By Darren Gilbert

Can you tell us about the Kleinkaap Short Film Festival?

The Kleinkaap Short Film Festival (KSFF) aims to showcase local and international short films. It is a entryway for audiences to uncover the real world of film that occurs beyond regular film exhibitions. The festival will be is hosted in Centurion, South Africa, at Kleinkaap Boutique Hotel.

The selected short films will be judged and selected by a South African panel and there will be Q&A sessions with Industry professionals such as producers, casting directors as well as directors.

As for where the idea came from, we started submitting our own short film into festivals worldwide and saw a lot of collaboration between filmmakers in their articles. That’s also when we realised how many festivals are held especially in the States, UK, Italy and how it must assist in the growth of Indie Films.

With KSFF, we would like to encourage fellow Indie filmmakers and give them a chance to showcase their work.

Why do you think SAneeds this festival?

There are world class festivals in South Africa held mainly in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg, but we feel that there could be a lot more festivals in our own country.

That’s why we are targeting an area where a Film Festival is much needed, which is Pretoria. It is a great opportunity to get together, meet new people in the industry and grow your creative side. The KSFF wishes to support outstanding and creative stories that have not received deserved exposure in South Africa, and more specifically the Pretoria area. We believe that film festivals can create an awareness to the public of the Indie films out there. Furthermore, through the festival we hope that new ideas will form and that filmmakers will be encouraged to create their own work.

Moreover, not everyone has the time or money to go to our country’s best film festivals, thus for all the filmmakers in Pretoria and Johannesburg, the KSFF is an ideal location to collaborate with one another. We believe that wonderful talent could be discovered at festivals by giving them a chance.

What are you aiming to achieve with the KSFF?

The main aim is to put excellent short films from around the world in the spotlight, in order for new talent to be discovered and ultimately to serve as a stepping stone for some.

At the KSFF, we would like filmmakers to collaborate and grow as a film community. It would be fantastic if the attendees learn new things from the sessions given between the screenings as well. We would also like the public to get a taste of the film industry and get more involved. We definitely hope that it is the first of many.

Who can enter? How does one enter? And when are submissions due?

The KSFF considers any short film between one and 30 minutes from multiple genres around the world. The submission deadline is Friday, 1 July 2016. Only films completed after Tuesday, 1 January 2013 may enter the KSFF. South Africans can enter for free on FilmFreeway and there are also options for Non-South African Filmmakers.

As for the Kleinkaap Short Film Festival's Official Selections, they will be screened at the Film Festival from Sunday, 7 August to Monday, 8 August 2016 at the Kleinkaap Boutique Hotel in Centurion, Pretoria.

For more information, visit www.kleinkaap.co.za. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook.