In 2013 I started filming a documentary about the Uitenhage Chess Festival. This event was organised by, Elizabeth Muller and Maria Diedericks for about 12 years. They have both since retired.

I  filmed some footage and interviews and raised about $100 on a prevous crowdfunding campaign. However, my own life took a detour, when I moved to China. In September 2017, I relocated back to South Africa after two years in Beijing.

New Crowdfunding for film about Chess champion, Jesse February

A new crowdfunding campaign was launched this week by film-makers in Nelson Mandela Bay.  They plan to raise about R25,000 for a documentary about Chess champion, Jesse February from Port Elizabeth. The money will be used to cover additional interviews and post-production costs to ensure the film is good enough for a television broadcast.

The director and producer, Ramon Thomas, started filming in 2013 after completing a Video Production course at The Media Workshop in Port Elizabeth, now known as AFDA Film School.

“This film project has evolved from the story about chess in a smalltown to a celebration of the individual chess player,” says Thomas. “Jesse February is a Chess champion and role model for pure grit.”

Former-president Jacob Zuma was an avid chess player and supporter. He opened the Commonwealth Chess Games with grandmasters like Gary Kasparov at the Boardwalk, Summerstrand, in 2013. All these events have contributed to the development of a story rooted in Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth, also known as Nelson Mandela Bay.

The funds raised via crowdfunding will cover additional filming and post-production costs. The film will be distributed via Youtube and Vimeo, free to the world. And it will be submitted to film festivals worldwide to raise awareness of the unbreakable spirit of Miss February.

You may support my crowdfunding campaign here.

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