GRAAFF-REINET NEWS – Farmers, filmmakers and photographers took Gauteng by storm last week when Karoo Ranching hit Pretoria and Johannesburg with the hopes of raising the profile of farming in South Africa.
With less than three weeks to go before the third annual Karoo Ranching Film Festival, some of the 2017 nominees for Best Short Filmmaker, Best Photographer and Flagship Stud were interviewed on Grootplaas, a TV programme which airs on the DSTV channel kykNET at 05:30 from Monday to Friday.
With the first segment hitting screens around the country in June, viewers will be given a glimpse of the nominees’ creative work and imagery, and be encouraged to vote for a winner in each category.
Dressed in full farming gear, Karoo Ranching founder, Julie Truter, who traverses between Johannesburg and the working family farm, Elandskloof, situated in the mountains between Middelburg and Graaff-Reinet, said the aim of the annual film festival is for participants - ranging from writers and videographers to agricultural companies and brands - to use their sphere of influence to portray the farming profession and industry in a positive light.
“People come here to our little part of the Karoo from all over to offer what they have, and we hope that they leave with something more,” the Elandskloof farmer said.
“I come from farming stock and I am a proud farmer’s daughter, but I was never going to fit the conventional model of a farmer. I wanted to explore why it wasn’t sexy for my generation to flood back to the profession.”
According to Julie, that is where the idea of Karoo Ranching stemmed from.
“We’re showing the authentic side of farming, and portraying agriculture in a light which builds investor confidence instead of fear and negativity,” she added.
Lindy Truter, Julie Truter, Sean Hobson, Kerryn Ross, Madeleine Mahieu and Karina Louw.
Julie’s younger sister Lindy, who was nominated for her short film titled “When the dust settles”, is already a well-respected photographer but wanted to try something different at last year’s film festival.
“I don’t have much experience in filmmaking, but this was an opportunity to learn a new skill. What stood out for me was the camaraderie at the festival; everyone helped one another out but it was also a competition. I certainly have a new respect for filmmakers,” she said.
Established videographer Karina Louw was also shortlisted for her short film, “Mountains”. Well-known Eastern Cape livestock photographer Kerryn Ross was nominated along with Port Elizabeth-based Madeleine Mahieu for the Best Photographer prize. Sean Hobson represented Martyrsford Angora Stud for the Jansenville farm’s nomination for Flagship Stud.
At a private media event in Johannesburg on 22 May, Julie made special mention of 20-year-old Loyiso Swartbooi, who passed away on 16 May after the motorcycle he was riding collided with a courier vehicle on the N9 near Graaff-Reinet.
Swartbooi, who was a promising student at Grootfontein College of Agriculture, had originally intended to join the media tour to Gauteng. She described him as an incredible young man, and part of a talented generation of young farmers coming through the ranks.
Sean Hobson.
Hobson, whose family owns one of the oldest surviving Angora studs in South Africa, said it is imperative to foster and provide mentorships for promising youngsters who are interested in farming.
“We want to build our relationship with the agricultural colleges, like Grootfontein, because these are the youngsters who will make it as commercial farmers. Then we can tell the positive stories, but first we need to create those stories,” he explained.
The annual Karoo Ranching Film Festival takes place from 13 to 17 June. Visit karooranching.co.za for more details or send an email to info@karooranching.co.za.
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