(Durban, South Africa) – Jato Ehijator, Film Director at Arts Lens Studios, has won a prestigious Award of Recognition from The Accolade Global Film Competition in the United States of America for a movie filmed in Durban. The award was given for Jato’s exciting feature film, Trafficked—Africa, which tells the story of a South African journalist who stops at nothing, including putting herself in harm's way, to halt a trafficking ring that has been acting with impunity.  Trafficked—Africa features a fast-paced, dynamic story line that highlights many of the social injustices in Africa.   

“Trafficked—Africa is a platform to share Africa with the world” says the award-winning Director Jato Ehijator.  “This includes not only the diverse beauty inherent within the people, culture, and environment of our continent; but also, the often-harsh realities of life in Africa.”  He goes on to say, that “It is a true honor to receive an Accolade Award.”  The film was recognized not only within the feature film category; but also as a film focused on Liberation and Social Justice.  Additionally, Trafficked—Africa received an Award of Recognition for the original song Vuya Africa by Phumzile Mseleku.   

The Accolade Global Film Competition recognizes film, television, videography and new media professionals who demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and creativity, and those who produce standout entertainment or contribute to profound social change. Entries are judged by highly qualified professionals in the film and television industry. Information about the Accolade and a list of recent winners can be found at www.accoladecompetition.org. In winning an Accolade, Jato Ehijator, joins the ranks of other high-profile winners of this internationally respected award including the Oscar winning production of The Lady in Number Six by Malcolm Clarke, the very talented Dave Bossert of Disney for his short documentary, The Tunes Behind The Toons, Hollywood industry veteran Ron Howard for When You Find Me and Highwire Films Australia for their popular ABC TV series twentysomething. 

Rick Prickett, who chairs The Accolade Global Film Competition, had this to say about Jato and latest winners, “The Accolade is not an easy award to win. Entries are received from around the world from powerhouse companies to remarkable new talent. The Accolade helps set the standard for craft and creativity. The judges were pleased with the exceptional high quality of entries. The goal of The Accolade is to help winners achieve the recognition they deserve.” 

In October, Trafficked—Africa will feature at multiple film festivals locally and globally.  This includes the Knysna Film Festival in South Africa as well as the Baltimore International Black Film Festival and Collected Voices in America.  More information about the film can be found at WWW.TraffickedAfricaMovie.COM as well as on Facebook and Instagram @TraffickedAfrica.

Bhagwan Gave Me This Life The return of a HIT play, in Hindi.

Bhagwan Gave Me This Life was written and directed by well-known theatre veteran Vivian Moodley and is brilliantly performed by Pranesh Maharaj.

Billed as a Hindi play, it is performed in the unique Durban patois that developed from Hindi, with smatterings of English and isiZulu. Set in Inanda in 1981, the drama focusses on the life reflections of a widower Balram. “Vivian had a script in his hand that he wanted me to read. I lunged at it, to get back to him a day later and say that I'll do it. That's when he gave me the ultimate twist in this production: He wanted me to perform it in Bhojpuri (Nataalie Hindi). The Producers at the time were not convinced that a theatre piece in Hindi, in this day and time, would ever work. To be honest, I was not convinced either. Then Vivian and I got to carving this piece of art and four weeks later it was ready to open. That full house and standing ovation on the opening night is what gave us hope. Hope that this kind of serious theatre has a place in this country and in this world. We made some promises back then about taking the play around... well, we are back.” - Pranesh Maharaj. 

The sight of those wood and iron, or tin houses as they were known, evoke strong feelings for many people. The corrugated walls, wooden doors with patterned glass panels, sash windows and the verandas with lush coastal vegetation around them speak of a bygone era, although many of those same houses are still standing today. We find a disconsolate Balram, snoozing on an upholstered car seat, propped up against the wall. He is not sleeping peacefully – his dreams recall the tragic dramas of his life and when he awakens, it is to find himself still alive – and alone. Loneliness is the biggest enemy that elderly people have to overcome – and when they have had a life surrounded by family members and the community, it can be a hard pill to swallow. We watch Balram struggle as an ageing man, portrayed with great sensitivity and authenticity by the much younger Pranesh, go through some of the daily rituals that help his day pass. He prays by the shrine, fills the upturned wheel rim with water for the birds and takes a nip of cane spirits from a small bottle hidden in a safe box. There are other treasures in that box and the sight of them bring to mind memories of his youth. The anklets with bells and the silver headdress that were worn by his wife, recall his first meeting when he was a shy young man in the marriage market. With amazing skill and expertise, Pranesh paints the portraits of the eccentric aunts that acted as marriage brokers, as well as playing the entire family of characters who attend the wedding.

Pranesh play out the male and female roles with an adroit combination of hilarious lip syncing and the use of his own tuneful and powerful voice. Most impressive are the tabla-like rhythms that he extracts from an old paint tin in his pursuit of happiness.We are carried along on the wave of the story, a story that, says Vivian, is a composite picture of the community he grew up in and and inspiration that stem from various 'Indian' communities within the Greater Durban area. The tale of the two brothers, the woman abused by her alcoholic husband, the grandparents longing for a child – all are grist to the mill of the story teller. Pranesh shoulders all the roles, giving each their weight and value, teasing out the comedic lines and giving full range to the dramatic tragedy that serves as the denouement. The human condition can be described as the unalterable part of humanity that is inherent and innate to human beings and is not dependent on factors such as gender, race or class. It includes concerns such as the meaning of life, the search for gratification, the sense of curiosity, the inevitability of isolation, or awareness regarding the inescapability of death. 

While Bhagwan (God) gave me this Life is almost 90 % Hindi, it was possible to follow the characters and their ranging emotions due to Pranesh’ expert acting and musicianship – ask anyone who has watched the piece already. One of the objects of this very worthwhile project is to take pride in mother tongue and to preserve its use, so ‘culture specific’ is to the point, yet it contains much laughter and 'edge of the seat' drama. Following back to back successes with lengthy runs at various venues in 2014/15, the play has been revived. So Come watch it at the Durban North Conference Centre on 02, 03, 04 & 05 May 2019. Tickets are R150 per person at COMPUTICKET online or at Shoprite / Checkers. 

South African actress and model, Micharn Pollock, who has featured in international movies and TV programmes, gives aspiring actors and actresses in SA some advice on how to make it one of the toughest industries:

1. Take acting classes – part time workshops are also great if you’re unable to study full time.
2. Sign up to IMDb and keep it updated.
3. Have professional head-shots taken by a reputable head-shots photographer.
4. Audition as often as possible so that you become comfortable with the process.
5. Remember that rejection is part of the process so don’t let it crush your spirit!
6. Build your resume – short films and student films are a great start if you have no experience yet.
7. Practice daily to keep your skills sharp.
8. Make sure you can do both a British and American accent as many international productions filmed in South Africa require this.
9. Once you’re ready, get an agent.
10. Make sure that you feed your agent with new information about projects you’re involved with and new accents/training that you’ve done.

For more info on Micharn and what she is up to you can follow her on:

Facebook - @MicharnPollockActor
Instagram - @MicharnPollock