Dee-Zone crew returns from USA
Kgomotso Molelekeng | Wednesday March 26, 2014 16:14
The team was representing Botswana at the 48th Hour Film Project’s price giving, exhibition and seminar held from March 6 to 10. After winning the national competition held in Gaborone in 2013, Dee-Zone had to further prove their excellence in their craft in New Orleans along with 112 other cities and countries from around the world.
According to the company’s marketing manager Vincent Tiro, the trip has thus far proven worthwhile as it gave their members greater understanding about the film industry.
“Our film, which is entitled Dozo, was among a mind stunning 4,000 other films which were being judged from city to city across the globe. Not only did the film receive positive comments, but we were also given ideas on how to improve for the better,” he said.
He said the event was attended by the cream of the film industry including guest speaker David Costabile of Suits and Breaking bad television series.
“Dee-Zone Productions received a national award in the form of a trophy that honored and recognised their great achievement in finding them in the very top and cream of a sea of fine film-makers,” he said.
Dozo, said Tiro, is a story of whip-yielding and donkey-riding African super-hero who can telepathically sense where crime is being committed, teleport to the scene.
“People know the likes of Superman and Batman so we wanted to do something different, something African which they have never seen before.” said Dee-Zone chief executive officer, Thabiso Maretlwaneng.
Maretlwaneng said the five-day programme covered seminars that increased the knowledge of attendees in seeking funding for their projects, color correction and other important skills that are genuinely needed and appreciated.
“Also featured were guests and judges from the international film industry that contributed greatly to the experience as they shared the decades of knowledge and experience of their film making journey. We learnt a lot in just a few hours. The USA trip changed us forever, and consequently Botswana film industry,” he said.
In addition, Maretlwaneng said the team interacted with other great Hollywood filmmakers from around the world.
He said the New Orleans Film and TV University professor Danny Retz “was interested in assisting us into making Botswana another destination of Hollywood productions. He said we are a unique rich country as we have wetlands like Okavango Delta, which is the biggest in the world. He said the Okavango Delta, the Kalahari desert, Tsodilo hills could become new locations for Hollywood movies and also Botswana tourist destination attraction through showcasing movie sights.”
The team returned on March 14.