academy award for the best foreign student film and to have been a finalist for the prestigious Court de Metrage at Cannes.
The school has, since the inception of the SAFTAs (South African Film and Television Awards), received 21 out of a possible 24 nominations for best student film and won the award 7 out of the 8 possible times that the award has been presented.
AFDA is a full member of CILECT, the international association of film and TV schools.
“I am often asked how AFDA can claim to be the number one Film, Television and Performance School. My answer has always been the same. We rate ourselves based on our contribution to the South African film industry through the quality of our graduates, the work that they create and the work that they produce,” says Holmes.
Alan Straton
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