Tuesday, 29 April 2014

Wednesday, 23 April 2014

Alexandra Township NEW street names and its HEROES (short history)

Florence Moposho

On 25 October, Vasco da Gama Street will officially become Florence Moposho Street. A prominent activist, Moposho died in exile in 1985. She was the first woman from Alex to be elected to the African National Congress (ANC) national committee.
Moposho participated in many political activities in the township, including the 1957 bus boycott. When the ANC was banned she went into exile and rose up the party's ranks until she was elected to the national executive at the Morogoro Conference in Tanzania in 1969.
Originally from the Free State, Moposho's family settled in Alexandra in 1912 and still lives in the township.
 Joe Nhlanhla

Joseph (Joe) Mbuku Nhlanhla was born on 4 December 1936 in Sophiatown. He was one of the five children of Christina Toli (born Buhali) and Samuel Nhlanhla. Both parents were originally from the Free State Province (formerly known as Orange Free State).
His father moved the family out of Free State after the racism in the  area they were living became intolerable, eventually settling in Sophiatown. Victims of the infamous Sophiatown forced removals, the Nhlanhla family settled in Alexandra township. He attended school at the local school, Ikage Primary School, before enrolling at Kilnerton High School where he matriculated in 1956.
Nhlanhla joined the ANC and its youth wing the ANC Youth League in 1957 and was elected onto the ANCYL's Transvaal executive a year later. During this period he was also involved in the anti-pass campaign as well as the 1957 bus and potato boycotts.

Richard Baloyi

Richard Baloyi is recognised as one of the martyrs of the Alex bus boycotts. A prominent businessman in the township, Baloyi lived in Second Avenue and played a leading role in the area's civic matters, contributing to its general governance and fighting against the injustices meted out to blacks.
He died in 1962 after playing a huge part in reshaping Alex. Hofmeyr Street will be renamed after Baloyi.

Rev. Sam Buti 

In recognition of his role in the "Save Alexandra" campaign which ended victoriously in 1997, Selbourne Street will be named after Reverend Sam Buti. Buti played a big role in a campaign to look for alternative accommodation when Alex was condemned to extinction by a parliamentary resolution in 1958.
He mobilised support to help feed and provide necessities such as blankets, clothes and mattresses for displaced families in Alex. He also helped residents to acquire identity documents, known as "dompas", which allowed blacks to stay in the cities.

Buti is still alive and is expected to be one of the guests at the renaming and commemoration ceremony.

Alfred Nzo 

One of the well-known roads in Alex, Roosevelt Street, will be renamed after struggle stalwart Alfred Nzo. Nzo was the longest serving secretary-general of the ANC. An Alex resident in the 1950s and 1960s, Nzo was a community activist and participated in civic matters and the bus boycott.
He went into exile in 1964 and was elected secretary-general of the party at the Morogoro Conference in Tanzania. After the first democratic elections in 1994, Nzo was appointed minister of foreign affairs. He died in 2000.

 Josias Madzunya

One of the most prominent political activists to emerge from Alex in the 1950s was Josias Madzunya. Well-known for his trademark coat, which he wore whether it was hot or cold, Madzunya was active in the ANC and formed part of the Alexandra and Transvaal leadership.
He participated in the 1950s defiance campaigns against apartheid policies such as Bantu education and laws that excluded blacks from entering certain places. He was arrested many times and was banished to Venda in what is now Limpopo province.
Madzunya died in the early 1970s; Rooth Street will be renamed after him.

Vincent Tshabalala

One of the main streets in Alex, London Road, will be renamed after Vincent Tshabalala, a student and youth activist, and intellectual. Born in 1964, Tshabalala was one of the martyrs of the struggle.
He left South Africa in 1983 and joined the ranks of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the ANC's military wing, later returning on military and underground missions. He was sold out and was killed in a street battle with police at the corner of London Road and 12th Avenue in 1985.

Tuesday, 22 April 2014

Ryan Gosling's Directorial Debut 'Lost River'.

Cannes certainly knows how to roll out the red carpet for Hollywood stars, so it came as no surprise yesterday when Ryan Gosling's directorial debut "Lost River" landed a slot in the fest's edgy Un Certain Regard sidebar.
Originally titled "How to Catch a Monster," this dark and surreal film boasts an all-star indie cast including Christina Hendricks, Saoirse Ronan, Eva Mendes and Ben Mendelsohn. Though plot details are scant, we know that Hendricks plays a single mother who falls into some sort of dark underworld while her son (played by Iain De Caestecker of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D") happens upon an underwater utopia.
Judging from the film's first images (below), "Lost River," which Warner Bros. will distribute later this year, has echoes of a twisted Lynchian fairyland. One image, apparently of Hendricks, immediately brings to mind Lynch's Hollywood-set nightmare "Inland Empire."
The Un Certain Regard sidebar tends toward Competition also-rans, innovative and imaginative filmmakers and Cannes first-timers, and as an actor-turned-director who has appeared on the red carpet for "Blue Valentine" and "Drive," among other films, Gosling fits comfortably in that wheelhouse.

Site: http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/ryan-gosling-lost-river-cannes

Tuesday, 15 April 2014

Kala/Mine Family

 Banele P. Mtebele - Creative Director of Kala/Mine Productions with nephew. Like Uncle Like Nephew.
 Maditsi Lekota - Executive Producer of Kala/Mine Productions. Looking all serious as always.
 Creative Director and the Exec. Producer on duty ...
 Itumeleng Mothopeng - The Producer of Kala/Mine Productions.
 Kabelo Ramatlhape - The General Manager of Kala/Mine Productions
 Creative Director testing the camera ---
 Creative Director doing his thing at Polokwane. Greatest shoot ever.
 The Producer having a nice cup of coffee at Polokwane before the shoot.
 Creative Director and the Producer on duty at Polokwane.
 The very precious baby of Kala/Mine Productions.
 The Exec. Producer doing it his way and not the highway ---
 Kabelo Kgobe - The Manager of Kala/Mine Productions.
 The Producer is so exhausted at Polokwane.
 What we see at Kala/Mine is what you don't.
The Manager who is multitalented.

The Boy (PSA)


A PSA (Public Service Announcement) for Building Blocks Foundation. Produced by Kala/Mine Productions.

Written, Directed & Edited by

Banele P. Mtebele

Major League and the Raptorz

An AV (Audio Visual) for McDonald's. Produced by Blue Rain Dialogues.

Written & Directed by
Banele P. Mtebele

Shimza and the Flyers

An AV (Audio Visual) for McDonald's. Produced by Blue Rain Dialogues.

Written & Directed by
Banele P. Mtebele

Tribe Franko's HOUSE ARREST - 1st Annual Parole

Tribe Franko's HOUSE ARREST - 1st Annual Parole. Produced by Kala/Mine Productions.

Written, Directed & Edited by
Banele P. Mtebele

The Father (PSA)

A PSA (Public Service Announcement) by Building Blocks Produced by Kala/Mine Productions.

Written, Directed & Edited by
Banele P. Mtebele

7 Secrets For Breaking Into the Film and TV Business (That They Don't Want You to Know)

I have been successfully making movies and television shows for over twenty years now, and this is the first time that there is such a huge disconnect between what isreal, and what everyone thinks is real. The perceived reality is that: It's impossible to break into the film and TV business. And as I write in my new book, that misperception got me mad. Really mad. Howard Beale in Network mad, because that's just not true. Just the opposite. The good news is that it has never been easier to make movies and TV shows and break into the business.
1. You Don't Have To Know Someone To Get Into The Film and TV Business
2014-03-25-YouDontHaveToKnowSomeoneToGetIntoTheFilmTVBusiness.jpg
The opposite used to be true, that you had to know someone to get into the business, but that is no longer the case. The new technology has changed all rules of the game. There now exists a plethora of outlets who are desperate for product and new talent. Sure, you can't call Warner Brothers tomorrow and get a job -- but you can easily create product that if done properly, will have Warner Brothers calling you, and asking you to work with them.
Side note: But if you pitch them your idea Titanic 2: The Iceberg's Perspective in 3D,the calls may stop.
2. You Don't Have To Go To The "Right" Film School To Become A Successful Filmmaker
2014-03-25-YouDontHavetoGoto_Right_FilmSchooltoBecomeASuccessfulFilmmaker.jpg
Over my career, I have taught at the most prominent film schools in America, and have started the careers of many first time filmmakers who have gone on to have major film careers as writers, directors and producers. And I can say that about only 10 percent (if even that much) ever went to Film School, much less a prominent film school. Making films and television programs is all about mastering the art of telling compelling stories, not learning about film theory and how to use film equipment. Virtually all of the successful filmmakers I have worked with, first and foremost, they had stories that they wanted to tell.
And the good news here is that with the growth of the Internet, with the proper research and follow up, you can get what you need to start making movies. It is just a click away.
3. Even If You Cannot Write "Good," You Can Still Become A Successful Filmmaker
Steven Speilberg, Martin Scorsese, Kathryn Bigelow, David Fincher -- do these names ring a bell? All of these directors don't write their own material. And there is no reason to believe that you have to as well. All too often, starting out filmmakers think that they have to be an auteur to write and direct their first film. Not true. Again, with the vast scope of the Internet, it is easier than ever to find a writer, a piece of material (a book, short story, a newspaper article or a writing collaborator). And once you realize that this is not only possible, but also easy, all film horizons open before your very eyes.
4. You Do Not Have To Live In A Large Metropolis To Make It In The Film and TV Business
Technology has decentralized our country. Major creative voices no longer come solely from major cities. This concept has already entered the music industry, whether it be Lorde from Devonport, New Zealand or Imagine Dragons from Provo, Utah and many others. And this concept is also exploding in the film industry. A look at the recent first time filmmakers, and you'll see that location is irrelevant. You get your film and television tutorial through the internet; you make your shorts with the inexpensive and incredible user friendly equipment; and you market and "expose yourself" through the social media. And there you have it, you've made your successful entre into the film and TV business, and you can live in Weeki Wachee, Florida for all that matters.
5. The Government Is You Friend, Really! Regardless Of Your Budget!
2014-03-25-TheGovernmentIsYouFriendReallyRegardlessofyourBudget.jpg
The various State and Federal Government's support of the film and TV business is terrific. They give great benefits to all sizes of productions. Starting filmmakers often feel intimidated to approach film offices to help them with their small productions. You may think those terrific state and Federal Tax programs are only for the big boys.Spider Man gets the big tax cut, but my film won't. Not true at all. I have found those programs to be exceedingly helpful to small budget films -- always being available, giving you all the information you need in a clear, concise and helpful fashion.
And this benefit does not stop in the United States. Canadian film commissions are also extremely helpful and some of their rebate programs are remarkably generous.
Combine these tax rebates with legitimate Companies that will lend you money against these rebates, and you will be shocked how well this process works for financing your film.

6. Now Is The Time For Action!
Why am I urging you to act now? Because we are at a specific time in history where the technological "stars have aligned" to give you this rare window of opportunity.
Tom Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum in their book, That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back, essentially talk about us no longer merely being connected to our new media world, but rather being "hyper-connected" -- that technology is making it possible for more people to compete, connect and collaborate from anywhere.
Friedman and Mandelbaum have a political model but it mirrors the way it's possible to break into the film and TV business -- power is concentrated at the top with the studios, but they see that the power can come from the very bottom -- any filmmaker, anywhere, anytime.

That kind of dynamic -- power at the very top fueled by energy and inspiration from below -- is playing out all around us in the world of politics (the Ukraine), business (Facebook's recent purchase of "What's App"), and culturally (with the clout of people-fueled blogs and ultra-prominent bloggers).
And now it's your time.
7. In This Case, The Devil Really Is In The Details
These secrets I have listed work.
But these revealed secrets open up a whole pantheon of further questions: How do I raise money? How do I get my product seen by the right person? What camera should I use to shoot? How can my social media marketing campaign actually work? Why does the filmmaker who wrote this article keep asking me all these hard questions?
The devil is indeed in these details. I delve into the specifics, and give you the practical building blocks and roadmaps in my book, Secrets of Breaking into the Film and Television Business. These seven secrets listed give you a blueprint to start the race. It is really up to you. We are in a revolution of technology and talent. And the time is now.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dean-silvers

Monday, 14 April 2014

The Khoi San(animal) Movement

I want to remember where am coming from. But because I don't understand my language because of time, Lebo Setuke interpreted it for me through Dance.

Written, Directed & Edited by
Banele P. Mtebele 

Stories that will leave you speechless ...

 Ignorance is bliss – Homeless man sleeps outside a diner in Milwaukee. (I love this picture, it speaks volume)
 “The last Jew in Vinnitsa” – Member of Einsatzgruppe D (a Nazi SS death squad) is just about to shoot a Jewish man kneeling before a filled mass grave in Vinnitsa, Ukraine, in 1941. All 28,000 Jews from Vinnitsa and its surrounding areas were massacred.
 Turkish official teases starving Armenian children by showing them a piece of bread during the Armenian Genocide in 1915.
 A Filipino politician took this photo of his family just moments before being assassinated.
 World War II veteran from Belarus Konstantin Pronin, 86, sits on a bench as he waits for his comrades at Gorky park during Victory Day in Moscow, Russia, on Monday, May 9, 2011. Konstantin comes to this place every year. This year he was the only person from the unit to show.
 Boy tries to wake up his alcoholic father.
 In 1987, Ferrato rode along with the Minneapolis police as they responded to 911 calls. A boy named Diamond made a call saying that his father was physically attacking his mother. He was the first child Ferrato had seen stand up for his mother at a moment when most children would be afraid. The image of his bravery not only left an impression on Ferrato and the police, but was hailed as one of the most influential photographs in the world by Life Magazine. Twenty years later, Ferrato searched for and found Diamond. His parents are still together and maintain a healthy relationship with their son.
 Man casually stands near lighthouse barrier while waves crash against it.
A monk prays for a dead man in the station hall of the Shanxi Taiyuan Train Station, China. The man died suddenly of natural causes while waiting for a train.