Good News

BULLETIN 10 October 

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# The National Film and Video Foundation has selected Old Righteous Blues to represent South Africa in the Best International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards. Directed by Muneera Sallies, the film tells a story of community, redemption, and overcoming past conflicts. The foundation says the decision was made by the South African Academy Awards Selection Committee after an extensive judging process. It has praised the film’s powerful narrative and the talent of the South African film industry.

# The Addams Family Musical, featuring a world-class ensemble of performers, is coming to Cape Town in December. It will be staged at the Home Coming Centre formerly known as The Fugard in District Six. The musical by Andrew Lippa, Marshal Brickman and Rick Elice, is a heart-warming and hilarious story that celebrates love, family, and the search for identity. It ran on Broadway for 722 performances, garnering numerous awards. Addams Family Musical opens on the 14th of December.

# Nelson Mandela University senior lecturer, doctor Adeniyi Ogunlaja, has been selected for the Future Professors Programme. The initiative by the Department of Higher Education and Training aims to cultivate a new generation of professors dedicated to research, teaching, and community engagement. Ogunlaja believes the programme will help him build academic networks, facilitate interdisciplinary exchange, and promote teaching excellence while sharing resources with visiting scholars.

# Rocky Peak Spur in Alberton, Gauteng, is empowering special needs learners from the Optim-Ed Learning Centre by providing them with valuable job experience. Every Friday, learners shadow staff at the restaurant, gaining essential life and work skills. Rocky Peak Spur has even made them uniforms to make them feel part of the team. This initiative seeks to showcase true inclusivity and highlights how businesses can positively impact the lives of people with special needs.

# And finally: Seven-time Formula One world champion, Lewis Hamilton, has been picked as one of the celebrity co-chairs for next year’s Met Gala in New York. The other co-chairs are singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams, award-winning actor Colman Domingo, rapper A$AP Rocky, and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. The theme for the Met Gala on the fifth of May is, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, honouring the Costume Institute’s spring 2025 exhibition.

Stay tuned for more news………….