Wendy Bednarz’s The Yellow Bus, which follows a mother’s quest for justice after suffering an unimaginable tragedy, won best film at the Joburg Film Festival during an awards ceremony on Saturday night at the Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg.
The film, which had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, is set in an unnamed Gulf country and follows an Indian family who suffers a tragedy when their daughter is neglected on a school bus in the scorching desert heat. Consumed by grief, mother Anada (Tanishtha Chatterjee) sets out to search for the truth about who is responsible.
In its citation of the award-winning film, the jury noted: “This film spoke about the fundamental challenges faced by marginalized immigrants. The nuanced performance of the protagonist has highlighted the resilience and determination needed when an individual confronts a social and political system.
Bednarz was not present to accept the award. Talking to diverse Ahead of the film’s Toronto premiere, the director said she was inspired to provide a voice for people who are marginalized or face unconscious bias in Middle Eastern society. “It’s a dance here to tell these stories honestly, to give voice to these stories, even to people who are invisible, and I’ve been challenged with that,” she said.
Best African Film went to Ian Gabriel’s political thriller “Death of a Whistleblower,” which premiered in Toronto and follows an investigative journalist who, with inside help, attempts to expose the state’s arrest of a corrupt security group in South Africa that is fueling the conflict. War in Africa and beyond. The pic premiered in Africa in Johannesburg and quickly reached the top of Amazon Prime Video’s local charts with its release on the same day.
The jury said: “This courageous and important story highlights the plight journalists face in their dangerous and often unknown quest to uncover the truth.” “This fast-paced political thriller brings urgency to the issue at hand, which is whistleblowing.”
Gordon Main’s apartheid-era documentary London Recruits, which opened the festival with its world premiere, won best documentary. The film highlights a pivotal moment during South Africa’s freedom struggle, when politician and activist Oliver Tambo hatched a plan to infiltrate young British activists disguised as tourists into the country, to help inspire ordinary South Africans to join the liberation movement.
The jury said: “This film brought a new and different perspective to a well-known subject.” “Using humor and great storytelling connects us all to our humanity.”
During his acceptance speech, Mayne expressed his solidarity with the people of Gaza, as well as the victims of conflicts in Congo, Sudan and elsewhere. “I think if you can make a better world, we need to heal the terrible scars that are still unfolding around these tragic events throughout our modern history and our current history,” he said.
Describing it as a “childhood dream” to make films that can have a lasting impact, he added: “Of course, films don’t change the world. But they can inspire us, bring hope and encourage us all to do better things in this short life we have on this earth.”
The jury also gave a special mention to Who Am I Not, director Tunde Skovran’s exploration and celebration of life as an intersex person in South Africa. The Young Voices Award went to Ntokozo Mlaba for his short film “Everything is Nothing”. Meanwhile, veteran curator, programmer and founder of the New York African Film Festival, Maheen Bonetti, was honored with a Special Recognition Award for her decades-long work promoting African cinema.
The Joburg Film Festival concludes on March 3 with the world premiere of “Snake,” a psychological thriller from South African director Meg Rickards, concluding the sixth edition that showcased more than 60 titles from more than 30 countries.
“What a time to be in Johannesburg,” festival founder Timothy Mangwedi said on Saturday. “What a time to live in Gauteng (province).” What a time to live in Africa.”