TOP 10 @BOKEHfff Emerging Creative Talent Finalists Announced #bokehfff #bokehfff2019

Hi Friends, 

The top 10 Bokeh Emerging Creative Talent finalists have announced at the glamorous “Bokeh on Tour” events in Johannesburg and Durban on the 10 and 13 April 2019 respectively.

Over 40 film entries were received from aspirant South African film creatives under the theme “The City Superhero”. The top 10 will go on to compete for the grand prize of R50 000 which will be announced at the sixth edition of the prestigious Bokeh South African International Lifestyle and Fashion Film Festival later this year.

Johannesburg Event

The Johannesburg event took place at The Melrose Gallery in Melrose Arch against the backdrop of the current exhibition; “Out of the Furnace” by Willie Bester and Wolf Werdigier. Also on display was the stunning new Mercedes-Benz CLS 53 Copper Edition and a live shoot of body art painted models by photographer Steve Casting in partnership with Fujifilm. Fujifilm was on hand to loan guests Fuji’s new XT3 Camera systems to shoot with during the evening.

One-man-band-maverick Lonesome Dave Ferguson entertained guests while Segafredo kept those in attendance well fed with a delectable spread of Italian antipasto and gelato. The night also saw the launch of Savanna’s new alcohol-free variant.

The Best Dressed Male and Female were awarded to Peta Eggierth-Symes and Jarred Doyle. Peta’s prize included flights and accommodation to the week-long Bokeh Festival in Cape Town in July, as well as the use of a new Mercedes-Benz model vehicle for the duration of the stay.

Nthabeleng Phora from the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC) announced the five Gauteng finalists and spoke about the GFC partnership going forward with Bokeh.

This year Bokeh also welcomes additional partners; Fitch and Leeds, Skyy Vodka and Pongracz as well as new hair partner Sebastian Professional Hair Products.

Durban Event

The second “Bokeh on Tour” event took place took place at the IBV International Bank Vaults at the Gateway Shopping Centre in Umhlanga. The fountain in the courtyard in front of IBV was transformed into a magical fantasy, as dry ice was added to it and models dressed in Jacques LaGrange Couture gowns were on display within it.

Eight Mercedes-Benz vehicles, ranging from the S600 to the new A-Class, were on display. The Mercedes-Benz A-Class taking pride of place, as it recently won the Autotrader South African Car of the Year award for 2019. The last remaining classic 1938 Roadster was also on display.

As in Joburg a live photo shoot by photographer Steve Casting entertained attendees, this time on top of the brand new Mercedes-Benz CLS 53 Copper Edition and featuring the artistry of make-up artist Dani O’Kane.

Amongst the star-studded celebrities in attendance were; ZEE TV Empress India South Africa 2018, lifestyle blogger/vlogger Ruan Scheepers and Bachelor SA contestant; Michelle Reddy. 

The Best Dressed Male and Female were awarded to Genna-Wae Webster, from fashion label Wae West, and Lunga Magigaba. Both the Joburg and Durban Best Dressed won hampers including Havaianas, MAC and Sebastian Professional products. Genna-Wae Webster’s prize also included flights, accommodation, a Mercedes-Benz vehicle for the week, and tickets to the upcoming Bokeh South African International Lifestyle and Fashion Film Festival in July.

Marketing Director for Mercedes-Benz Cars South Africa, Selvin Govender welcomed the audience while introducing the fleet of vehicles, where after Lazola Dali, the activations manager for Savanna, presented the new variant of Alcohol-Free Savanna as well as Savanna Light to the festive crowd.

Top 10 Bokeh Emerging Creative Talent finalists:

1 - Born to be a Hero

2 - Blackswitch

3 - Myota

4 - Culture is the Real Hero

5 - Beyond Conventions

6 - Children of the Ascended Masters

7 - Boys have Feelings Too

8 - Gcwala

9 - She did that

10 - Skabenjamin

Over 400 general fashion film submissions have been submitted so far and entries can still be submitted for free till the 1 June 2019 via https://www.bokehfestival.co.za/submit/.

The Bokeh South African International Lifestyle and Fashion Film Festival Gala event will take place from 9-18 July 2019 in both Johannesburg and Cape Town. The Judges, talk line-ups, presentations, and locations will be announced at a press event on 6 June 2019 in Cape Town.

Social media:

Facebook: @bokehfff (https://www.facebook.com/bokehfff/)

Twitter: @bokehfff (https://twitter.com/bokehfff?lang=en)

Instagram: @bokehfff ( https://www.instagram.com/bokehfff/?hl=en )

Hashtags: #bokehfff #bokehfff2019

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to collaborate on your products, events, and services. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra!

@Gemalto Empowers Smartphone-based Digital Vehicle Key #MercededMeConnect

Hi Guys,

Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, is providing its Trusted Services Hub (TSH) to support Daimler AG’s new smartphone-based ‘digital vehicle key’ for the Mercedes-Benz E-Class range. The premium car maker’s innovative solution gives drivers the freedom to lock/unlock and start their vehicles using nothing more than an NFC smartphone. Gemalto’s TSH enables seamless and secure over-the-air deployment of the digital keys to any type of phone that supports the solution.

With the key safely downloaded to a secure element* via Gemalto’s TSH, drivers can lock/unlock their cars by simply placing the smartphone against the door handle. The engine can also be turned on with the phone in the charging tray of the dashboard and pressing the start button. Capable of operating even if the phone battery** is drained, the need to carry a conventional key is eliminated.

As an integral part of the ‘Mercedes me connect’ program, the digital vehicle key will connect seamlessly with services that meet the demands of modern mobility and digital lifestyles.

“Digitalization demands that companies harness their expertise to forge strong relationships with all stakeholders within the connected car ecosystem,” said Christine Caviglioli, vice president New Mobility Solutions at Gemalto. “For Daimler AG, this aim is fully supported by our solutions, which enable it to offer customers innovative services through their preferred device, without compromising security.”

*A Secure Element is a tamper resistant hardware platform, capable of securely hosting applications and storing confidential and cryptographic data. It can be found in a SIM provided by a Mobile Network Operator and/or an eSE (embedded Secure Element) built into phone handset by OEMs.”

**up to 10 door lock / unlock in the next 24h if the smartphone device supports this functionality

For more information visit www.gemalto.com, or follow @gemalto on Twitter.​

Cheers!!!

Email thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate for any opportunity to blog, share and influence about your products and services on all my Social Media channels #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra !

A Memoir - This Month Last Year - June 2015 www.thelifesway.com #TheLifesWay

Hi Guys, 

June in 2015 was the happiest month of my life as I was getting good response as I won the Mission Samsung Blogger Challenge. I got some amazing new gadgets to review and my blog pageviews started rising to cross 100,000. The weather is awesome during this time in Johannesburg but I fell sick with viral because I didn't took care of myself. With something new brewing up and with a lot of hope, I carried on in June 2015. 

1. Product Review - @HuaweiZA MATE7 - Android Phablet - http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/06/product-review-huaweiza-mate7-android.html - I loved the phone/phablet and took some great pictures in Drakensberg using the same. This year also I will be posting the review of the new Huawei Mate 8 in June. I loved the performance of the smartphone and the brand has really taken the world in its arms. 

2. @MercedesBenz_SA #BOKEH Fashion Film Festival - Johannesburg - http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/06/mercedesbenzsa-bokeh-fashion-film.html - Mercedes Benz has their second Fashion Film festival in Joburg and like the previous year, this one was awesome. I sat in the AMG car to reach from the parking and it was simply awesome. The goodies bag too had a Merc pendrive and Keychain. This event is definitely grand year after year. 

Aashish Rai

3. Celebrating Winter Solstice Collection @JCLeRoux - http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/06/celebrating-winter-solstice-collection.html - GC communications invited me for this awesome launch of new products from J C LeRoux and I simply enjoyed the evening with my friends. The goodie bag was a blanket from the brand and I simply loved the same. 

4. Coffee And Chocolate Expo 16 – 19 JULY 2015 #Jozi @montecasinoZA @Coffeechocexpo - http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/06/coffee-chocolate-expo-16-19-july-2015.html - I got this invite from the MonteCasino to be the guest for the launch of the event. Chefs had to make vegetarian food for me but it was super delicious. Also I made some new friends there which are still there for me after a year. Thanks to TsogoSun for inviting me to the event as I took some awesome pictures at the event. 

5. @MicrosoftSA Art Exhibition #SeeTheBigPicture @SandtonCity - http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/06/microsoftsa-art-exhibition.html - Microsoft was one of brands that I loved last year and they loved me too. I posted a lot of reviews and attended several of their events last year. This year I have not been involved with any of their launches which I am surely missing. Looking forward to refresh the relationship with the brand. 

This year I am working on building my posts to reach 1000 and cross 1Million in pageviews which I am sure I will be in the coming months. I have some new ideas to push my blog further so that brands invests their time and money in me. I am also thinking of starting on SnapChat as its already most trended social media channel now a days. Till that time I believe in the best for everyone!

Cheers!!! 

Follow me on twitter @araijain or @thelifesway 

Email - thelifesway@gmail.com for invites to launch events / sponsored posts and product reviews!

Checkout my Instagram (araijain) page 

Checkout my photo blog - www.photoyatra.blogspot.in

Follow Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/TheLifesWay

Book me for your Brand's Influence at https://webfluential.com/TheLifesWay

A Memoir - This Month Last Year - Apr 2015 www.thelifesway.com

Hi Guys,

April is the first month of the new financial year in India and you have redefine all your Income Tax related documentations along with several new tax saving schemes that you make. The implementation of those schemes is the main agenda for the rest of the year. But last year, my agenda was not tax-saving but was waiting for the Samsung's #MissionSamsung Final challenge to begin. 

1. Product Review - @AramexSA Global Shopper - Part 1 - http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/04/product-review-aramex-global-shopper.html - Last year I got to try this amazing services to shop for online products around the world and then got it couriered back to you in South Africa. The amazing part is that in each of the serviced countries, you will have a local address and can get it shipped there for free from the online companies and then Aramex will collect the whole products and bring it here. Checkout the second part of the series also - http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/05/product-review-aramex-global-shopper.html

2. MERCEDES-BENZ #BOKEH Fashion Film Festival, Cape Town - http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/04/mercedes-benz-bokeh-fashion-film.html - Mercedes Benz Fashion Film Festival always launches in April firstly in Cape Town and around 1-2 months later in Johannesburg. I am thankful to brands to always invite me to the launch event in Johannesburg and I got to click some amazing photographs which I generally share on my instagram channel. 

3. Last year, for the first time on my blog I tried regular posts on my blog with scheduling content for the whole week and it really saw some increase in the pageviews. The content was mainly for Disney movies as Avengers - Age of Ultron was scheduled to release in South Africa - 

#StarWars - Everywhere the Force will be with you! - http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/04/starwars-everywhere-force-will-be-with.html

#AvengersJozi #Smile #Joburg - Hollywood came looking! - http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/04/avengersjozi-smile-joburg-hollywood.html

#StarWars I - The Phantom Menace - Facts #DisneyAfrica

http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/04/starwars-i-phantom-menace-facts.html

#StarWars II - Attack Of The Clones - Facts #DisneyAfrica http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/04/starwars-ii-attack-of-clones-facts.html

#StarWars III - Revenge of the Sith - Facts #DisneyAfrica

http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/04/starwars-iii-revenge-of-sith-facts.html

#StarWars IV - A New Hope - Facts #DisneyAfrica

http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/04/starwars-iv-new-hope-facts-disneyafrica.html

#StarWars V - The Empire Strikes Back - Facts #DisneyAfrica

http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/04/starwars-v-empire-strikes-back-facts.html

#StarWars VI - Return of the Jedi - Facts #DisneyAfrica

http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/04/starwars-vi-return-of-jedi-facts.html

4. Mad Stuff with Rob - Youtube Channel - My daughter used to watch and love Rob tricks to change stuff lying around home into something useful and that can be decorated at home. So when he launched the Youtube channel, I was instantly glued to the amazing content he shared online around the world. I have subscribed to Mad Stuff with Rob Channel on Youtube and try to do the activities he shows with my daughter and family from time to time. 

http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/04/madmadrob-robcycling-tips-for-earthday.html

http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/04/scare-your-friends-with-pranks-from.html

http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/04/mrx-does-mad-stuff-with-rob-crafts.html

http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/05/its-hulk-time-on-robosphere-madmadrob.html

5. @TanishqJewelry - The Modern Sindoor is for Grooms too! - http://www.thelifesway.com/2015/04/tanishqjewelry-modern-sindoor-is-for.html - I tried out a new bloggers community and got to write a sponsored post for one brand which took a lot of time to confirm on my post. It was a bad service on the community platform so I changed my post for a free publicity for Tanishq which doesn't required any but atleast I was happy that I used my written content.

My blog started to pick up in pageviews due to the regular posts and saw record #15926 pageviews for the first time ever which was subsequently broken next month. 

Cheers!!!

Book me for your Brand's Influence at https://webfluential.com/TheLifesWay

Follow me on twitter @araijain or @thelifesway 

Email - thelifesway@gmail.com for invites to launch events / sponsored posts and product reviews!

Checkout my Instagram (araijain) page 

Checkout my photo blog - www.photoyatra.blogspot.in

Like The Life's Way Page on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheLifesWay

Cash & Cars - Win When You Least Expect It @MonteCasinoZA

Hi Guys, 

TsogoSun's Montecasino is the premier entertainment destination for Johannesburg and it has something to keep people active with one or the other thing for everyone. Adults and kids love to visit the destination because of it's bubbling atmosphere and amazing food and frolic. You can spend a whole night playing in the casino or watch some amazing 3D movies on big sofa like seats. 

The very popular CASH & CARS slot machines at Montecasino recently received a world class make-over. In the past gamers stood the chance of winning a VW Polo – now they can win a Mercedes-Benz A200 and R10,000 in CASH with every car. 

They had a grand launch on 22nd July 2015 for public and special guests to enjoy the machines and start winning. I used my Montecasino Gold card to win myself R200 using one of the slot machine from R100 investment. The games are new and I really loved playing the same. 

The best part is that no winning combination is required. Winners are selected randomly and two cars will be given away every month. There is a limit of play in currency amount is attached on the whole concept of Cash and Cars and once it's reached, anyone who is playing on the machine will win the same. The Cash & Cars 5c machines can be found at all the casino entrances and are easily identified by the branding on the chairs. Now it boils down to your luck and intent to play the same. 

I am also looking forward to win my dream car and I hope the Universe will listen to my request. I will try my luck again before all the cars are driven away by the fortunate ones. 

Cheers!!!

Follow me on twitter @araijain or @thelifesway 
Email - thelifesway@gmail.com for invites to launch events / sponsored posts and product reviews!
Checkout my Instagram (araijain) page 
Checkout my photo blog - www.photoyatra.blogspot.in 
Like The Life's Way Page on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheLifesWay

@MercedesBenz_SA #BOKEH Fashion Film Festival - Johannesburg

Hi Guys, 

After a breath-taking event held in Cape Town earlier this year, the Mercedes-Benz Bokeh Fashion Film Festival arrived in Johannesburg for a one night only extravaganza at the Mercedes-Benz Lifestyle Centre in Bedfordview. The location was awesome as it was a AMG special dealers showroom and really loved all the latest models of cars on display. 

Invited guests braved the onset of winter and freezing temperatures to dress in their fashionable best and join celebrities, VIP’s, local and international film-makers for a sensory interactive brand experience. Each guest was chauffeur driven in the latest Mercedes-Benz models and entered an Oscar style red carpet flanked by a host of local and international media jostling for the perfect shot and interview opportunity.

The venue was transformed into a light and sound extravaganza with winning films from the Mercedes-Benz Bokeh Fashion Film Festival presented on large format UHD Hisense screens. Selvin Govender, Marketing Director of Mercedes-Benz cars commented, “This is the second year in a row that we are title sponsors for this event and we are even more excited about the overall success of our brand alignment and collaboration with Adrian, his team and the fashion film genre. Fashion Films are relevant, powerful and stylish and this is exactly why we feel that this event is the perfect platform for our brand, as it definitely showcases the stylishness and elegance of our Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Naturally, we were first to embark on this alignment and as a result, the Mercedes-Benz brand in other countries are now looking to follow.”

Aidan Whytock, winner of The Mercedes-Benz Award along with the US$ 10000 prize money, thanked founder Adrian Lazarus and Mercedes-Benz for their commitment and support, and mentioned that the competition had allowed him to showcase his winning film internationally, opening doors and opportunities for himself and other entrants. His movie was simply awesome and moved the other passionate photographer to learn some of the video photography and participate next year in this contest.

The Cape Town Fashion Council were joined on the evening by some of South Africa’s top designers including Spero Villioti, Hendrik Vermeulen, and Gert-Johan Coetzee. The ever stunning MC Bailey Schneider donned an exquisite Spero Villioti Couture dress to welcome the guests and introduce proceedings. Catherine Timotei also grabbed the attention by exhibiting several original art masterpieces and Mercedes-Benz had guests drooling at an interesting showcase of their latest and greatest cars.

What started off as a dream for founder and MD, Adrian Lazarus, is now a reality. “We’re just getting bigger and better every year, and once again Johannesburg didn’t disappoint. Guests ventured out in freezing conditions tonight to join us and experience the incredible talent that this year’s Fashion Film Festival offered, and we are all delighted for the support as well as our amazing sponsors,” said Adrian. It was really freezing as the weather Gods decided to start winters on that very first evening but the warm food and drinks kept us sane. 

Sponsors of the event included: Mercedes-Benz South Africa, Hisense, Cape Town Fashion Council, Fashion-One TV, MAC cosmetics, Luxury Brands, GHD Hair care, Sunglass Hut, Monkey Shoulder, Tranquini and African Pride Hotels. Tranquini was a nice non-alcoholic drink which is catching a lot of attention and I really loved drinking the same. 

The goodies bag has awesome Mercedes Benz 8gb pendrive, Mercedes Benz Keyring along with Sunglass Hut Gift vouchers and the very first issue of BOKEH magazine which was launched recently. Overall, it was a great event with lot of great Mercedes-Benz cars, selfie stick models and live performances by entertainment singers as some models of the cars make their way into the event area. 

Cheers!!!

Follow me on twitter @araijain or @thelifesway
Email - thelifesway@gmail.com for invites to launch events / sponsored posts and product reviews!
Checkout my Instagram (araijain) page
Checkout my photo blog - www.photoyatra.blogspot.in
Like The Life's Way Page on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheLifesWay

MERCEDES-BENZ #BOKEH Fashion Film Festival, Cape Town

Hi Guys,

Elevated 2 stories up on a glittering stage overlooking a thronging crowd of over 500 Celebrities, VIP’s and Fashionistas, South African filmmaker Aidan Whytock proudly held aloft the Mercedes-Benz trophy for ‘The Choice’ as well as a cheque for US$ 10 000. It was a biggest moment of fame for him and he was elated to hear his name pronounced amongst all the valid entries for this contest.

Adrian Lazarus with actress Tarina Patel

This iconic moment was the culmination of the second annual Mercedes-Benz Bokeh South Africa International Fashion Film Festival held at the stylish 15 on Orange Hotel in the Cape Town CBD. The 2 day fashion and film extravaganza, founded and owned by film-maker Adrian Lazarus provided a focused platform for both local and international up and coming talent to showcase their fashion films and design in conjunction with pop-up retail outlets and focused industry talks. The event attracted the very best in South African fashion talent with greats such as Hendrik Vermeulen, Adriaan Kuiters and Jenevieve Lyons to name a few and each design house showcasing unique collections while some also featured fashion forward installations.

Mercedes-Benz, headline sponsor of the event holds an established international alignment with the fashion industry as a central component of their lifestyle marketing activities, and Selvin Govender, Marketing Director, Mercedes-Benz Cars affirmed their commitment, “We are extremely pleased with the overwhelming success of the second Mercedes-Benz Bokeh International South African Fashion Festival. Being the title sponsor of this exciting event has created a unique interactive sensory platform for us to share our brand values and simultaneously offer the South African fashion and film industry the international recognition that they so richly deserve."

Following on from the success of the first event in 2014, the festival has again attracted the commitment of the Cape Town Fashion Council with CEO Brian Ramkilawan affirming, “The Mercedes-Benz Bokeh International South African Fashion Film Festival is now an established annual event that showcases our immense local fashion talent to the world and is contributing towards developing the fashion industry in this country.” The event also attracted other premier brands including global make-up company M.A.C cosmetics, ghd stylists, Fox Box, global TV channel Fashion One TV, electronics manufacturing giant Hisense, RGBC, African Pride 15 on Orange and Protea Hotels Fire and Ice, Sunglasses Hut, Platinum Groups labels Jenni Button by Warrick Gautier and their men’s label Hilton Weiner.

Each day-event culminated with a high glamour ‘Oscar-style’ Red Carpet evening, with invited guests inspired to dress for the occasion and clearly showing that there is overwhelming support for high fashion and the fashion and film industry in Cape Town.

The sold out ensemble of celebrities, VIP’s, Movie producers, Media, Fashionistas and invited guests were calmly introduced to a daunting red carpet walk by glamorous host Bailey Schneider, whereafter local and international media took over and jostled for position to gain the ultimate image and interview. The Jonny Cooper Big Band accompanied the arrival, and played throughput the night interspersed with the musical genius of renowned international pianist, Joja Wendt accompanied by floating food, designer canapés and sparkling aperitifs.

Elihle Mnguni, Specialist Communications Manager for Mercedes-Benz cars and Leon Visser with the winner filmmaker Aidan Whytock

Natalie Becker was the charming MC on the evening, introducing each film as well as the respective producers. All the films submitted for the festival were assessed by a panel of esteemed local and international judges, with 52 finalists nominated across various categories with their films showcased over the two nights of screenings during the festival.

Winners on the night included:

Best Actress – Purgatory of Monotony - Sonja Kinski
Best Actor – 206 with David Oyelowo - Contentmode x J. Cooper
Best Hair and Make-Up - Perfidia - Raul Rosillo
Best Fashion – Etro - The Encounter - Valentina BeÃ
Best Art Direction – Risky Dancing - Kuba Lubniewski
Best Music and Sound: Love ZA Buy ZA - The good Dress - Shoestring productions
Best Cinematography – The Legend of Shalimar
Best Director – The Legend of Shalimar - Bruno Aveillan
Best Picture – Kiss of a Siren - Viktorija Pashuta & Miguel Guthier
Mercedes-Benz Award - The Choice - Aidan Whytock

The Mercedes-Benz Award and US$ 10 000 was awarded to Aidan Whytock. The award is presented in recognition of an uncompromising pursuit of quality, passionate design and creative innovation.

In conclusion, event director Adrian Lazarus said, “I am so grateful to our sponsors and partners for investing in our dream and our events team in making it a reality. Only in its second year now, the Mercedes-Benz Bokeh International Fashion Film Festival now comfortably shares the stage with global film festivals the likes of New York, London, Berlin, Madrid and La Jolla. It also proudly positions Cape Town as the creative fashion hub of sub-Saharan Africa.“

I am waiting for the 4th of June this year, when this event will showcase in Johannesburg. Looking forward to watch all the the nominated fashion movies and the winners thereafter.

Cheers!!!

Follow me on twitter @araijain or @thelifesway  

Email - thelifesway@gmail.com   for invites to launch events / sponsored posts and product reviews!

Checkout my Instagram (araijain) page 

Checkout my photo blog - www.photoyatra.blogspot.in  

Like The Life's Way Page on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheLifesWay

Mercedes-Benz BOKEH Fashion Film Festival - Cape Town, South Africa

Hi Guys,

The Fashion Film is the hottest new marketing genre pioneered by fashion icons such as Carl Lagerfeld, Bruce Webber and David Simms. It is fast gaining traction with top fashion houses, brand and sponsors as a way of exposing their brand and new ranges to a global audience while encouraging the viewer to engage with the DNA behind the fashion label.

Founder of Africa’s Bokeh Fashion Film Festival, Adrian Lazarus has made his initial dream a reality. His first festival which was held in Cape Town last year proved to be a resounding success resulting in international acclaim and a massive submission of new entrants eager to gain access to this dynamic showcasing platform. The audience connects with the film on an emotional level, giving personal relevance to the brand and deepening the level of engagement, and it is for this reason that Mercedes-Benz has again aligned itself with the event.

“Mercedes-Benz lays great importance on the support of local and international fashion platforms and the promotion of young designers. We support various initiatives in the fashion world and we are always looking forward to seeing the latest collections from all the exciting young and established designers showing at our Fashion Weeks. As our involvement with fashion is a central component of our lifestyle marketing activities, the Mercedes-Benz brand partnership with the Bokeh Fashion Film Festival plays an important role in highlighting our presence in the world of fashion and film. Fashion and automobiles are actually quite closely linked and design and image are pivotal to the success of both automobile and fashion brands.  Our customers are highly fashionable and their automobiles are an extension of their lifestyle,” says Selvin Govender, Marketing Director, Mercedes-Benz Cars.

As the creative hub of sub Saharan Africa, Cape Town is the perfect city to host Africa's Mercedes-Benz Bokeh Fashion Film Festival. The city is already a top destination for fashion shoots and a prime location for international film crews with a wealth of local talent in both the fashion and film industries. This event provides the opportunity to align these two thriving industries in the city.

Lazarus comments, “We have now created an annual event that holds its own on the international fashion film festival calendar alongside the La Jolla, Madrid, Miami, San Francisco and Berlin Fashion Film Festivals. The festivals provide a platform for both local and international up and coming talent to showcase their films on the same stage as established international brands like Chanel, Prada, Dior, Gucci, Yves St Laurent and Givenchy who have all embraced the genre and have had tremendous success with their films going viral on the internet. We have been inviting International and local film submissions and look forward to what can only be yet again an incredible platform to showcase these focused masterpieces. Films need to be edited to between 1 and 15 minutes and span the themes of fashion, beauty, chic brands and products, lifestyle and current trends.”

An international panel of experts from both the fashion and film industries will judge the submissions; these judges comprise film directors, fashion magazine editors, designers, stylists, fashion bloggers, brand managers and art directors. They will each bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise from their respective fields, ensuring all the stringent criteria are met in the judging process. The winning films in each category will then be showcased over the two Red Carpet ”Oscar Style” screenings on 27th  and 28th  March.

A pop-up retail space, this year offers the fashionistas the opportunity to purchase garments as well as meet the local and International designers personally. “Fashions films create a narrative that captures the ethos of the brands identity.” Bryan Ramkilawan: CEO Cape Town Fashion Council (CTFC). The CTFC Designer Pop-Up, which will be located in the library of the 15 on Orange Hotel, will be open from 12h00 – 17h00 and 18h00 – 20h00 on both the 27th and 28th of March.

This year the thriving festival will be held at the trendy 5 star African Pride Hotel – 15 on Orange Hotel in the heart of the Cape Town CBD. 15 on Orange is renowned for being home to international business travelers, film industry moguls and international models, with Group Marketing Manager Nicholas Barenblatt commenting, “African Pride is an urban lifestyle brand which engages with a target market ranging from millennial’s to ‘forever young’ baby boomers.  The brand has always been known for its experiential, energetic brand experience which is expressed through the service culture that the staff deliver, the food and beverage concepts, the creativity of the physical design and the social happenings that occur within the hotel spaces.  We therefore have an appreciation for the elements such as Fashion, Film, Creativity, Lifestyle and Social happenings which is expressed and celebrated by the Fashion Film Festival; hence this having good alignment with our brand.”   

“With Hisense cutting edge technology and fashionability, Bokeh Fashion Film Festival was the perfect visual platform to collaborate with. Especially with our ultra-high definition TV’s and tablets that enable 4k playback, it made perfect sense to align ourselves with this collection showcase, where fashion meets film.”
Hisense Brand Manager: Ryan Curling.

Other prestigious, high-end sponsors include global fashion news leaders – Fashion-One TV, MAC cosmetics, GHD Hair Care, Sunglass Hut and premium drinks brand - RGBC. Craig Dore’ Marketing Director RGBC comments, ”There is good synergy and alignment between the progressive art of Bokeh films and our really great brand portfolio of premium and deluxe spirits. We strive to be innovative with our marketing to ensure our brands remain relevant with consumers but we also need to engage them in non-traditional marketing channels, like at Mercedes-Benz Bokeh Fashion Film Festival”.

This festival will have a positive and far-reaching legacy. It will once again be a spectacular showcase for the South African fashion and film industries, exposing both to an international market, putting them front and center on the world stage of this emerging genre. Local and international up and coming filmmakers will receive tremendous exposure both in traditional media and on social media platforms as the hype around the festival gains digital traction. For more information on the Mercedes-Benz Bokeh Fashion Film Festival go to: www.bokehfestival.co.za

Awards: The highlight of the three-day festival will be the “Oscar Style” Award ceremony. Of all the films submitted five will be nominated in each category. The categories being:
Best Hair + Make Up
Best Fashion
Best Cinematography – this year sponsored by Sunglass Hut
Best Music
Best Art Direction
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Director
Best Picture
Mercedes-Benz Star Award - Mercedes Benz, will be hosting their own special category, with details being announced on our website in the upcoming days. The winner of this category receives a cash award of US$10 000-00 from Mercedes-Benz. Selected VIP guests and celebrities have been dressed by Jenni Button and Hilton Weiner of The Platinum Group for the red carpet event.

Looking forward to the event whenever it happens in Johannesburg as launch event happened in Cape Town and I was not a part of the same. 

Cheers!!!

Contact me for your product's review /sponsored posts on twitter @araijain or @thelifesway or email - thelifesway@gmail.com  Checkout my Instagram (araijain) page or www.photoyatra.blogspot.in  Like The Life's Way Page on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheLifesWay

Mercedes-Benz Bokeh International Fashion Film Festival @ Johannesburg, South Africa

Hi Guys,

It was a great pleasure to receive the VIP invite to the most exclusive Fashion Film Festival sponsored by none other than Mercedes-Benz. It was a night full of luxury and awesomeness, right from the venue to the drinks and food, big screen HiSense Ultra HD LED TV's and the ultra-luxurious Mercedes Benz Cars.

Airbus Helicopter hangars at Grand Central airport never looked so beautiful ever than it was looking on that night of 4th Sep 2014. The who's who of Johannesburg were all present with donning their best dresses specially made for this celebration to fashion. All the fashionistas, designers, celebrities and VIP’s including Shashi Naidoo, Lalla Hirayama, Tarina Patel, Angela Deh, Michaella Russel and Peta Eggierth-Symes were part of this big event. The glamorous and irrepressible Bailey Schneider, dressed in stunning coral Fundudzi dress by Craig Jacobs was the host and MC of the evening.

This big night happened only because of the idea from Adrian Lazarus who not only is the Founder of the Mercedes-Benz Bokeh International Fashion Film Festival but totally believes in bringing the upcoming talent to reach international heights by virtue of their fashion oriented movies. 

The night surpassed the actual two day event that was held in Cape Town earlier this year where all the participating movies were showcased to reach the final top 10 winners in several categories by elite judges and experts in this industry. The award winning fashion films from the Cape Town event were screened in a half an hour visual extravaganza and I really loved all of them. With the right camera and clothing, you can create wonders and even win USD 5000 for the same to invest in more camera accessories. 

Selvin Govender, Divisional Director, Product and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars was present on this occasion and was very happy with the response from the Johannesburg elite. He mentioned, "The Fashion Film genre is a new visual phenomenon that is sweeping the fashion film industry worldwide and we feel this event is neatly aligned to our brand and our customers' lifestyle of fashion and style".

Five selected designers from the Cape Town Fashion Council had the opportunity to present their designs to the admiration of everyone present. They included Craig Jacobs, founder of the Fundudzi label; Eleni Labrou who recently unveiled her latest range at the AFI Fastrack show at Mercedes-Benz Cape Town Fashion Week; the inimitable and innovative Tzvi Karp and Joel Janse van Vuuren, who is known for his colourful, feminine creations. I saw people taking out their mobile phones to capture all the various designers dresses on display. They had a very nice way to present their dresses with models circling the whole arena and stopping for a while on a pedestal to take photographs by everyone.

The event could not have happened without the additional sponsors including Fashion-One TV, MAC cosmetics, HiSense TV, Luxury Brands, GHD Hair care, TRUTHCoffee, Ashbourne wines, Ginger Grouse, San Pelligrino, Chambourd and ProteaHotels Fire & Ice.

Finally, in the end the credits was kind of Hollywood movie or Broadway musical style as a high tempo Primi Piatti dance troupe came up with a flashmob kind of experience to turn up the heat and made ‘Work is love made visible’ a reality, by offering up piping hot pizza slices to the guests, who were delighted to oblige too. Lalla Hirayama even won the best dressed women present on the occasion and walked away with a great HiSense Phablet.

Everything in this event was well planned and coordinated to Six Sigma standards or even more.  I really loved taking photographs using my #MissionSamsung NX300 camera and models did oblige and held that pose for me to successfully take their photographs. Thanks to everyone for making me a part of this historical event and also blessing all of us with goodies bag (Glamour, GQ & Mercedes-Benz magazines, chocolate & gift vouchers) at the end of the event.

Check out my facebook album for more photographs. Follow Bokeh FFF on facebook and twitter.

Cheers!!!

Contact me for your product's review on twitter @araijain or @thelifesway or email - thelifesway@gmail.com