Local rhino documentary wins 3 more awards at European film festivals

Cape Town – Award winning South African documentary STROOP - Journey Into the Rhino Horn Warhas won three more international awards.

It won Best International Documentary at the Boston Mystic Film Festival ahead of its European premiere. 

The film was selected as the festival opener at the Wildlife Film Festival in Rotterdam where it sold out. 

“We have followed the film’s progress through the years of filming and then seeing the final product, we picked it to open even before the Americans gave it so many awards, and that just confirmed what we already knew… that the film would do well here”, said festival director Raymond Laagerwald.  

The film went on to win the Best Newcomer award. Producer, presenter and protagonist of STROOP, Bonné de Bod said in her acceptance speech that “all the awards are really overwhelming, in a wonderful positive way and that seeing packed movie theatres filled with the citizens of Rotterdam who engage powerfully with STROOP is affirmation once again that our rhinos do matter to the world.”

8th Award at 8th Film Festival!
Incredible news from Europe as STROOP wins Newcomer Award at @wffr_nl
At the ceremony Bonné said “this award powerfully states that the Dutch, the city of Rotterdam, have said that ‘rhinos matter and their slaughter cannot be allowed to happen’. pic.twitter.com/6czePlTCZ8

— STROOP (@STROOP_film) October 27, 2018

Thereafter Stroop went on to close the Berlin Courage Film Festival where it collected a further two awards, Best Documentary and - the highest award handed out at the festival - The Courage Award for 'Most Courageous Film'. 

— DOUBLE WIN AT THE BERLIN COURAGE FILM FESTIVAL —

STROOP wins Best Documentary and Most Courageous Film at the Berlin Courage Film Festival!
All those who protect our rhinos show tremendous courage and we are so humbled that this is being recognized around the world. pic.twitter.com/1qyjslh9JC

— STROOP (@STROOP_film) October 28, 2018

The film's award tally is now 10 wins at 9 international film festivals. 

SEE ALL THE AWARDS HERE:

It been officially selected for further film festivals in the United States in November but the filmmakers have chosen to return home to premiere the film for the South African public earlier than planned, due to its successful international run. The film is expected to have its South African premiere at the end of November. 

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE: