Latest news with #ITFFA
The Citizen
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
WATCH: SA short film ‘Caleb: Beyond the Bite' wins Gold at film festival
South African short film 'Caleb: Beyond the Bite' wins Gold at International Tourism Film Festival Africa, just in time for World Ocean Day. Caleb: Beyond the Bite won Gold at the 2025 International Tourism Film Festival Africa (ITFFA), one year after its release by WILDTRUST. As the world celebrated World Ocean Day on Sunday, 8 June, a proudly South African conservation film was honoured on the global stage. This marks the fourth film festival at which the film has been recognised to date. The film festival had more than 450 global entries, ending with a red carpet event on Friday at Hotel Sky, Sandton, Johannesburg. Caleb: Beyond the Bite inspires shark bite survivors 'This film was truly inspirational,' says ITFFA organiser Caroline Ungersbock. Caleb in the water. Picture: Mnqobi Zuma 'It delivered a very strong and necessary message that resonated deeply with our judges and attendees of the film festival.' The short film follows para-athlete Caleb Swanepoel's emotional return to swimming with sharks, which changed his life in 2015. This film challenges the fear of sharks, showing their vital role in South Africa's marine ecosystems through a human story. 'I'm incredibly excited that the film has been recognised at the ITFFA Awards,' says Swanepoel. 'It means a lot that more people worldwide will see the film and hopefully connect with its message.' 'Being part of this project and team changing the shark narrative is a real privilege.' Caleb Swanepoel at the ITFFA Awards. Picture: Supplied The importance of shark and ray conservation Caleb: Beyond the Bite was released as part of the WILDTRUST's Sharks Under Attack campaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the urgent need for the conservation of sharks and rays in South African waters. The film highlights the emotional power of personal transformation and how perception plays a critical role in shark survival. South Africa is a global hotspot for shark and ray diversity, with approximately 200 species inhabiting its waters. Many species are endemic and increasingly threatened by habitat loss, overfishing, and public fear. The film provides a compelling call to protect these misunderstood animals through empathy, education, and policy change. 'Caleb gives me hope for shark conservation,' says WILDTRUST scientist Leigh de Necker, who swam with Caleb in the film. 'If he can change his view on sharks after trauma, there is hope for all of us to do the same.' Caleb: Beyond the Bite is available to watch online.
Zawya
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Zawya
ITFFA spotlights how film tourism drives economic growth and destination appeal
As the film and tourism industries converge for the 7th annual International Tourism Film Festival Africa (ITFFA) in Sandton this week, the spotlight turns to the powerful role of film in driving destination tourism. Taking place from 3–6 June at Hotel Sky, the festival will explore how high-profile productions — many shot in South Africa, a global filming hotspot — contribute to job creation, infrastructure development and increased tourism arrivals. Co-founder of the festival together with Caroline Ungersbock, festival director James Byrne describes this unique event as ä pioneering platform celebrating tourism-focused films and video content. Honouring global tourism content "The ITFFA honours all video content related to the travel and tourism industries, including TV ads, promotional films, video content, campaigns, blogs and vlogs, documentaries, reports and magazine programmes. All film and video products that are related to the promotion of tourism destinations, products, or services are eligible to be entered into the film festival awards, and will be screened during the conference itself, the only one of its kind on the continent," comments Byrne. With a wealth of experience, passion, and innovation in the entertainment and hospitality sectors, he brings a unique perspective to his role at ITFFA. His deep understanding of the industry and his commitment to fostering creativity and collaboration have been instrumental in establishing ITFFA as the premier tourism film festival in Africa. Since co-founding ITFFA with Ungersbock in 2019, Byrne has been the driving force behind the festival's growth and success. Under his guidance, ITFFA has received more than 4,000 film entries from 94 countries, showcasing the best in tourism-related video content across various platforms. Empowering young African creatives "Our vision for the festival extends beyond simply recognising exceptional content; we are also dedicated to empowering young African creatives by providing them with access to tangible work opportunities and the ability to earn real-time income from their work." This is translated into the annual Young Creatives Student Challenge that runs alongside ITFFA, offering young film students mentorship, guidance and editing skills to create professional tourism content for clients, using their smartphones, which can be monetised. This year's challenge has seen five teams of two students each from Wits and UJ visiting the Joburg inner city in partnership with Nikon, Panavision, Jozi My Jozi and The Bannister Hotel, to film content around Maboneng, Newtown, Ponte, and Braamfontein. The winning team, announced during the festival, will receive a cash prize of R10,000 to go towards building their content creation careers. Driving Africa's creative and tourism economy A passion for connecting people, creating engaging experiences, and promoting Africa's rich cultural heritage lies at the heart of ITFFA's mission. The founding partners also have a firm belief in the power of film and tourism to drive economic growth, create jobs, and change the global narrative surrounding Africa. ITFFA is positioned as a catalyst for the development and growth of the African audio-visual industry, while also integrating the global creative community. Looking ahead, the vision for ITFFA in 2025 and into the future is to continue defining the inextricable linkages between film and tourism, making the potential low-lying yields accessible to all, while empowering young African creatives to establish sustainable careers in the industry. 'With our unwavering commitment to innovation, collaboration, and the celebration of exceptional content, the team is poised to lead ITFFA to new heights and shape the future of the tourism and travel industry. We invite everyone in the industry to join us for the ride!" concludes Byrne. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
