Good News

BULLETIN 18 November

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# Between November last year and June this year, foreign film production investments in South Africa totalled 2.52-billion-rand, with projections exceeding five-billion-rand by October next year. International production crews booked over 59-thousand hotel bed nights between November last year and August this year, injecting nearly 148-million-rand into the country’s hospitality industry. Over the past eight months, the film industry has created 26-thousand-573 jobs. International Tourism Film Festival Africa founder, James Byrne, says the country’s film industry will continue to catalyse economic expansion and international tourism.

# Hollywood superstars Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Chris Evans‘ Christmas movie Red One brought in over six-billion-rand from over four-thousand North American theatres in its box office debut. Red One is the first proper Christmas movie to play in theatres since before the Covid-19 pandemic when The Grinch opened in 2018. The movie will have serious competition from upcoming releases including Universal’s much-anticipated Wicked, Paramount’s Gladiator 2 and Walt Disney Animation’s Moana 2.

# Rhodes University final-year law student, Oyama Mzayidume, has been awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship for 2025. She was selected from 22 finalists drawn from the highest number of applications in eight years. Eight applicants were shortlisted from the 22 finalists, with four applicants from Rhodes University making the shortlist. Mzayidume, who is studying for a Bachelor of Civil Law and Commerce, says the Rhodes Scholarship is not solely focused on academic aptitude but motivates individuals to leave a positive impact on the world.

# A social-impact South African publisher, Book Dash, has celebrated a decade of impacting communities through literacy initiatives. Over the past ten years, Book Dash has successfully printed more than four-million storybooks and worked with 200 non-governmental organisations across the country. Founded in 2014 to create accessible African storybooks, the organisation uses a unique 12-hour publishing model where volunteer creatives produce free storybooks for children. Book Dash aims to print and distribute one-million books annually and expand its reach.

# And finally: The late music legend Quincy Jones and veteran casting director Juliet Taylor were honoured with the Academy Honour Awards at the 15th annual Governors Awards in Los Angeles. The event is a staple in the awards season and is regarded as the Motion Picture Academy’s second-biggest night of the year, after the Oscars. The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award went to British writer-director, Richard Curtis, while the Irving G Thalberg Memorial Award went to James Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.

Stay tuned for more news………….