ART & TUR International Film Festival – South Africa shines!

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South African tourism film productions took home three prizes at the 11^th edition of the Art & Tur International Film Festival, which took place in the central city of Leiria from 23 to 27 October 2018.  Participation in the festival is part of the South African Embassy’s drive to promote tourism which has resulted in a long-term partnership with Art & Tur.  This year, the Embassy was pleased to have sponsored the entry of the Panga Productions tourism film.

Bruce and Tarryn Buttery of Durban-based Panga Productions, who travelled to Portugal a week earlier to take part in Art & Tur’s first creative factory along with six other production teams, won 2^nd prize for their promotional film of Central Portugal’s historical and shale villages.  Furthermore, their film “Sea Change”, about South African surfer John McCarthy’s return to the art of making surfboards from natural materials, won 1st prize in the category of Environment and Ecology. 

In a different category – Tourism  Routes – Rubert Fitchet and Rory Appleton of Sledgehammer Studio, based in Cape town, took home 2nd prize for their film “N12 – Treasure Route”, which takes us on a trip along the N12 National Route, crossing 5 of South Africa’s 9 provinces – the longest tourist route covering 1350 km.  Both Rubert and Rory also travelled to Leiria to collect their prize.

South Africa was also represented by Caroline Ungersbock of Sustainable Tourism Partnership Programme (STPP) – a speaker at last year’s Art &Tur Festival – who this year was part of the 13-member jury that evaluated over 80 films competing in the national and international competition in various categories.

It was wonderful to see South Africa competing again in the film category after several years with no entries.  We hope to bring on board many more South African tourism film producers next year not only to compete for prizes but also to showcase South Africa’s beautiful tourism attractions and abundant offer of quality tourist accommodation representing a world class tourism destination!