South African Film “Shepherds And Butchers” The Big Winner At Woodstock Film Festival

The award-winning, SHEPHERDS AND BUTCHERS won the coveted The Maverick Award for Best Feature Narrative and the Hasklell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography at the Woodstock Film Festival this past weekend. Acknowledged as one of the leading independent film festivals in the United States, it was founded sixteen years ago in the New York State town of Woodstock which has established itself as a creative arts centre since the legendary Woodstock Festival in 1969. Some of the creative community who have lived in Woodstock include Ethan Hawke, Lee Marvin, Uma Thurman, Chevy Chase, David Bowie, Van Morrison and singer/songwriter, Bob Dylan who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature last week.

SHEPHERDS AND BUTCHERS was the most talked about film at the festival, where in post screening discussions, festival goers expressed how much they liked the film and commended the merits of the film. It also evoked conversation and debate around the issue of capital punishment.

Helmed by award-winning director, Oliver Schmitz, SHEPHERDS AND BUTCHERS is produced by Anant Singh and Brian Cox who also wrote the screenplay. The film stars talented rising star, Garion Dowds alongside Academy Award® nominee, Steve Coogan (‘Philomena’) and Andrea Riseborough (‘Birdman’, ‘Oblivion’) with a host of well-known local actors Deon Lotz, Robert Hobbs, Eduan van Jaarsveldt, Marcel van Heerden and Sylvia Mdunyelwa.

“The Woodstock Film Festival is one of the most respected independent film festivals in North America. We are delighted that SHEPHERDS AND BUTCHERS received the festival’s top feature film prize as well as the Best Cinematography Award,” said Anant Singh. “These awards recognize the talents that have come together to craft the film under the expert direction of Oliver Schmitz. It is also a significant achievement as it’s the first time that a South African film has garnered these awards.”

SHEPHERDS AND BUTCHERS will be released at South African cinemas on Friday, October 28th by Times Media Films for Videovision Entertainment.

SHEPHERDS AND BUTCHERS is an Anant Singh presentation of a Videovision Entertainment/Distant Horizon production in association with Times Media Films, WDR/ARTE and The Department of Trade and Industry South Africa. The film stars Steve Coogan, Andrea Riseborough and Garion Dowds. Music is composed by Paul Hepker, is edited by Megan Gill with Diana Cilliers as Costume Designer and Director of Photography Leah Striker. It is executive produced by Robert Naidoo, Sudhir Pragjee, Sanjeev Singh, Andrew Bonamour and Andrew Gill; co-producers Barbara Buhl, Andreas Schreitmueller and Jan Krüger. Produced by Anant Singh and Brian Cox, the film is based on the book ‘Shepherds and Butchers’ by Chris Marnewick with the screenplay by Brian Cox and is directed by Oliver Schmitz.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ShepherdsAndButchersFilm

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb