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HESSEQUA NEWS & VIDEO - A stunning short film about Van Wyksdorp, a tiny little village in Kannaland, is a finalist in the International Tourism Film Festival Africa 2023 (ITFFA).
The festival takes place from 2 to 6 May in Cape Town with the awards ceremony on 5 May.
The Van Wyksdorp film, a finalist in the Independent Travel Video Category, was one of 387 entries received from 59 countries this year.
The synopsis of the film reads: "Often regarded as the undiscovered corner of the Klein Karoo, Van Wyksdorp remains a cultural kaleidoscope untouched by the modern hustle and bustle of city life. In contrast, tranquility abounds and time has almost stood still. This is a short story about the town from the people that call it home."
The film features characters from all walks of life who live in and around the tiny town.
The village saw its first artisanal shop and eatery opening at the beginning of the year - in keeping with the unpretentious vibe of Van Wyksdorp, simply named STUFF. The town also sports a plaaswinkel, tongue in cheek named Van Wyksdorp Mall, a restaurant and pub.
Van Wyksdorp, traditionally an ostrich area, is bordered by one of the biggest olive producing farms in the Southern hemisphere and a variety of olive products can be sourced locally.
As it's not just a stone's throw from Woolies, locals are self-sufficient and engage in bartering and shop at a farmer’s market for their daily bread.
The town is home to many artists and other interesting characters who prefer the seclusion and intimate, small town life to the rat race in bigger towns and cities.
Accessible only by gravel roads, the town is not overrun by tourists, but if you decide to go off the beaten track, you will be pleasantly surprised.
The local sedate lifestyle and unique beauty of Van Wyksdorp is expertly captured in the short film.
VIDEO: Van Wyksdorp, Little/Klein Karoo, South Africa by Africantravelcrew.com
More about ITFFA
The International Tourism Film Festival Africa (ITFFA) honours all video content related to the tourism and travel industry.
Caroline Ungersbock, who founded the film festival in 2019 with James Byrne to honour and promote new works with exceptional and innovative content on all continents and seen and used on various platforms, says this year the standard of the films was extremely high and competition fierce.
"Of the 387 entries 242 films were shortlisted to go through to the final round of judging. From the 242, 120 finalists were selected. The panel of jurors are made up of 42 individuals - 21 from the tourism industry and 21 from the film industry.
The Gold, Silver and Supa Nova Awards will be announced at the ITFFA 2023 Awards Ceremony on 5 May at the Labia Theatre in Cape Town starting at 17:00 for 18:00.
Most of the entries came from South Africa - 90; Portugal - 52; Japan - 22; China - 13. The finalists are from 29 countries, of which 14 are African.
Television ads, promotional films, video campaigns, videos for social media, video blogs, documentaries, reports and TV magazines related to the promotion of tourism destinations, products and services are invited to participate in this unique festival on the African continent.
ITFFA aims to contribute towards stimulating the development and growth of the national and African audio-visual industry and, at the same time, to give visibility and recognition to the work of talented men and women and integrate the global creative community.
And on top of this, the festival gives tourism a healthy boost!
An uncommon sight - the Grootrivier near Van Wyksdorp in full flood after the recent rains at the beginning of March. Photo: Wendi Skowronek – owner of STUFF.
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