Mzansi Magic's Knuckle City from director Jahmil X.T. Qubeka is South Africa's entry for the 92nd Oscars best foreign film category.

Mzansi Magic's Knuckle City, the new film from director Jahmil X.T. Qubeka and produced by Yellowbone Entertainment for Mzansi Magic Movies has been chosen as South Africa’s official entry for the best foreign film category for the 92nd Academy Awards.

Makhosazana Khanyile, CEO of the National Film & Video Foundation (NFVF), made the announcement after the film's world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). 

"What an amazing journey Knuckle City has had thus far, the film is as hard-hitting as its title suggests. It's quintessentially South African but also a very universal tale and touches on so many themes making it dark and relatable all at once," said Khosi Khanyile.

"I think Jahmil is a fearless storyteller and we wish this film the very best as it competes on an international scale."

Knuckle City that has Thembekile Komani, Siv Ngesi, Faniswa Yisa, Awethu Hleli, Nomhle Nkonyeni, Zolisa Xaluva, Owen Sejake and Angela Sithole as part of the cast, follows an ageing Eastern Cape boxer Dudu Nyakama (Bongile Mantsai) who tries one last time at a chance for success.

Set in the rural Eastern Cape town of Mdantsane, Knuckle City follows the descent of two brothers into a hellish life as they are driven to the brink by toxic masculinity. "We are exceptionally proud of this achievement," says Layla Swart, producer, who co-owns Yellowbone Entertainment with Jahmil X.T. Qubeka.

"It's a harrowing tale of a man lost, who tries to look after his family even as he is trapped in the seedy world of underground boxing. The film packs an emotional punch as hefty as any of the gruesome on-screen ones as it explores greedy commercial exploitation, poverty, violence, race, and what it means to be a man." 

 Knuckle City is distributed in South Africa by Indigenous Film Distribution (IFD) and is Jahmil X.T. Qubeka's 4th feature film. The film will be released in South Africa on 26 December 2019.

In April the Academy Awards decided to rename the foreign language film category to the international feature film category.