Late-night horror and erotica at AiM 2008

The festival will feature a South African horror film, "Dust Devil," by director Richard Stanley which is set in Namibia, and is about a shape-shifting hitchhiker who gets picked up by women, and then murders them. According to Bisschoff, "This is not only a straight-forward metaphysical horror though...but also about a political allegory on the historical situation between Namibia and South Africa, as the film is set just after Namibia gained independence from South Africa." Also being screened is Richard Stanley's documentary, "The White Darkness," which is about voodoo practices in Haiti.

Bisschoff described the the quality of production as, "Great," as Stanley's films, such as Dust Devil have achieved cult status. Other late-night series South African films include "SMS Sugar Man," by Aryan Kaganof, and "Jesus and the Giant," by Akin Omotoso. Both films are stylistically experimental: "SMS Sugar Man" was shot entirely on mobile phone cameras, and "Jesus and the Giant" was entirely shot on a digital stills camera, with 7000 stills being stitched together to create the final product.

"SMS Sugar Man," according to Bisschoff, "has erotic undertones, since it is about a pimp, Sugar Man, who cruises the streets of Johannesburg while peddling his girls to wealthy black punters." Another erotica-based film to be screened is Nigeria's, "Highway to the Grave."

"With the late-night series we are hoping to challenge audience perceptions of what African cinema is and should be. We are showing that African cinema is very diverse and that filmmakers are adopting a variety of different styles, genres and themes," said Bisschoff.