The 7th Encounters South African International Documentary took place in Cape Town from July 15th – 31st and in Johannesburg from August 5th – 14th 2005. For the 5th year running Encounters has hosted the Jameson Audience Awards – for Best South African Film and Best International Film. 38 documentary films were showcased on the Festival, 35 of which were in competition for the Jameson Audience Award. The official results for both categories were recently announced at the Encounters closing night party, held in Johannesburg.
Grietjie Van Garies, by Odette Geldenhuys, scooped the Jameson Audience Award for Best South African Film. This documentary is biographical look at 77-year-old Grietjie Adams who, for more than six decades, has been entertaining the people of Namaqualand with her clever riddles and unique singing style.
Winged Migration, by Jacques Perrin, won the Jameson Audience Award for Best International Film. This breathtaking documentary captures the lives of migratory birds over vast distances, featuring exquisite footage of this extraordinary planet and its shrinking resources from a bird’s eye view.
Encounters 2005 was made possible through the support of the National Film and Video Foundation, the SABC, Jameson, Tempest/Sixt Car Hire, TNT, Cinema Nouveau screened by Jameson, British Council, SwissFilms, Holland Film, Danish Film Institute, French Embassy, the Royal Netherlands Embassy and the National Film, Video and Sound Archives.
Issued by Encounters
30 August 2005
