KZN's Nathan Rice has been nominated for the Academy of Motion Picture Award in the best short foreign student film category.
|||Durban - From the age of 13, in semi-rural Kranskop, Nathan Rice always knew he wanted a career in filmmaking. The young film student has been nominated for the Academy of Motion Picture Award in the best short foreign student film category for his film “Homeless”.
The film deals with poverty in South Africa, and tells the story of two boys’ journey to find their mother after being evicted from their shack.
Rice says he was inspired by a newspaper article. “I remember I read an article in the newspaper about the removal of shacks so I researched it and decided I wanted to do a film about it. I developed their characters and that’s kind of how ‘Homeless’ started,” says Rice.
Rice is very excited about the nomination and says that it is a huge honor for him to receive such a nomination.
“It’s such a great honor to be nominated for such a prestigious award and this nomination is great for the country, it will put South African films on the map. It is also great because it will show people there’s more to South Africa then what people see.”
Rice says the film is a story of hope and was aimed at inspiring people. “The film is an inspiration to people, when you have nothing but you keep on going, (it’s) more like a spiritual homelessness, it also resonates some of the themes that are happening in South Africa today,” Rice says.
The film was submitted by AFDA Durban for consideration to be nominated for the Student Academy Awards. It also scored the highest in over 60 short films based on the Audience and Critics scores at the AFDA graduate festival held at Ster-Kinekor Cinema Nouveau and Suncoast Cinecentre in Durban. “Homeless” is also nominated for the CILECT which is the largest international association of film and television schools prize.
Rice says if he wins he will thank his family for always encouraging and supporting his career, he will also be thanking his lecturers and peers.
Rice aspires to be just like Richard Linklater, an American film director and screenwriter. “Filmaking has always been my passion and I hope to make more films,” Rice adds.
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