Will perform alongside Baby Cele
A DRAMA student from the Durban University of Technology has been given her first "big break" and will star among big names in the acting profession such as Baby Cele in a feature film being shot in KwaZulu-Natal.
The student, 23-year-old Philisiwe Sithole of Newcastle, in the north of the province, is the lead actress in the film.
She feels the film director was very brave to have chosen someone like her, a student who has never acted professionally before, to play the lead role.
Sithole plays a rural but urbanised wife (Mashandu) who takes over her dead sister's husband.
The film is about a career conman (Sibiya), a character played by James Ngcobo, who has never worked in his life. All he does is sponge on other people.
He manages to trick a teacher, who is in debt and frustrated about his job, into believing that he is a government representative.
The teacher takes him to his rural Nongoma village to develop the area. Instead Sibiya disappears with cattle, money and even the chief's daughter.
Sithole says she is only going to graduate in April.
"But I am already exposed to big talent and am working with some of the best crew and acting talent in the country. I am very honoured," she says with pride.
The film is directed by Zuko Nodada, who has directed a number of films, theatre shows and drama series for SABC1, including Intersexions and Bay of Plenty.
He says working with amateur talent is both exciting and challenging.
"Working with actors and actresses who are doing it professionally for the first time is hard. Sometimes things do not happen as fast as I would like them to," he says.
"It is interesting, though, because it becomes a test of patience, much more challenging than working with experienced people."
The feature film is part of the Impucuzeko Skills and Training Development - an arts and culture revitalisation project funded by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.
The indigenous film-making training started in September last year.
KwaZulu-Natal was the first province to see the roll-out of the film-making training and development.
Project publicist Andile Mqwebu said the initiative was aimed at "promoting and preserving arts and culture through the development of skills in indigenous film-making and telling our own stories".
It would also "train and develop students who have a background and a passion for the film industry".
Drama student gets her first 'big break'
Will perform alongside Baby Cele
A DRAMA student from the Durban University of Technology has been given her first "big break" and will star among big names in the acting profession such as Baby Cele in a feature film being shot in KwaZulu-Natal.
The student, 23-year-old Philisiwe Sithole of Newcastle, in the north of the province, is the lead actress in the film.
She feels the film director was very brave to have chosen someone like her, a student who has never acted professionally before, to play the lead role.
Sithole plays a rural but urbanised wife (Mashandu) who takes over her dead sister's husband.
The film is about a career conman (Sibiya), a character played by James Ngcobo, who has never worked in his life. All he does is sponge on other people.
He manages to trick a teacher, who is in debt and frustrated about his job, into believing that he is a government representative.
The teacher takes him to his rural Nongoma village to develop the area. Instead Sibiya disappears with cattle, money and even the chief's daughter.
Sithole says she is only going to graduate in April.
"But I am already exposed to big talent and am working with some of the best crew and acting talent in the country. I am very honoured," she says with pride.
The film is directed by Zuko Nodada, who has directed a number of films, theatre shows and drama series for SABC1, including Intersexions and Bay of Plenty.
He says working with amateur talent is both exciting and challenging.
"Working with actors and actresses who are doing it professionally for the first time is hard. Sometimes things do not happen as fast as I would like them to," he says.
"It is interesting, though, because it becomes a test of patience, much more challenging than working with experienced people."
The feature film is part of the Impucuzeko Skills and Training Development - an arts and culture revitalisation project funded by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.
The indigenous film-making training started in September last year.
KwaZulu-Natal was the first province to see the roll-out of the film-making training and development.
Project publicist Andile Mqwebu said the initiative was aimed at "promoting and preserving arts and culture through the development of skills in indigenous film-making and telling our own stories".
It would also "train and develop students who have a background and a passion for the film industry".
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