Celebrating Women’s Month through an Interview with Berneen Cereska, Director of SA Indie Film Fest, SAIFF.
For local and international independent filmmakers of short-film, documentaries, music videos and VR the SA Indie Film Fest, SAIFF, holds potential for showcasing their individual concepts as part of an active, diverse program and for reaching a wider audience.
2022 will see the fifth edition of the SA Indie Film Fest (SAIFF) directed by Ryan Kruger and Berneen Cereska.
In 2019 I had the pleasure of interviewing charming Berneen Cereska about her image as a woman artist, musician and co-directing of SAIFF in South Africa. Berneen is an experienced actor, musician and founder of Not A Robot Entertainment, a production company focusing on music videos and developing independent feature films.
Women’s Month, an Interview with Berneen Cereska, Director of SA Indie Film Fest
Patricia Furstenberg: Berneen, this is your first year in your new role as a director of the SA Indie Film Fest. Congratulations! Tell us a bit about yourself, how you became involved with SAIFF and what are your thoughts?
Berneen Cereska: I am a Durban-born performer but I have been travelling and living in different countries for the last 15 years. I’ve been blessed to have had the opportunity to work in many aspects of entertainment, from being a performer to being the creator.
I sing, act and write. I create, dream, visualise and chase.
Berneen Cereska, Artist, Director of SA Indie Film Fest
After being involved with various entertainment houses and labels, I decided that I wanted to gain a little more control of my career and started the company Not a Robot Entertainment. A place where I could get things done the way I want to with people who share a similar vision and passion for entertainment. The first visual project we did was the music video for a single called “Lockdown”. I wanted the first work to come out of South Africa.
Despite being away for so many years, South Africa is still home and I wanted to do this special project in a special place. That’s when I met Ryan Kruger. We instantly clicked and had amazing chemistry when it came to creating together so it only made sense for me to be a part of SAIFF. I guess he recognised a similar passion in me, plus he knows that I have better hair than him and he knew it would be a good look for the festival.
Jokes aside, as an aspiring filmmaker, and a female at that, I believe that a festival such as the SAIFF is an amazing opportunity to showcase hidden talent. The team and I strongly believe in the fact that art, music and film should never be restricted or controlled and that it should be a free form of expression for all.
What are creative works if you can’t showcase them and inspire others? We want to create a fair platform that allows independent creatives to freely express themselves with the opportunity of having their work shared locally and internationally. We are still in early stages with this festival – it’s only the second year – but we believe that we have created an amazing stepping stone for those who love to create. With time and further support, we’re sure it will grow even bigger.
PF: For you, as a female artist, what should happen during the SAIFF for you to consider this experience a success?
BC: I believe that there are equally talented male and female creatives and that this has always been the case, but as history would have it, females have been much restricted and held back from the freedom to create and express themselves in various art forms.
Being a woman in this industry, I obviously feel strongly about this topic. This year, an award will be handed to a female for their outstanding achievement in film. I feel an honest and sincere excitement for all the people who have worked hard and entered the festival. I do really feel like, for me personally, I will be most proud if this festival yields and sheds light on not just male talent, but female filmmakers/ female directors. I feel like we have already reached a level of success because of what this festival stands for and the opportunities it has created.
I will consider this festival a further success if we reach our goal, which is to inspire, motivate and encourage independent filmmakers to keep creating.
PF: What kinds of films are your favourite and what types of films do you wish filmmakers would submit to SAIFF ?
BC: I am insanely in love with superheroes and the supernatural. Anything in those fantasy genres excites me. I’m a huge horror movie fan too. I prefer watching movies about things that do not or have not yet been proven to exist in reality.
Movies are my form of escape, I guess. Although, I am a sucker for a movie based on a true story too and ones that are designed with the pure intention to inspire and motivate the audience to change or keep going.
When it comes to the festival, I honestly have no preference though. I just want people to be able to feel free to express themselves and create without restrictions or boundaries.
PF: As an experienced musician, what advice do you have for female performers who are looking to produce their own work?
BC: I think the tricky part for an artist who is looking to create their own content is being able to be truly and wisely critical of one’s work. The real challenge lies in understanding that you can be a talented musician, creating amazing content, but not a successful one. That in itself is not a bad thing depending on what you actually want as a musician.
Creating your own content is an amazing aspect of being independent because you get to do only the things you love to do and want to do. Being a success in this business, however, does not always allow for one to do only want they desire. At the end of the day, it’s still a business and there are certain aspects of your work that will need to be created within guidelines of what the market needs. True creatives struggle with this sometimes.
The key is having a clear idea of what your goals are and making sure that you have equipped yourself with the correct knowledge to try to achieve them.
Always learning, always creating, always trying to push yourself to new levels.
Berneen Cereska, Artist, Director of SA Indie Film Fest
PF: You are a well-travelled artist. What impact do you think art can have on a community?
BC: I believe and it’s been proven that music and film are extremely powerful tools of influence. These forms of art can emotionally, morally and culturally influence communities and bring about social change. Both positively and negatively, so its power can be misused too.
We live in a whole new world and I strongly believe that a lot of how the world has evolved in the last few decades has to do with forms of art. I notice that especially when I travel to larger, powerful cities like LA, NYC or London. I recently read something that stated that research has proven that art affects the fundamental sense of self. I think if any of us were to sit back and think about what has actually caused us – in our personal lives, starting as children – to engage in certain activities or spend our money or time in a certain way. From the holidays we choose to take and even our emotional responses to certain events and situations; we would find that somewhere along the line, a form of art has influenced those choices.
The power of music and film is often overlooked but for those who are aware of its effect on its audiences, it is often used as a very mighty tool, might I say weapon, to get across the messages and influence that they seek.
With thanks to James C. Williamson from SAIFF for facilitating this interview for Biz Community.
Women’s Month, an Interview with Berneen Cereska, Director of SA Indie Film Fest Women’s Month, Interview with Berneen Cereska, Director of SA Indie Film Fest