Top SA film & theatre personalities for AFDA
AFDA executives have announced the appointment of senior
staff in key positions at their three campuses in Johannesburg, Cape Town and
Durban.
As part of its consistent drive to provide a high quality
and relevant education for young aspiring filmmakers, TV producers and
performers, AFDA has appointed a number of prominent academics and
practitioners to top posts within these campuses.
In Durban, respected Durban-based film maker Richard Green
has been appointed Head of the Film School, with award-winning actor/playwright
and director, Rajesh Gopie as Head of the Performance School. Franco Human
moves from the Cape Town campus where he held the position of Deputy
Undergraduate Course Director and Producing Lecturer, to take up the position
as Dean of School in Durban.
Director/producer Richard Green brings a wealth of
knowledge and experience to the mix. He has a string of well-known films to
his name including Spud, District 9 and
Otelo Burning with his most recent role being assistant director on Anant
Singh’s Long Walk to Freedom, which
is currently in post-production.
As an actor, Rajesh Gopie has worked with many eminent South
African directors as well as working with the world renowned Handspring Puppet
Company. He has performed the title role in Hamlet
directed by Janet Suzman, which went on to be performed at the Royal
Shakespeare Company. Gopie was a recipient of the prestigious Oppenheimer
Grant, which allowed him to train with various teachers in England, including
attendance at British American Drama Academy at Baliol College in Oxford during
the summer of 2004. He has also actor in a number of major TV shows and films
and as a writer, his plays Out of Bounds
and The Coolie Odyssey are now firmly
in the cannon of South African theatre classics.
“Accepting this position as head of live performance is a
bold step for me.” says Rajesh Gopie, whose professional career up until now
has been as a “sole agent” in the tough world of live performance, “But this
heralds an exciting new phase in my life and I am looking forward to the
challenges that lie ahead and growing a new generation of live performance
practitioners.”
Current Artistic Director of the Market Theatre, Malcolm
Purkey, has been appointed as Dean Designate of the AFDA campus in
Johannesburg. Malcolm will also continue in his role as Artistic Director of
the Market, on a revised contract for the foreseeable future. Respected
award-winning theatre director Greg Homan is head of the Performance School
while award-winning film-maker Brent Quinn will head of the Film School
In Cape Town prolific producer, director of photography and
photographer, Roy Zeitsky has been appointed as Head of the Film School, with
highly experienced TV presenter, producer and news editor Megan Rusi, as Head
of the TV School and well-known academic and director Dr. Christopher John (a former
lecturer at UKZN) as head of the Performance School.
“AFDA has always and wishes to continue to develop talent
that is networked, skilled and enthusiastic about creating culturally-relevant
entertainment; producing products for local markets as well as global niche
markets.” Says AFDA Co-Funder and Chairman Garth Holmes. “The ultimate axis on
which this creativity sits is in the quality of academics and practitioners of
the institution. We have therefore selected individuals for their experience in
the entertainment industry as well as their academic and professional
achievements.”
AFDA co-founder and CEO Bata Passchier adds: “It’s an exciting
new era for us and we have re-structured the schools’ management in order to
provide a relevant and fruitful education – one that is comparable and in some
instances better than the top institutions in the world, and one that meets the
challenges of a society that is changing and evolving at an exponential rate.”
For more information about AFDA contact Lanna Lamberts on lanna@afda.co.za or visit www.afda.co.za
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