Nigerian Première of Akin Omotoso's "Colour of Wine" at iREPRESENT 2018

Nigerian Première of Akin Omotoso's "Colour of Wine" at the 2018 iREPRESENT International Documentary Film Festival

The Nigerian première of Akin Omotoso's "Colour of Wine" takes place Wednesday night at 8pm as a special prelude to the 2018 iREPRESENT International Documentary Film Festival opening tomorrow from March 22-25 at the Freedom Park on the Lagos Island of Africa's largest megacity.

About the documentary film:

In “The Colour of Wine,” a documentary directed by director Akin Omotoso, the viewer is shown the changing face of the South African wine industry. Following four young, black (and mostly women) winemakers, “The Colour of Wine” not only tells the story of South African winemaking as we currently know it but it also tells the story of how we got here.

Three of the featured winemakers, Ntsiki Biyela, Dumisani Mathonsi and Unathi Mantshongo, had no intentions of inclination that they would end up in the world of winemaking. One way or another, due to funding obstacles, all three found themselves offered scholarships and bursaries by different institutions to study aspects of winemaking and all three were among the first black students to study at Stellenbosch University.

The film shows all the spaces wine touches, from vineyards to wine cellars. Omotoso and the producers also expertly pull in wine experts and lovers to add to the flavour of the film.

What is The Colour of Wine? – KAYA FM
https://www.kayafm.co.za/what-is-the-colour-of-wine/

Biography:
Akin Omotoso (born 1974) is a Nigerian-born South African actor, writer and director best known for his role as Khaya Motene in the SABC1 soapie Generations.

He also had starring roles in the SABC3 soapie Isidingo and the e.tv sitcom Big Okes.

Born in Nigeria, Omotoso grew up in the university town of Ife where he found his first love, writing.

In 1992, his family moved to South Africa after his father (Bankole Omotoso) accepted a lectureship at the University of the Western Cape. Akin completed his A-levels in South Africa but struggled to get into university without a matric exemption.

He enrolled for the only course at the University of Cape Town that did not require a matric exemption, the Performers Diploma in Speech and Drama. He originally intended to do drama for a year, but continued with the course before launching into the acting profession.

His career plans were turned around after he was cast in Sunjata, a play directed by Mark Fleishman. He won The Fleur du Cap Award for Most Promising Student in 1995 for his role in the play and decided to pursue a career in the performing arts.

Using money he made from acting to subsidise his directorial feats, he completed three short films: The Kiss of Milk, The Nightwalkers and The Caretaker.

In 1999 he wrote his first feature film, God is African. He struggled to find funding and at the suggestion of his leading actor, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, he made it a low budget film. Shooting was done at night because everyone on set had day jobs.

When God is African premiered in 2003, Omotoso was struggling with personal loss after his mother died from cancer. He decided to reprioritise his life and started a production company, T.O.M Pictures with Robbie Thorpe and Kgomotso Matsunyane.

The company's first project was producing Craig Freimond's film Gums and Noses, which went on to win Best South African Film at the New York Independent Film Festival in 2004.

Akin Omotoso directed another short film called Rifle Road which was selected to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005. He also made a documentary in tribute to his mother called Gathering the Scattered Cousins, selected for screening at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival in 2006.

He was awarded the 2007 Standard Bank Young Artist Award in the Film category.

Films he has acted in include A Reasonable Man (1999), Operation Delta Force 5: Random Fire (2000), Lord of War (2005), Blood Diamond (2006), The Three Investigators and the Secret of Skeleton Island (2007) and Shake Hands with the Devil (2007).

He is a familiar face on the South African small screen having starred in Isidingo, Generations, Double Shift and Big Okes.

In 2008 he joined the cast of the M-Net drama series Jacob's Cross for its third season playing the role of Femi, a UK-schooled and educated ex-Nigerian who arrives in Nigeria with a major secret.

Filmography:

As Director:
Colour of Wine
(2018)
Fifty
(2017)
Vaya
(2016)
Tell Me Sweet Something
(2015)
End Game
(2013)
Man on Ground
(2011)
Wole Soyinka: Child of the Forest
(2009)
Jesus and the Giant
(2008)
Soul Buddyz
(2007)
A Place Called Home
(2006)
Gathering the Scattered Cousins
(2006)
God Is African
(2003)
Soul City
(1994)

As Producer:
Vaya
(2016)
The Call
(2015)
Material
(2012)
Man on Ground
(2011)
Jozi
(2010)
Nomzamo
(2006)
Sorted (South Africa)
(2005)
Gums & Noses
(2004)
God Is African
(2003)
Pendulum
(2003)

As Writer:
Tell Me Sweet Something
(2015)
Man on Ground
(2011)
God Is African
(2003)

As Actor:
Catching Feelings
Joel
(2017)
Queen of Katwe
Rwabushenyi President
(2016)
Wonder Boy for President
Political Correspondent
(2016)
Tell Me Sweet Something
Director
(2015)
Hector and the Search for Happiness
African Boss
(2014)
Diamonds
Joshua Mozawa
(2009)
The Three Investigators and the Secret of Skeleton Island
Gamba
(2007)
Shake Hands with the Devil
Paul Kagame
(2007)
Blood Diamond
Peacekeeper
(2006)
Lord of War
General Solomon
(2005)
Crossing the Line
Zondi
(2005)
Zulu Love Letter
Songs of Solomon
(2004)
Gums & Noses
Furious Ad Man
(2004)
God Is African
Former DJ
(2003)
Pendulum
Doc
(2003)
Operation Delta Force 5: Random Fire
Vice Consul Williams
(2000)
A Reasonable Man
Photographer
(1999)
Double Shift
Macdonald
(1998)
Generations
Khaya Motene (2000-)
(1993)

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