(Detail from the poster)
South African director Ian Gabriel was
awarded top honours last weekend (June 22 2014) when his film Four Corners was named Best Film in the
feature film category at the Niagara Integrated Film Festival (NIFF). The South
African coming of age thriller had its Canadian Premiere, competing with 30
other films from Canada and around the world.
The Best Actor accolade went to Geoffrey
Rush for his performance in The Best
Offer directed by Academy Award winning director Giuseppe Tornatore. The
Best Actress Accolade went to New Zealand actress Hannah Marshall for her
performance in The Infinite Man,
directed by Hugh Sullivan. Swedish comedy The
100 Year Old Man who Climbed Out the Window won best screenplay for the
adaptation of the Jonas Jonasson novel.
The NIFF Award committee commended Ian
Gabriel on bringing the story of an 'unknown world' in South Africa's Cape
Flats to the attention of the world. Accepting the award, Ian Gabriel thanked
the NIFF committee on behalf of the cast of Four
Corners for the 'committee's friendship and support of Independent
filmmaking from South Africa, saying that the 'NIFF Best Film award will help Four Corners reach out to audiences everywhere.'
The screening was held as part of Four Corners celebration of Youth Month,
which includes the June Video on Demand release across Africa of Four Corners
on DSTV's Box Office. Starring Brendon Daniels and Lindiwe Matshikiza, Four Corners was distributed in South
Africa by Indigenous Film Distribution. For more information visit www.indigenousfilm.co.za