Vanessa saw Sara Blecher's Otelo Burning at ABFF in July, and reviewed it positively HERE.
The rest of you, those who live in NYC anyway, will get your opportunity to see it when it makes its US theatrical debut on October 3rd, at the new MIST Harlem Cinemas.
Details in the press release below… trailer and poster underneath:
New York, NY (August 27, 2012) City of God meets Blue Crush in OTELO BURNING, a beautiful, coming-of-age drama by award-winning filmmaker Sara Blecher. The new South African feature film presents a gripping story of township kids as they discover surfing – a newfound freedom through water. The film will make its U.S. theatrical premiere at New York’s new cinemas at MIST Harlem on Wednesday, October 3rd by Autonomous Entertainment and The Turner Group.
OTELO BURNING arrives following acclaimed screenings at such prestigious film festivals at the BFI London International Film Festival and the Busan International Festival in Korea. At the Durban International Film Festival, OTELO BURNING was chosen as the Opening Night selection, and at the Seattle International Film Festival, it was nominated for the Golden Needle Award. The film was further honored at the 2012 African Movie Academy Awards, where it won two of 13 total nominations, including the prize for Best Cinematography and Best Child Actor (Tshepang Mohlomi). OTELO BURNING also won the Golden Owl Audience Award for Best Film at Cinerama BC Brazil and Best South African Film at the Cape Winelands Film Festival.
Based on true events, the story unfolds as three teenage friends – Otelo, New Year, and Mandla – look for an escape through a time of turmoil within the township of Lamontville, South Africa and discover freedom through the joy of surfing. Shot in picturesque Durban, OTELO BURNING is a strikingly dynamic portrait of hope and growth for a group of proud adolescents and a nation itself.
Sara Blecher is an award winning documentary director and producer with numerous projects under her belt including “Bay of Plenty,” an award-winning 26-part drama series chronicling the lives of a group of Zulu lifeguards on the Durban beachfront. In 2011, she released “Surfing Soweto,” a documentary following the lives (and deaths) of a group of so-called ‘train surfers’ in South Africa. And in 2009, she produced and directed the South African version of the popular television reality series “Who Do You Think You Are?” OTELO BURNING is Blecher’s first feature film. Kevin Fleischer is the film’s Executive Producer with credits including White Wedding (Stepping Stone 2009) and Paradise Stop (Stepping Stone 2011), with White Wedding being the South African entry to the Foreign Language category of the 2010 Academy Awards.
Check out the trailer below:
