Wikipedia

Steven Markovitz

Steven Markovitz (born in 1965) is a South African film and television producer. He has produced, co-produced and executive-produced features, documentaries and short films. Steven has been producing and distributing for over 20 years. Since 2007, he has worked all over Africa producing documentary series' and fiction. He is a member of AMPAS, co-founder of Electric South & Encounters Documentary Festival and the founder of the African Screen Network.

Steven Markovitz
NationalitySouth African
CitizenshipSouth African
Alma mater1992 - Present
Occupations
  • TV Producer
  • film producer
Known foraKasha, Silas, High Fantasy, Behind the Rainbow

Recent productions include aKasha[1] by hajooj kuka[2] (Venice Critics’ Week, TIFF, 2018), Rafiki by Wanuri Kahiu (Cannes – Un Certain Regard, 2018), the documentary Silas[3] by Anjali Nayar, Hawa Essuman (TIFF, IDFA 2017), Beats of the Antonov by hajooj kuka[4] (TIFF Documentary Audience Award, 2014), High Fantasy by Jenna Bass[5] (TIFF, Berlinale 2018), Viva Riva! By Djo Munga (TIFF 2010, Berlinale 2011) and Behind the Rainbow.

Career

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Markovitz began his career in 1992 and co-founded the production company Big World Cinema in Cape Town in 1994. In 1999, he produced the short film Husk, which premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival;[6] followed by the award-winning It's My Life (2001), the intimate portrait of South African AIDS activist Zackie Achmat.[7] The Tap won Best South African Documentary at the Apollo Film Festival 2003[8] and Best Production of the Year at the Stone Awards, South Africa.

Markovitz co-produced the Academy Award-nominated[9] short film Inja ("Dog") in 2003; followed by the award-winning South African-Canadian feature film Proteus directed by John Greyson and Jack Lewis which premiered at Toronto International Film Festival in 2003 and Berlin;[10] Raya, a short film part of the "Mama Afrika"[11] series, which was theatrically released in the US in 2003; and the TV movie Crossing the Line[12] by award-winning director Brian Tilley.

In 2005 he was the executive producer of the feature film Boy called Twist directed by Tim Greene, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival[13] in 2005. This was followed by the animated short film Beyond Freedom, which screened at the Berlin International Film Festival.[14]

Markovitz produced a series of thirteen films made by new South African documentary filmmakers titled Project 10: Real Stories from a Free South Africa.[15] The series screened at Sundance, IDFA, Tribeca and Berlin.[16] In 2008, he produced the acclaimed feature documentary Behind the Rainbow on South Africa's ruling party, directed by Jihan El-Tahri[17] for ZDF/Arte, SBS, SVT, VPRO, SABC and ITVS (USA). Latitude,[18] a series of 9 short films from 8 African countries, was executive-produced by Markovitz, and premiered at Berlin in February 2010. It included the award-winning Kenyan science fiction short Pumzi by Wanuri Kahiu.

In 2009 Markovitz completed the documentary omnibus Congo in Four Acts which travelled to over 50 festivals including Berlin,[19] IDFA, Hot Docs 2010; and the documentary State of Mind, directed by Djo Tunda Wa Munga, investigating trauma and healing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[20]

Markovitz co-produced the Congolese-French-Belgium crime thriller Viva Riva!,[21] directed by Djo Tunda Wa Munga, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2010[22] and Berlin International Film Festival 2011 and won the MTV Movie Award for Best African Movie.[23] It was released in USA, UK, Australia/NZ, Canada, Belgium, France, Germany and 18 African countries.[24]

In 2013, Markovitz executive-produced the fiction omnibus African Metropolis [1] consisting of six films by six directors across Africa. The films have screened at Durban IFF, Toronto IFF, Santa Barbara IFF and IFF Rotterdam.

In 2014, Markovitz was involved in three award-winning films: Stories of Our Lives, a Kenyan feature film about the LGBT community in Kenya, by Jim Chuchu and the NEST Collective, which Markovitz executive-produced. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival[25] and won the Berlin International Film Festival’s Teddy Jury Award;[26] Love the One You Love, a South African feature film written, produced and directed by Jenna Cato Bass, which Markovitz produced. The film won prizes at the Durban International Film Festival,[27] Jozi Film Festival[28] and Three Continents Festival in Nantes;[29] Documentary Beats of the Antonov was produced by Markovitz, and directed by Sudanese filmmaker Hajooj Kuka. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and won the People's Choice Documentary Award[30]

Other work

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Markovitz is the co-founder of Encounters Festival South Africa,[31] and the Close Encounters Documentary Laboratory, now in its 16th year. He is a founding member of the Independent Producers Organisation and has sat on various international film juries and selection panels, including Cinemart, Rotterdam,[32] IDFA Bertha Fund[33] and Silverdocs.[34] He recently moderated the first Good Pitch² in Johannesburg in partnership with BRITDOC.

References

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  1. ^ "AKasha". IMDb.
  2. ^ "Hajooj Kuka". IMDb.
  3. ^ "Silas". IMDb.
  4. ^ "Hajooj Kuka". IMDb.
  5. ^ "Jenna Cato Bass". IMDb.
  6. ^ "Festival de Cannes Official Selection 2005". Festival de Cannes. 2005. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  7. ^ Harvey, Dennis (22 July 2002). "Film Reviews – It's My Life". Variety. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  8. ^ "The Apollo Film Festival – Winners". BizCommunity.com. 2 October 2003. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  9. ^ "Nominees & Winners for the 75th Academy Awards". The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 2003. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  10. ^ "Berlinale Temporary Archive". Berlin International Film Festival. 2004. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  11. ^ Holden, Stephen (7 June 2002). "Mama Africa (2002) Film Review: Young, Smart and Pressed Toward a Bad Decision". The New York Times Movies. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  12. ^ "Crossing the Line". Media Update. 13 November 2007. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  13. ^ "SA Film under Cannes spotlight". SouthAfrica.info. 10 May 2005. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  14. ^ "Berlinale Temporary Archive". Berlin International Film Festival. 2006. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  15. ^ "Freedom Stories from SA for Berlin Film Festival". SA Film. 2004. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  16. ^ "Berlinale Temporary Archive". Berlin International Film Festival. 2004. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  17. ^ "PBS Independent Lens: Behind the Rainbow". PBS. 2010. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  18. ^ Maiko Schaffrath (2011). "Latitude: Africa beyond its clichés". Goethe Institut Südafrika. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  19. ^ "Berlinale Temporary Archive". Berlin International Film Festival. 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  20. ^ "Icarus Films Catalogue, State of Mind: Healing Trauma". Icarus Films. 2010. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  21. ^ "Viva Riva official website". Formosa productions & MG Productions. 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  22. ^ "TIFF Films & Schedules: Viva Riva!". Toronto International Film Festival. 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  23. ^ "Viva Riva! Wins Inaugural Best African Movie Category". MTV Base. 6 June 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  24. ^ Smith, David (19 October 2011). "Congo's first feature film for 25 years opens in 18 countries". The Guardian online. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  25. ^ "Stories of Our Lives at TIFF 2014". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  26. ^ "Teddy Winners 2015". Teddy Awards. 13 February 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  27. ^ "DIFF Announces Award Winners for 2014". Durban International Film Festival. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  28. ^ "Jozi Film Festival 2015 Winners". Jozi Film Festival. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  29. ^ "Love the One You Love". Festival des 3 Continents. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  30. ^ "TIFF.net | Festival Past Awards". TIFF. Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  31. ^ "Encounters Documentary Festival". Encounters Documentary Festival. 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  32. ^ Hernandez, Eugene (2003). ""Extrano," "Jealousy," and "Lilya" Win 32nd Rotterdam Tiger Awards". IndieWire. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  33. ^ "IDFA Bertha Fund selection committee". International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  34. ^ "Silverdocs Juries". Silverdocs. 2006. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
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