This year GLAMOUR fell in love with the growing culture of fashion films at the Mercedes-Benz Bokeh International South African Fashion Film Festival. Don’t know what we’re on about? We asked Adrian Lazarus, managing director of the Bokeh FFF, to tell us more about the Festival and fashion films.
The good news: we’ll be giving you a weekly dose of this beautiful medium every #FashionFilmFriday, right here on GLAMOUR.co.za!
GLAMOUR: What are fashion films?
Adrian: Fashion films are essentially brand videos that are fashionably shot in a way that celebrates the brand’s essence and lifestyle.
GLAMOUR: What inspired you to start the Festival in South Africa?
Adrian: In 2013, I was fortunate to attend the La Jolla Fashion Film Festival and the International Fashion Film Awards in California, and this exposed me to wonderful networking opportunities as well as to many inspiring films. Combine all of that with a terrific red carpet experience, and I was convinced that we were more than capable of hosting our own South African festival – and of showing the world what we can offer in terms of fashion, design and film.
GLAMOUR: What does the Mercedes-Benz Bokeh International South African Film Festival aim to achieve?
Adrian: The South African Festival is unique in the world. We celebrate the film industry and we aim to foster inspiration and job creation in an entertaining and creative way, but we also include fashion sales, installations, and talks by SA and international industry experts. The screenings in the evenings feature the longest red carpet we could find, and they’re a chance for film-makers from around the globe to rub shoulders with celebs, designers and more.
GLAMOUR: What distinguishes a fashion film from any other short film?
Adrian: Fashion films rely strongly on the visual experience rather than on a strong narrative. Imagine music videos with a highly fashionable edge, and you have got fashion films! They’re rarely longer than three minutes and they conform to very few rules, which means that they can be highly experimental at the same time as they can include traditional storytelling elements.
GLAMOUR: What do the judges look for when choosing winning films?
Adrian: Originality and good production values are important. Our judges also look simple narratives and sumptuous videos that hold the viewer’s interest.
GLAMOUR: How can film-makers enter next year’s Festival?
Adrian: Our website has all the info on its submissions page. The submissions for 2016 open on the 1st July this year.
Couldn’t make the Bokeh FFF in Cape Town? Keep an eye on our GLAMOUR Guides for the Joburg event on 4 June.
