(South
Africa’s Nick Boraine & Jy Prishkulnik with crew during shooting)
As we affirm women across the globe
honouring International Women’s Day on March 8, we applaud the team who birthed
Escala - a carefully-crafted multi-award-winning
US-made short film which boasts a 100% female crew … (and five South Africans!)
and has been officially selected for six international film festivals since its
world premiere in July last year.
Three South African women have been
instrumental in the creation of Escala:
editor Eileen de Klerk, co-writer Tammy-Anne Fortuin and sound designer and
music editor Reanne de Klerk.
Durban-born Reanne de Klerk has been
playing music since the age of five. She has performed with the KZN
Philharmonic Orchestra; Night of 100 Stars; KickstArt’s productions of Cabaret and Chicago, Platform Jazz, and Pastiche Jazz Orchestra. Now based in Los
Angeles, she is a composer, sound designer, music editor and assistant editor
for features, short films and TV series and is currently working on the Warner
Bros Studios Lot. De Klerk is also currently working on a solo album with South
African composer Anthony Costandius – once the album is recorded, she will
premiere the album with a concert tour throughout South Africa.
In September Escala was screened at the Tops Shorts International Film Festival.
At the festival, the film walked away with three accolades: Eileen de Klerk was
winner of the award for Best Editing, Reanne de Klerk won Honourable Mention
for sound design. Winning the Inspiring Woman in a Film category was Jy
Prishkulnik, who played Amalia in the film.
Escala tells the story of Amalia, a teenage violinist torn between
tolerating the inappropriate advances from her music instructor and winning the
competition of a lifetime to change the future for her and her father. It
features South Africa’s Nick Boraine as Dereck; James C Burns as Gustav and Jy
Prishkulnik as Amalia.
Reanne de Klerk concurs. “For us as South
Africans working really hard to develop careers in the hugely competitive
American film market, we are especially chuffed to have our film, and in
particular our individual contributions to the film, being so affirmed by the
global film industry.”
“It is reassuring that South Africans – and
in particular South African women – can find their place in the global
marketplace. Our experience and journey in South Africa have set us up to allow
us to do what we love with like-minded creatives who have amazing skills,
tenacity, vision and commitment to make great work.”
For more information visit Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/EscalaFilm/
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