KENNETH KAPLAN
PRODUCER, DIRECTOR & WRITER
Kenneth Kaplan has made a name for himself in South Africa as a filmmaker who confronts the current issues facing his country. For over ten years, he has been making drama and documentary films. He received his B.A. with Honours from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg garnering the award for Best Screenplay from the South African Script Writers Association. After a second Honours Degree in African Archaeology he entered New York University's Graduate Film Program after receiving the Paulette Godard Scholarship for his commitment to "socially responsible filmmaking." Kenneth has worked as a Television news producer for the Emmy Award winning magazine program, "South Africa Now" and has directed three short dramas. He was selected to direct the TV drama, THE CHILDREN & I - starring Tony Award winning actor Winston Ntshona - as part of an ongoing initiative to promote South Africa's new directors. THE HIDDEN FARMS - based on a short story by Mtutuzeli Matshoba, was banned under South Africa's nationwide State of Emergency and has screened at film festivals around the world. Kenneth's Graduate Film project, THE BURDEN, received awards for Best Director and Best Actor at the New York First Run Film Festival. For local and international Television, Kenneth has produced and directed over 20 programs, these include, THE LIFE & TIMES OF CHRIS HANI (SABC), THE PRISON LIBRARIAN (SABC), PRISONERS OF HOPE (M-NET), and the educational drama series, THE LIVING UNIVERSE (SABC).

For two years, Kenneth worked with South Africa's leading independent producer, Anant Singh, before starting his own company, Bioskope Pictures, to produce and direct his first feature film, PURE BLOOD. For Singh's company, he supervised post-production and delivery on a number movies including, CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY (Miramax), the English version of Jackie Chan's POLICE STORY I & II (New Line Cinema), TWIN DRAGONS (Miramax) and the international version of Tsui Hark's BLACK MASK distributed worldwide by Alliance Le Monde.

You can contact Ken via e-mail at bioskope@icon.co.za

PIERRE HINCH
LINE PRODUCER
Pierre is one of South Africa's most experienced line-producers with credits on productions such as BBC's "Rhodes" and Yorkshire Televisions "Black Velvet Band" as well as dozens of local productions. Over the past few years he has devoted considerable energy to various projects designed to develop and showcase local talent. He has line-produced six New Directions short films and has just finished "Portrait of a Young Man Drowning", a 10 minute short for Channel 4.

He is a director and producer with a strong belief in independent cinema and is committed to making Pure Blood a success.

JONATHAN KOVEL
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Jonathan completed a Masters in Fine Arts in Film at Columbia University in 1993, after receiving a Masters in French Literature from New York University in 1987 and a Bachelor degree in History and French from University of Wisconsin in 1985.

Jonathan has been DOP on many different projects both in South Africa and in the USA. His experience lies in Features, Commercials, Documentaries and Music video's. Some of his credits include:

The Past is another Country (Documentary, SA)

Jimmy B music video (Music video, SA)

Abdullah Ebrahim (Music video, SA)

Boom Shaka (Music Video, SA)

Surrender Dorothy (Feature, USA) - Grand Prize Winner of 1998 Sundance Film Festival

Tree Shade (Feature, USA) - Sundance Film Festival

Once I was a cannibal (Documentary, USA)

Four Cops (Documentary, USA)



ZACK GROBLER
PRODUCTION DESIGNER
Zack studied Architecture at the University of the Witwatersrand where he was introduced to design concepts for cinematography and later joined the film industry.
He has done several large international features, locally and abroad, some of which are:

THE FOUR FEATHERS - (Paramount/ Miramax, Morocco)

THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS - (Paramount, Songingwelo)

RUNNING FREE aka HOOFBEATS - (Sony / Columbia, Namibia)

THE MANGLER - (Stephen King Horror - Scy, Jhb)

A GOOD MAN IN AFRICA - (Polar Productions - Jhb)

RHODES - (BBC TV Series - Jhb)

SHARK ATTACK II - (Nu-Image - Cape Town)

AMERICAN COP - (Dovschenka Studios - Kiev - USSR)

OPERATION DELTA FORCE - (Nu-Image - Jhb)

THE BLACK VELVET BAND - (Yorkshire TV - Pta)

Zack4Art web site: http://zack4art.moviespage.com
You can contact Zack via e-mail at zack4art@hotmail.com




DARION HING
COSTUME DESIGNER
Darion has a Diploma in Fashion Design and Pattern cutting from the famed Legatts Academy of Design (1985). Darion began his career in theatre as a Costume Designer and this allowed him to nurture his creative flair. Some of his work includes:

The Wizard of Oz

Charlie & Chocolate Factory

Secret diary of Adrian Mole

Darion has been Wardrobe Designer on many of the larger international features shot in South Africa. These include projects such as:

"Texas Blood Money" and "Hangman's Daughter"

"Bravo 2 Zero"

Jackie Chan's "Who am I?"

"Black Velvet Band" for Yorkshire TV

"Delta Force"

"Mission Top Secret"

His work in the film and television industry includes styling on a numerous of commercials for the local and international market.

BLID ALSBERG
INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER
See her excellent photographs in the Gallery.
You can contact Blid via e-mail at blid@icon.co.za