What’s Happening In The City

There’s always something new and exciting happening in Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square. This is what’s lined up for visitors this November.

The Joburg Film Festival at Nelson Mandela Square

Date: 19 – 24 November 2019

Where: Sandton Precinct

The Joburg Film Festival, brought you by the MultiChoice Group recently announced their exciting partnership to create South Africa’s preeminent film festival. With just a few days left to the third annual festival, which is set to showcase the finest films from Africa and the world more than 16 countries, this year’s edition is positioned to curate, elevate and celebrate the best stars and films from across the globe world from 19 to 24 November.

Inspired by the establishment of DISCOP AFRICA, the festival was born out of the desire to create an independent platform that not only tells Africa’s stories, but showcases and rewards the continent’s and international excellence in film.

The Joburg Film Festival will also firmly position Joburg as the country’s cultural capital, attracting the best in the industry to the City of Gold and growing cultural tourism in Johannesburg and South Africa.

The Joburg Film Festival programme centres around three important elements: the Film Programme, Industry Programme and Youth and Audience Development Programme.

Highlights of the 2019 Joburg Film Festival include the following:

  • The six-day film programme includes all the excitement and Hollywood pizzazz associated with Two red carpet premieres a day, screenings and awards as celebrities rub shoulders with serious film-goers in a rich display of filmmaking at its very best.
  • A unique and enthralling line-up of local and international films will be curated by an expert team of curators, led by Pedro Pimenta, a respected filmmaker and member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
  • A panel of five industry leading experts will judge the films presented at the festival. The films will be judged on elements such as storyline, direction, creativity, cinematography, relevance, execution and technical application. The jury includes the likes of world-renowned storyteller and South African novelist, Zakes Mda, and award-winning actress famous for her role in NCIS New Orleans, CCH Pounder and Femi Odugbemi, West Africa MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy Director.
  • As part of the Industry Programme, DISCOP, the continent’s leading market for content, production, acquisition and distribution, provides an opportunity for more than 15 000+ like-minded entertainment and media players to connect and share experiences about current best practice trends.
  • Seasoned and well-known industry professionals from the continent and abroad will participate in the Industry Programme this year through a series of master classes and panel discussions that will cover important aspects of the filmmaking craft.
  • The Youth and Audience Development Programme will offer young self-taught filmmakers and those new to the world of filmmaking an opportunity to interact with leading industry players.
  • The 2019 Joburg Film Festival also marks the launch of the Joburg Film Festival film club – a lifestyle-centred club of people gathered for the enjoyment and appreciation of the cinematic arts. The film club will bring film lovers together online and in specially designed experiences and screenings of classic and contemporary films.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better partner than the MultiChoice Group, an organisation that is passionate about African storytelling, as we believe our stories are our gold,” says Joburg Film Festival Executive Director Tim Mangwedi . “We see the film festival as a critical catalyst for social cohesion, showcasing a special collection of films that celebrate Africa’s beauty, people, creativity and reflect the continent’s bold spirit and talent. We are confident that in collaboration with the MultiChoice Group, we can build a world- class annual film festival that becomes entrenched on the international film circuit and positions Joburg as a prime destination for local and international filmmakers,” says Mangwedi .

“As Africa’s leading storyteller, our partnership with the Joburg Film Festival makes perfect sense,” says Joe Heshu, MultiChoice Executive Group Corporate Affairs.“Our collaborative effort to bring African stories to the world and to provide a platform for local talent to shine will be an extremely positive boost for the film industry on the continent,” continues Heshu.

“We are investing in the film festival in part through our agency, the Gauteng Film Commission; which was established to stimulate and encourage the growth and development of a sustainable film and television industry that can contribute to our country’s economy and create much needed jobs. The Joburg Film Festival is a timely and relevant catalytic investment to this end,” Mbali Hlophe, MEC, Gauteng Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation.

The Nelson Mandela Square and Sandton City will be the hub of the festival with screenings at the Auto & General Theatre on the Square and Ster-Kinekor Sandton.

Other venues across Joburg include Bioscope in Maboneng, Constitution Hill, Cinema Nouveau Rosebank and Kings Cinema in Alexandra.

Limited tickets available from Sunday, 10th November 2019 at the various venues for R60 while screenings at Kings Cinema will be free. This will work on a free-come-first-serve basis.

For more information on the Joburg Film Festival, check out www.joburgfilmfestival.co.za, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Sandton City’s Gamers Expo Powered By BT Games

Date: 21 – 24 November 2019

Where: Centre Court

Entry: FREE for all

World-class shopping centre, Sandton City, invites you to ditch your digs and Come to The City from 21 – 24 November where gamers will unite for an amplified, and competitive gaming experience at the Sandton City Gamers Expo powered by BT Games.

With partners like BT Games, a tenant at the centre, and with contributors like African Cyber Gaming League (ACGL) and other leaders in gaming tech and merchandise, the Sandton City Gamers Expo will be on another level. To top it all off there will be a prize pool to the cash value of        R40 000, gift vouchers and one epic XBOX console.

The Sandton City Gamers Expo will be unlike anything the shopping centre has hosted before! The mega line-up will have something for the cyber gamers, racing fans, competition seekers, and character merchandise collectors.

The expo includes designated areas for the public to engage with PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo’s latest releases. Gaming demos, tech and character paraphernalia from a variety of brands such as LEGO, Heroes of Games and Comics and more will also be on offer.

Esport are bringing the ‘heat’ for those competitive gamers in the form of a R40 000 FIFA 20 tournament operated by African Cyber Gaming League (ACGL). There will be eight heats, with legs for both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Players will compete on their preferred platform until one emerges victorious. The first prize is R25 000, while the second is R10 000, with third place winning R5 000.

For the speed freaks, Daytona Group will have a McLaren supercar in the mix while the public face off in virtual racing competitions. Those with the fastest laps per day will win themselves Sandton City gift vouchers.

Don’t miss the Sandton City Gamers Expo powered by BT Games from 21 to 24 November at the Centre Court!

Visit www.sandtoncity.com for more information and www.acgl.co.za to register for your FREE spot in the Esport FIFA 20 tournament. For yearlong gaming fun, visit BT Games at Sandton City, located the Fun District’s store no. C1.

FIFA 20 TOURNAMENT HEAT INFORMATION:

  • Heat 1: Thurs 21 November | Matches from 11h00
  • Heat 2: Thurs 21 November | Matches from 16h00
  • Heat 3: Fri 22 November | Matches from 11h00
  • Heat 4: Fri 22 November | Matches from 16h00
  • Heat 5: Sat 23 November | Matches from 10h00
  • Heat 6: Sat 23 November | Matches from 13h30
  • Heat 7: Sat 23 November | Matches from 17h00
  • Heat 8: Sun 24 November | Matches from 10h00

Check-in opens one hour before the start of matches each heat. Check-in closes 15 minutes before matches start, with walk-ins filling any remaining spots. Please ensure timeous arrival to avoid delays to start times. Latecomers will NOT be allowed to compete once a heat has started.


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