Monday, September 7, 2015

Andre J Smith CV 2015

ANDRE SMITH, T/A the picTure & adVenture company.
UKZN SERVICE PROVIDER 155660
Durban International Conference Centre Accredited Supplier 00052820

est. 1986
'in search of the elusive human spirit'
-CV-

Born
26th August 1955
Durban, South Africa

Formal Education
1960 to 1982 - Clifton prep, Durban High School, Natal Technikon, Natal University in following disciplines –
    Dramatic Arts / Pure & Applied Science / Computer & Electronics Technology 
Early Career
Worked and Performed in Community and Children’s theatre.
Worked in Electronics and Computer Industry and related Academic Teaching.
   Apple inc.
   Mangosuthu Training College
   University of KZN (SA)
Summary : 1986 to present.
- Worked in NGO film field focusing on Cinema Verite and Process Documentary as a way of mediating against conflict.
- Long term involvement in Cinema Verite Documentaries esp. in areas of Community, Arts and Science.
- Facilitation and mentoring of creative ‘early film’ projects by new independent film makers.
- Technical and Production advisor for Greater Durban Television - Africa's first formalized community based TV broadcaster.
http://ccms.ukzn.ac.za/Libraries/articles/The_Greater_Durban_Television_Project.sflb.ashx
https://youtu.be/z6PHBnIvlBU

- Educational and academic involvement at tertiary and academic conference level. Guest lecturer at DUT Journalism Dept. and University of KwaZulu-Natal Film and Media Department: subject 'Documentary Filmmaking.' - students from first year to final.
- Specialist HIV/Aids news feature reporting from 2000/2004/2006 International Aids Conferences.
- Long form documentation of Projects and Interventions by medico-health organizations (parastatal/NGO/community based)
Where the Tar Ends - https://youtu.be/hMUwHwX0DXE
- Documentation and production for anti-racism & Peace initiatives
Umtapo Peace and Anti-Racism Training - http://www.umtapocentre.org.za/
Peace Clubs Rule! - https://youtu.be/znZ4sBsfP88)
Where's Ubuntu? - https://youtu.be/BCmOgDq4Zsk 

RANGE of PROJECTS –
Recent Productions (pre 2008) : tor/cP=co-producer>
1) 'Taken for Granted' (SATV) - Part 3 of an Investigative Documentary into the exploitation of the opportunities that exist for unethical operators to fill the gap created by Government's lack of adequate Social Grant and National Identity services to remote communities. (cPC)
2) ‘After the Wave’ (Private) – A 26min documentary placing the 2004 Tsunami in Thailand in the context of the unique nature of the Thai people and their fascinating land. (PDCE)
3) 'Making The Grade' (SATV) - South Africa's premiere Tea Estate struggles to maintain high quality against high production costs in an area where there is no other major employer. (cPC)
4) 'School's out..side' (SATV) - When Thabo Mbeki stated that no more children should learn under trees, he had only a glimpse of the realities facing the Lelashe School Parents' body. (cPcDCE)
5) 'White Aids' (SATV) - A SADEC award winning film hi-lighting two white discordant couples. This was made against the background of high denialism in the 'White' community despite figures to the contrary.
6) 'Who's on The Safe Side?' (SATV) - The debate raged on about South Africa's Blood supply and donation strategies. Were Black and Gay people being discriminated against or was this scientifically justifiable? Once again the figures speak, but the the South African reality must be taken into consideration.
These two films directly affected Blood Bank Policy leading to South Africa being once again at the global forefront of this vital service.



SPECIALIST AREAS & examples of productions
1) Interface between Science, Community and medical practice - reflecting the rapidly increasing HIV/AIDS pandemic. 
Viz: 2000-2007 > 
1) Co-directed/Camera : 3 part International Documentary on the HIV/AIDS Dissident debate (Ida Jooste / Bedelia Basson / Andre Smith TV)
2) Co-directed/Camera : The HIV Vaccine Story – The Science and The Need. (Ida Jooste/ Andre Smith TV)
3) Cholera in KZN – In depth documentation of the war against Cholera and the individuals and NGOs fighting it. (Jooste/ Smith TV + Independent Commission)
4) Online media and production for year long AIDS awareness and fundraising Cycle the World project by Durban’s McCord Hospital.
5) Media production and Creative Photography Project facilitation for Sinikithemba HIV/AIDS support centre (McCord Hospital)
6) Media production for Umtapo SA, Antiracism and Peace training NGO.
7) Series of documentaries tracking the shift from ‘victim’ status to treatment access for South Africans living with HIV.
8) Social co-factors which influence and are influenced by the HIV/Pandemic (1) Lack of access to ID documents (2) Lack of proper access to school education (3) The Exploitation of Street Children and their glue addiction by Glue Manufacturers (An Award Winning Investigation which resulted in legal action against the perpetrators)
ACADEMIC:
I co-presented a trilogy of films I made with Ms Jooste at the 2005 S.A.H.A.R.A. conference in Dakar, Senegal. The films dealt with the period of South African HIV history which was marked by conflict and the struggle for resolution in the ARV Treatment Access debate. Our work also challenges the stereotyping in the media of PWAs as sufferers rather than co-participants in the struggle for treatment access and human dignity.
CURRENT INVOLVEMENTS
I have recently returned from 8 years in Nairobi, Kenya having accompanied my partner, Ms Jooste, who is an Internewser (www.internews.org), a US based NGO focussed on DEMOCRATIZATION though ACCESS TO INFORMATION. My personal situation in Kenya allowed me to provide unpaid ad hoc technical and creative support on several aspects of their projects, including developing and facilitating a module (THINK!) on the Internews Kenya Online Training Program for Journalists.
Between May 2006 and Feb 2007 I filmed the updates and re-edited a 24 minute film, 'My Husband's Land' which was broadcast on South Africa's flagship investigative TV programmeSPECIAL ASSIGNMENT on Aids Day 2006 and at a special showing for USAID in America. It was selected for the Austin Women's Film Festival in Texas (26th to 29th April 2007).
'My Dead Husband's Land' was presented together with a panel discussion featuring the major role players at the 2007 S.A.H.A.R.A. conference in Kisumu, Kenya, on the 30th April 2007. I  provided technical facilitation for this. During this time we showed the film to the community who had been affected and participated. 
'My Dead Husband's Land' -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4BZRZkBy-E
'Where The Tar Ends' (2007/08) (Centre for Rural health) - was a longitudinal process documentary investigating the institutional and personal factors that influence the recruitment and retention of young South African doctors to rural health service. A group of CSOs (Community service officers) were followed over a year to produce an insightful film that has multi-uses beyond its original purpose: Training, initiation and issue raising with government.
'Where The Tar Ends' - http://youtu.be/hMUwHwX0DXE
CSW09 - I captured all the media and technically produced a daily blog live from the United Nations 53rd Commission of the Status of Women in New York (2-13th March 2009) for Internews Network. vide: http://internews-equalshare.blogspot.com/
Mudzini Kwetu - 'The Kilifi Girls' - a pro-bono fund-raising video about a home for young girl children who have been orphaned prematurely, abandoned to child prostitution or victimized by child marriage practices. This has received a 5 star rating on youtube.
'Piece of Mind' (commenced 2008/09) is work in progress. This film was motivated by a single question: How can Ubuntu exist if Xenophobia happened? Ubuntu is the African philosophy of togetherness and compassion. Xenophobia exploded in South Africa and Kenya in early 2008 and has re-emerged in 2015.
Vienna International AIDS Conference - co-produced 'Gabi's Gift' with Ida Jooste. Used in support of the announcement of the Caprisa004 research findings.
'Gabi's Gift' - http://youtu.be/LBAWPe4H5rw
SOUTH AFRICA 2011/12: 6 video legs in support of the Media Intervention for Phase 1 of Princess of Wales Study into Paediatricpalliative Care in Resource Strapped Home based care environments. CLIENT: Human Sciences Research Counsel.
'The Angel of Edendale'- https://vimeo.com/125021863
2014-15 - Research and Devleopment in the emerging field of Unmanned Aerial Camera Platforms (UAVs) - Technical/Navigational/Media Applications
2015 and beyond - Integration of new UAV technology into the documentary media landscape.
Projects 2015 - UAV cameraperson for Swedish Documentary filmed in Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya, May 2015. 
- (Pro Bono) Image maker and trainer for Internews Network's Ebola Intervention Program in Liberia, June 2015
- Produced Short (5min) promotional and presentation video for The Durban ICC (June 2015)
- Documentary Advertorial for CAPRISA (UKZN) on the occasion of their Centre of Excellence Celebration (August 2015)
AWARDS
2000-2001 : Silver Award (National TV Association) – ‘Cycle the World’: Webmaster & Filmmaker for 1 yr AIDS orphan/HIV Support Centre funding project.
2003 : Regional and National Co-winner Vodacom TV Journalist of the Year. (for Documentary on Street Children and Glue Addiction)
2004 : Co-Winner Commonwealth Broadcasting Association Rolls Royce Award for Excellence in TV Journalism. (Jooste/Smith for Documentary on Street Children and Glue Addiction)
2006 : Co-Winner SADC TV Journalism Award. (Prod: Jooste/Smith for documentary on ‘White’ AIDS in South Africa)
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Contacts – Mobile +2837149607 
e-mail: budgiesmith@gmail.com