AFRICAN LESBIAN FILM PROJECT WINS AWARD

A lesbian themed film that is being developed by South African and Kenyan producers was awarded ‘Best Feature Film Project’ at the recent Durban FilmMart.

Producer Steven Markovitz and screenwriter / director Wanuri Kahiu were given a 6000 Euros prize, provided by Arte France, to help produce their project titled Jambula Tree.

The script is adapted from Ugandan Monica Arac de Nyeko’s award winning short story by the same name.

Jambula Tree is described as a coming of age story about two Kenyan girls, Anyango and Sanyu, who fall in love and whose desire for each other flies in the face of African conventions.

Markovitz previously produced the South African / Canadian 2003 film Proteus, an interracial gay love story set in early 18th century Cape Town.

The Durban FilmMart, which took place from 20 to 23 July, is part of the annual Durban International Film Festival and aims to help African filmmakers, financiers and broadcasters to network and initiate deals in order to get film projects off the ground.