The 11th kykNET Silwerskermfees Afrikaans film festival will take place between 23 and 26 August this year at its longtime azure berth of the Bay Hotel in Camps Bay, Cape Town where multiple new full feature films, including 15 short films will make their debut, along with a first-ever slate of mini-documentaries.
In August, the 11th kykNET Silwerskermfees, a well-attended staple on the calendar of the growing South African film festival circuit, will once again unspool a collection of various features films and short films, in various Afrikaans dialects and genres which have been produced over the past year.
A new addition this year will be the set of mini-documentaries commissioned by the festival which forms part of a festival development project to invest in opening up the factual content genre as the African satellite pay-TV service MultiChoice and M-Net continue to ramp up the output of localised content.
"The Silwerskerm Film Festival plays
a seminal role in the sustainability of the local film and television industry
as it’s the launch pad for high-quality films as well as the careers of bright
and promising storytellers," says Waldimar Pelser, M-Net director of premium
channels.
"We look forward to hosting the festival in August again – the month
festivalgoers have become accustomed to.”
On Sunday 12 February at 21:00,
kykNET (DStv 144) is screening a new documentary TV special entitled Agter
die Silwerskermchronicling the history and significance of the kykNET
Silwerskermfees.
The documentary, produced by Sentient Creative for kykNET, highlights how the South African film festival discovered, fostered and developed a new generation of local filmmakers.
Festival founders Karen Meiring and
Jan du Plessis share how the festival was conceived and brought to life in 2012 when the
South African film industry was waning due to the lack of funding.
Numerous producers, directors, writers and film crew appear in the documentary whose career trajectory within the industry changed and soared because of
the festival's short film incubator project.
Local filmmakers who appear in the Agter die Silwerskermdocumentary include Christiaan Olwagen who clinched several awards for movies such as Johnny is
nie dood nie, Kanarie and Poppie Nongena, Amy Jeptha and Ephraim
Gordon, the visionaries behind the groundbreaking Muslim movie in Afrikaaps Barakat, as well as the filmmaking couple Corné and René van Rooyen who produced Vaselinetjie
and Toorbos.
The kykNET Silwerskermfees patron, Arnold Vosloo, also reminisces about his first Silwerskerm film festival experience.
Sources told TVwithThinuson Monday night that
Waldimar Pelser is taking over from Karen Meiring as director of kykNET
channels at MultiChoice from February 2022, with the Rapport editor
and In Gesprek met Waldimar Pelserhost who is
succeeding Meiring who is retiring from the position after 12 years.
Karen Meiring was appointed as the head of kykNET
from January 2009 where she steered MultiChoice and M-Net's Afrikaans TV
channels and content expansion drive on DStv.
There's no word yet on who will succeed Waldimar
Pelser as Rapport editor who will likely also give up his TV anchor chair of
the weekly current affairs show on kykNET (DStv 144) he has been fronting since October 2014.
Global insiders as well as South African producers
have been buzzing about the imminent change of the guard at kykNET that some
have called "the biggest open secret since the appointment of Karen Meiring".
Several MultiChoice, M-Net and kykNET staffers said that Waldimar Pelser's appointment was a "double surprise".
I'm told that firstly, several MultiChoice, M-Net and kykNET staffers didn't expect that Waldimar Pelser would be appointed, were surprised by his name and suggested names they thought that M-Net and kykNET would promote from inside.
Secondly, MultiChoice, M-Net and kykNET staff were surprised to hear about the appointment of Waldimar Pelser from external places - producers, production companies and people working across South Africa's television industry - before an internal memo was sent out inside the pay-TV company to inform them.
TVwithThinuswill add the official statement here later if received with MultiChoice and kykNET that are set to likely make an
official appointment announcement on Tuesday.
UPDATE: MultiChoice and kykNET announced that Waldimar Pelser is replacing Karen Meiring internally in a memo to staffers on Tuesday, and then decided to play the silly "fake exclusivity" game by giving a press release to an Afrikaans paywall news site first, cutting out other media although TVwithThinus already had the news.
MultiChoice says Karen Meiring will "continue consulting for MultiChoice".
"We look forward to welcoming Waldimar Pelser to the MultiChoice family," says Gideon Khobane, MultiChoice group executive for general entertainment, in the prepared statement the pay-TV company issued on Tuesday afternoon.
"His knowledge and insight of the Afrikaans community will stand him in good stead to continue the success of our kykNET channels."
The veteran actor, writer and producer Ben Kruger, known for his role in Binnelanders on kykNET (DStv 144) has died from Covid-19 complications. He was 64.
A kykNET spokesperson on Wednesday morning confirmed the news of the actor's passing to TVwithThinus.
Ben Kruger was known for his role as Okkie Ferreira since 2014 in the weekday Afrikaans soap Binnelanders produced by Stark Films, and as teacher Christo de Wet in the drama series Skooldae produced by Franz Marx on the SABC's then-TV1 channel.
Ben Kruger leaves behind his wife Cheryl, and their 3 sons Dan, Ivan and Niku.
kykNET in a
statement on Wednesday afternoon sent to TVwithThinus said "Ben Kruger, known as Okkie Ferreira, in Binnelanders,
as well as Mr De Wet inSkooldae, has passed away this morning due to
Covid-19 complications at his house in Brooklyn, Pretoria".
Karen
Meiring, M-Net director for kykNET channels, says "We keep Ben Kruger’s family
and the Binnelanders cast and crew in our thoughts, while we process the
shock of his passing. Ben was loved by all – this is a huge loss for our
industry."
Elsje Stark, Binnelandersproducer says "It's with
great sadness that the Binnelandersfamily heard about the sudden
passing of Ben Kruger, a much-loved member of our team of actors".
"Ben portrayed
the role of Okkie Ferreira for nearly 9 years in his own unique way and held
a very special place in the hearts of his colleagues and loyal viewers. We will
always remember him for his professionalism, dignity, humour – and without a
doubt for his ability to make the best potjie! We're going to miss you Ben."
According to
kykNET Binnelanders episodes are recorded 3 months in advance, which
means that the character, Okkie, will be in Binnelanders for the next
few months.
Ben Kruger who was born in 1957 in Bothaville in the Free State, took part in various radio plays, advertisements and stage plays with the help of his drama teacher and also acted in his first movie playing Dirkie Uys in Dave Millen's movie Die Voortrekkers.
He obtained his BA degree in drama from the University of Pretoria. He was Sakkie Bezuidenhoudt in the SABC2 drama series Zero Tolerance; Neef Gert in SABC2's 7de Laan and James Gregory, a former jailer and later friend of Nelson Mandela, in the 1997 made-for-TV movie Mandela and de Klerk.
After his navy training he started working as a professional actor in a Jan Scholtz movie, 'n Sondag in September, as well as the SABC production Die Pannekoekhuis.
Ben Kruger also had roles in TV series ranging from Tiny, and Gabriel to SABC1's Generations, Jacob's Cross, Moeggeploeg, Riemvasmaak, Silent Witness, Soul Buddyz, Triptiek, Savage and Van Der Walt's Fault in which he played Paul Kruger.
He appeared in films ranging from Orkney Snork Nie 2 to Poena is Koning and on stage he appeared in plays ranging from My Pa Dink Hy's Elvis and Groet die Grotoupa to the Afrikaans version of Arthur Miller's Dood van 'n Verkoopsman.
It's as unclear when Ben Kruger became ill and was confirmed as having Covid-19 and what safety protocols Stark Studios implemented. It's also still unclear how the character of Okkie will exit Binnelanders and how the production will work the character's exit into the show.
More information and comments as it becomes available will be added here.
kykNET (DStv 144) has glossed up its on-air imaging and unveiled its latest on-air look, with the channel's rebranding that includes a more transparent, cerulean "K" - together with a drop of gold and a glass finish - and with its stars decked out in glamour wear.
Here's the story behind the work of how kykNET's latest on-air imaging came about.
kykNET switched to the new on-air imaging, done with help from the Clearwater advertising agency, on Thursday morning, with a new slogan of "Soveel meer as net TV" (So much more than just TV) - and including a set of new idents and interstitials, genre endboards, parental guidance advisories and a video promo.
"Over the last 21
years, the kykNET brand name has shown that we are always finding new ways to innovate.
This new look is refreshing and in tune with the world-class Afrikaans
entertainment on the channel," says Karen Meiring, M-Net director for the kykNET
channels.
Leo Smith, kykNET marketing manager, says that "With the
positioning of kykNET as a premium brand name in Afrikaans, it was important to
adjust the graphics to reflect the quality of our content".
"kykNET is one of the biggest brand names in South
Africa and we are very proud of the impact that the channel has had on the
entertainment industry. kykNET is truly so much more than just TV."
Part of the new campaign and on-air look was a week-long photo session where almost 200 kykNET
personalities were photographed by Willem Botha - each with two outfits that included a formal
outfit, as well as one that reflects the programme that they are known for.
The shoots took place over four days in Johannesburg at Stark Studios where Binnelanders is filmed, and three days
in Cape Town at Atlantic Studios, home of Suidooster,
Arendsvlei, Kwêla and Tussen Ons.
It was an enormous production with one producer and production manager, a production assistant, three make-up and hair stylists, two people responsible for the hundreds of items of clothing that were worn in front of the camera.
These photographs were given to one head designer, two assistant designers, and three animators that in turn created hundreds of images.
Hennie van Deventer from Clearwater, the agency responsible for the new campaign, says that "The new branding
has a strong focus on the people of kykNET - the names and personalities that
viewers welcome into their homes every day".
One
musical director, one lyricist and singer, and a sound engineer provided the
fresh new sound and two editors put everything together under the watchful eyes
of a creative director, a copywriter and a creative head. The theme tune was written by Loki Rothman and James
Bassingthwaighte.
"It was a challenge to write lyrics that can be interpreted in two different ways," says Loki Rothman.
"We aimed to write a song for the channel that can be played on the radio or be played on its own without knowing that it was written for kykNET. I think we achieved the perfect balance."
Covid's impact
kykNET originally started working on the channel's new on-air look about a year ago in 2020 just before the global Covid-19 pandemic hit and cause a worldwide shutdown and caused the project's end date to be pushed to 2021.
"We briefed Clearwater about the project in 2020 but when Covid hit we first had to focus on schedule changes, had to adjust our content plans, and announce and roll out new series," Leo Smith tells TVwithThinus.
"Since we couldn't do photo sessions for months, we had to push out the project completely to 2021, after which we could do it within Covid-safe protocols. Clearwater started working full speed in October 2020 on creative options and by December we made the treatment choices."
"In January we started with planning and now during April we could roll out the latest look," says Leo Smith.
He says kykNET decided on the new on-air imaging since the last imaging was introduced in 2017.
"After 4 years on-air it was time for change. Renewal is always important especially if you want to keep the offering enticing for viewers".
"The new imaging reflects the premium positioning of kykNET," says Leo Smith. "kykNET is a premium Afrikaans brand - and also one of the biggest Afrikaans brands in the country."
"It's important that it signals to viewers that the content that they're looking for will be of extremely high quality. The on-air imaging is your glossy magazine cover. The content is the pages inside. It has to appeal to viewers".
Regarding the sound, Leo Smith says that kykNET was looking for a fresh, new sound that would appeal to a wide audience and the channel thought of an artist that would bridge various audience demos whilst representing the future of Afrikaans music.
"We made contact with Loki Rothman who's done the music for things like the kykNET Film Fiela se Kind. He's a very talented artist and his approach was immediately spot-on. He developed 5 different options of which one turned into our final choice," Leo Smith says.
"This year we decided that we want to use one photographer for the entire series of publicity photos for the channel. Willem Botha's profile has grown so much the past few years - he also photographed Miss Universe and the Miss South Africa contestants - that I just immediately knew that he would capture exactly what we needed."
"He's also a singer and artists and a presenter on kykNET and has the ability to bring out the very best from every subject in front of his lens."
Leo Smith says that the most challenging of the process was "to remain 100% true to the brand's history but also the audience - to give them something fresh and new without alienating them from what they're viewing every day. And then to also know that what we've created now must still look good in 3 or 4 years' time from now".
While kykNET is an Afrikaans channel, market research constantly indicates that a lot and an ever-growing number of people who don't have Afrikaans as their home language, tune to the kykNET channels on DStv to watch the content. What does kykNET attribute this to?
"When kykNET lures viewers from other language groups it's because of a very simple reason: kykNET content transcends language," says Leo Smith.
"The quality of our stories are of such a level that viewers constantly return to kykNET for more - and also, of course, that people want to see South African content. We're producing everything 100% locally."
"It's very important for us to do direct audience engagement with viewers through our involvement and support of the various arts festivals, for instance, community activations in smaller towns, or projects like the Silwerskermfees where we create opportunities for a wider ecosystem of entertainment," he explains.
A glamour-wand of cerulean blues and gold
Marleux Feyt, executive creative director at Clearwater, jokingly tells TVwithThinus that a bit of "obsessive-compulsive disorder" or OCD always helps when it comes to creating beautiful on-air imaging projects for clients like kykNET.
"In some ways, we are a little OCD when it comes to these
things. We've been making mental notes since before we got the ball rolling as
an official project," she says.
"We also know that kykNET is a personality in itself
and retaining that is important - we don't want someone waking up and switching
to channel 144 to find something that feels too different."
"There's a fine line
between fresh and 'what is this?', so we retained the navy and
cerulean blues of the logo, gave the yellow triangle a metallic upgrade and
waved a glamour wand over the lot for a glass and gold finish on the
logo.
About the painstakingly Rumpelstilskin-work that starts from a blank slate, she says that "every part of the process has
something magical about it - even the crippling 'blank page' phase at
the start".
"The best part is always cracking the first design frame. It really
is the branding equivalent of an 'ah-ha' moment. It also fuels the
rest of the process."
"That design frame also keeps us on course because for the
next few weeks, all your test animations are going to look grey and a little
sad until the motion is completed and the colour gets added back
in."
About working with kykNET, Marleux says that "It is an absolute dream to
work with a team that has such deep respect for art in all its forms and the
people who create it".
"Leo is also one of the most creatively literate clients
you'll ever meet. It's not often someone can tell you exactly which reflection
pass they would like to change in an animation. It really does fuel our team
to go above and beyond.
'Distilled storytelling'
About what Clearwater attempts to create, she says their vision "is always to connect people with
content and that often means putting the emotion of a show, movies or
entire channel in a neat package - anything from a 90-second spot to a
5-minute logo animation".
"We need to use every tool available to us to create an
emotional connection - be it a laugh, some goosebumps or just a moment to
breathe - with whatever we produce. I always think of it as distilled
storytelling."
"The kykNET imagery is definitely an example of
that."
"To give it an undeniably premium and luxurious feel, the logo animation - the one with the gold drop - went through 11 iterations."
"Each scene was created
using 40 layers of animation, every reflection, particle glow and light flare
was considered and discussed as a team and to get the detail we wanted, we
digitally rendered the kykNET logo to be 5m tall."
"It seems a little crazy - and we've been called worse," says Marleux Feyt, "but ultimately we're not expecting anyone to notice a reflecting dust particle or a
drumbeat in the music that perfectly coincides with a spotlight switching on - but we hope they feel it".
MultiChoice and M-Net have placed the show Bolhuis back on the kykNET (DStv 144) schedule with the canned show resurfacing a year after a racism scandal led the pay-TV service to abruptly drop its broadcast over highly offensive remarks and racist comments by the disgraced private detective Mike Bolhuis - including the "K"-word - that MultiChoice said was "unacceptable".
kykNET is suddenly once again going to broadcast Bolhuis, produced by Rian van Heerden, announcing that second season of the show will start on Thursday 15 October at 20:00.
It comes after a flurry of racist slurs and derogatory remarks made by Mike Bolhuis in audio recordings - including using the "k"-word - surfaced in mid-2019 from the private investigator and kykNET reality star.
Last year, just before the second season of Bolhuis was set to air, MultiChoice said in a statement that "Mike Bolhuis had conducted certain conversations in which he expressed himself in a discriminatory manner, which is unacceptable to MultiChoice".
"MultiChoice is committed to the building of a non-racial society and strongly condemns any acts of discrimination. In the circumstances, we resolved that programming in the second season of the Bolhuis series, in which Mike Bolhuis is the central figure would not be broadcast."
Bolhuis also disappeared from the DStv Now's Catch Up service and the Showmax subscription video-on-demand service run by MultiChoice's Connected Video division.
Now kykNET has quietly added Bolhuis back to its broadcast schedule with the programme and M-Net that will again earn money through it from DStv subscribers and advertisers, as well as further exposure to the detective.
kykNET in response to a media enquiry from TVwithThinus, asking why Bolhuis is now again going to be broadcast, said that "Following the public release of a voice note where presenter
and private investigator Mike Bolhuis used derogatory language, he apologised
to the public, the channel and the CEO of the MultiChoice Group".
Karen Meiring, director of M-Net's kykNET channels, says Mike Bolhuis "has taken steps
in his personal life to not only reflect but use his platform to support and
promote diversity and inclusion".
"One of these examples will be covered in an
episode of the new season that will be broadcast on kykNET in October 2020.
While the incident was indeed unacceptable and deplorable, his unconditional
apology has been accepted."
In June this year kykNET was also in hot water when another reality star uttered the "k"-word which led to mom Jana le Roux's dismissal from the show after she uttered the racial slur in the Red Pepper-produced Kwarantyn Afrikaans reality show.
kykNET's Afrikaans reality series Kwarantyn, produced by Red Pepper Pictures, and broadcast on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service had an awkward end on Wednesday night when the Le Roux family ended up as the winners and were rewarded with the R250 000 grand prize after mom Jana was removed a month earlier for using a racial slur.
After 50 days the reputationally damaged Kwarantyn ended on Wednesday night with MultiChoice and M-Net's Afrikaans channels division giving the family money and rewarding them despite the fact that the family had a member removed from the show for using a racial slur.
In June TVwithThinus asked MultiChoice in a media enquiry whether Jana le Roux's remaining family in the show will still get any money, prizes, or derive any benefit from their exposure from being on the DStv channel and in the programme, and why MultiChoice didn't shut down the show.
MultiChoice was also asked what happens to the benefits that Jana le Roux and her family already received or might receive through MultiChoice by staying in the house and having been part of kykNET's Kwarantyn show.
kykNET and its division boss Karen Meiring were also asked questions separately about the show and its content after the racial slur incident but neither MultiChoice nor kykNET bothered to respond with answers to any of the questions.
MultiChoice and M-Net's kykNET awarding a family with money to the tune of R250 000 - when a member of that family used a racial slur on South African television that got the person removed from the show - creates an impression that MultiChoice and kykNET are rewarding discriminatory behaviour despite the pay-TV operator saying that it doesn't condone or support racism or discrimination.
To choose the winning Kwarantyn family, all the points won during the various challenges counted 40% of the big total, with the viewers' votes from DStv subscribers that counted 60%.
The South Africa's Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is looking into the case where the now-axed contestant Jana le Roux uttered a racial slur in the kykNET-produced Kwarantyn Afrikaans reality show on DStv while MultiChoice and kykNET have so far remained silent on the matter and not answered any specific questions posed about it.
It took M-Net's Afrikaans channels division overseen by Karen Keiring a day to remove Jana le Roux on Friday evening after mom Jana le Roux on Thursday evening during a game of 30 Seconds used the offensive and derogatory "k"-word in Kwarantyn.
On Friday morning Karen Meiring told the media that what happened was "completely unacceptable".
kykNET acknowledged receipt of subsequent media enquiries and specific questions but haven't answered any and haven't held any media briefing about the incident.
This past Saturday morning kykNET - and after MultiChoice had removed Leon Schuster films from its Showmax video-on-demand service for a review of the comedian's use of blackface - went ahead with the broadcast of the 1954 Jamie Uys film Daar Doer in die Stad.
The film uses a racially offensive "H"-word, along with several other offensive terms - something that appears to be incongruous with MultiChoice and kykNET's public statements about not racially insensitive content and language in broadcasts.
MultiChoice and kykNET didn't terminate Kwarantyn but removed Jana with her husband and the rest of her family who continue to get public exposure and remain to compete as they try to win R250 000.
Kwarantyn is an Afrikaans reality show that MultiChoice and kykNET is running as a DStv pop-up channel, produced by Red Pepper Pictures from two adjacent Johannesburg homes populated by the white Le Roux and the coloured Scheepers families in each.
The Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) has opened a case after it received complaints about the broadcast from DStv subscribers and is waiting for MultiChoice to respond.
SAHRC commissioner Andre Gaum told TVwithThinus in response to a media enquiry that "the SAHRC is looking into the matter".
"The Constitutional Court has pronounced that they use of the 'k'-word amounts to hate speech. It is of great concern that derogatory expressions involving this word still appear to form part of some South Africa's vocabulary. South Africans should desist from using words that hurt others deeply and damage national unity and social cohesion."
"All of us should work together to undo deeply entrenched racist tendencies that unfortunately appear to surface every now and again".
MultiChoice previously responded to the media when the Randburg-based pay-TV operator said that it will no longer give the Afrikaans singer Steve Hofmeyr a platform on DStv, and that it canned the second season of the kykNET show before broadcast of the Bolhuis show after audio recordings surfaced of the disgraced private investigator Mike Bolhuis using racial slurs including the "k"-word.
Since Friday TVwithThinus posed several questions to MultiChoice about the Kwarantyn incident.
A media enquiry was sent to Aprio (the PR company doing corporate communications on behalf of MultiChoice), Joe Heshu (MultiChoice's group executive for corporate affairs), Benedict Maaga (MultiChoice's senior manager for corporate communications), as well as Nthabiseng Serote (MultiChoice senior corporate communications specialist) and Ntabiseng Motsei (MultiChoice marketing communications specialist).
None have responded by the time of publication of this report.
MultiChoice was asked why the pay-TV operator chose not to immediately remove the Kwarantyn contestant or family after the use of the racial slur and why MultiChoice decided not to end the Kwarantyn show.
MultiChoice was also asked whether Jana le Roux's remaining family in the show will still get any money, prizes, or derive any benefit from their exposure from being on the DStv channel and in programme, and why there was no on-air message from MultiChoice or kykNET on the Kwarantyn channel on Friday to apologise to viewers?
MultiChoice was also asked happens to the benefits that Jana le Roux and her family already received or might receive through MultiChoice by staying in the house and having been part of kykNET's Kwarantyn show.
Since Friday kykNET and its division boss Karen Meiring have also been asked questions about its content and acknowledged the media enquiry but haven't provided any answers to the questions.
TVwithThinus asked kykNET why it removed a contestant from an entertainment reality show on Friday but then broadcast a film like Doer in die Stad a day after on Saturday that contains extremely offensive and racist words that viewers notice. kykNET was asked how this lines up with MultiChoice and kykNET's statements of being against racism and removing someone for it, but allowing it in other content the next day.
Ek het ook die rapport gelees en wonder stellig hoe @kykNETtv 'n vrou kan laat skors oor k-pak woord en dan saai hulle Saterdagoggend 'n Jamie Uys prent uit met 'n ge mies mies en baas baas en 'n hond met die naam h**n*t!? Hulle kon mos die klank geredigeer het?
kykNET was also asked why it decided not to end Kwarantyn immediately and why it chose not to stop the DStv pop-up channel and whether that was a consideration.
In the media enquiry, kykNET was also asked whether it's correct that the family of which mom Jana le Roux forms part, can still win R250 000, and if so, how this aligns with MultiChoice and kykNET's policy that people shouldn't benefit from discriminatory behaviour.
kykNET was also posed the questions of whether the families received any psychological counselling and if the Scheepers family was traumatised.
kykNET was asked why kykNET and Red Pepper Pictures decided to keep Jana le Roux on-air on Friday and showed her teary farewell and whether kykNET through that didn't make her into a sympathetic figure and someone that viewers are made to feel sorry for.
MultiChoice and it's Afrikaans M-Net division have once again been engulfed by a racism scandal after a contestant in its Afrikaans Kwarantyn reality show broadcast on DStv shockingly uttered a racial slur on live television on Thursday night. kykNET boss Karen Meiring on Friday morning in a video conference call with the media that was pre-arranged and supposed to highlight upcoming new content, cancelled the day's media briefing and told journalists that what "What happened last night in Kwarantyn is completely unacceptable". "The Kwarantyn issue requires our full attention today. Unfortunately we have to postpone this because we have to take issue in terms of what happened last night and we have to handle that."
"It's really a serious issue for us and we will let you know the outcome. To sit with you for 2 hours honestly wouldn't feel right to me in terms of what is happening right now."
"Together we will, with all of these things happening in our society and the things we have to address as Afrikaans-speaking people in this country, together we will get through it. Today we have the responsibility to address something and we feel very, very serious about it and that is what we are going to do now."
So far there has been no official comment from MultiChoice or its Afrikaans M-Net division, or what is happening to Kwarantyn that runs as a kykNET-produced pop-up channel on DStv channel 149, or the contestant.
A contestant in the Red Pepper Pictures produced show uttered the "K"-word racial slur on Thursday night which broadcasts the Le Roux and Scheepers families living in two adjacent homes in Johannesburg competing for prizes with the first Big Brother South Africa winner Ferdinand Rabie as the presenter.
During an in-show competition on Thursday night - day 16 of the show that is supposed to stretch over 50 days - the 49-year old, "nice white mom" Jana le Roux uttered the derogatory and offensive "k"-word slur.
When her white family lost to the coloured Scheepers family, mom Jana le Roux exclaimed, "Wow, that's a k- beating!" in Afrikaans, as other contestants looked shocked.
By Friday afternoon kykNET has not decided to, or taken any action, to immediately remove Jana le Roux from Kwarantyn, and MultiChoice and M-Net failed to terminate the programme to show that it won't stand for racism or racist behaviour.
Jana le Roux has not apologised in any public statement.
kykNET in a terse statement Friday afternoon said that "Thursday evening in the programme Kwarantyn a racist remark was made that goes against the constitution, the spirit of the programme and kykNET".
"The channel apologises to everyone who has been offended by this. kykNET remains committed to a non-racial society, without discrimination."
"kykNET doesn't shy away from the responsibility to tackle and highlight historical and current complex issues. The situation requires decisive action and is managed with urgency," said Karen Meiring, the director of M-Net's kykNET channels in the statement.
South Africa's Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCCSA) told TVwithThinus on Friday afternoon in response to a media enquiry that it received three complaints, has opened a case over the Red Pepper Pictures produced show and is waiting for MultiChoice to respond.
Unlike third-party acquired channels the Kwarantyn pop-up channel is produced by the Afrikaans channels section of MultiChoice's M-Net content division.
"We received three official complaints and we are awaiting the broadcaster’s response," the BCCSA says.
UPDATE Friday 26 June 2020 17:00: Mom Jana le Roux is out and has been removed from the show, but MultiChoice and kykNET chose not to end Kwarantyn but to continue the show. The Le Roux family will continue to benefit from on-air exposure and could possibly win R250 000.
Mom Jana de Roux cut a (sym)pathetic figure on Friday afternoon as she cried with her family members on television and hugged her husband as kykNET continued to give her coverage and broadcast her family farewell moments.
Presenter Ferdinand Rabie said that Jana le Roux has been disqualified and is leaving the house.
The producers told Jana le Roux to leave the house at 17:45 on Friday late afternoon.
Earlier on Friday TVwithThinus asked MultiChoice, M-Net and kykNET specific questions in a media enquiry. By the time Jana exited there was no response yet on any of the questions. Why has MultiChoice/DStv not
immediately removed the Kwarantyn contestant and/or family who used a racial
slur? Why has
MultiChoice/DStv/M-Net/kykNET not immediately ended/stopped the Kwarantyn show
to show that it won't tolerate racism as the company said in the past and will
this family still get any money/prizes/benefit/exposure from this DStv
channel/programme? Why has there been no
intervention or counselling discussion with the Scheepers and/or Le Roux family? Why is there no on-air on-channel
message from DStv/kykNET to apologise? What happens to the benefits the
family/person already received/will receive through DStv and them staying in
the house as part of kykNET's TV show? UPDATE Friday 26 June 2020 17:45: Mom Jana le Roux leaves Kwarantyn after her on-air racial slur got her evicted from the show, with MultiChoice and kykNET that have chosen to keep the show going instead of terminating the reality series.
"Outside everything will be fine. Don't be worried about that," she tells her family as they all huddle and hug goodbye. "On the Lord," says mom Jana le Roux as she hugs her family goodbye. Then she walks.
"Outside everything will be fine. Don't be worried about that," says mom Jana le Roux after her on-air racial slur and getting evicted from @kykNETtv's Kwarantyn reality series on @DStv. "On the Lord," she says as she hugs her family goodbye. Then she walks: pic.twitter.com/BkYKbtMFQP
kykNET's Afrikaans Kwarantyn reality show will be a pop-up TV channel on DStv that will start on 10 June on channel 149, with two South African families - the Le Roux and Scheepers families - who will be spending 50 days under camera-house filled lockdown.
Kwarantyn, produced by Red Pepper that has experience with Big Brother Naija when it was filmed in South Africa as well as Nigeria, will broadcast live will launch on DStv channel 149 on Wednesday 10 June at 21:00 with the two families who will be competing for the public's vote and the chance to win R250 000.
The live broadcast pop-up channel will be preceded by a special hourlong Kwarantyn introductory episode on Wednesday at 20:00 on kykNET (DStv 144).
The Kwarantyn pop-up channel, launched during South Africa's national lockdown period for Covid-19 that is ongoing to try and curb the spread of the coronavirus, will be available to DStv Premium and DStv Compact Plus subscribers.
Kwarantyn wrap-up and highlights shows will be broadcast on kykNET (DStv 144) on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 17:00, with a special weekly edited 48-minute Kwarantyn wrap-up broadcast on the kykNET channel on Wednesdays at 20:00.
The Le Roux and Scheepers families will have to complete various challenges, tasks and DIY projects while remaining homebound after they move into a new home adjacent to one another.
"Not only will they have to
live together as neighbours, but they will have to compete against each other
by, among other things, trying to get more followers on social media and by
trying to score points in a game’s night every evening," says kykNET.
"A family who completed
a challenge successfully may also be rewarded with luxuries and other special
perks. Strict rules will, however, apply in both houses. In the end,
only one family will be crowned as the country’s most popular family."
Karen Meiring, director of M-Net's kykNET channels, says "Voyeuristic
television has always been a fascinating concept for viewers and with our two
dynamic Afrikaans families that we will be watching for 24 hours a day for 50 days".
"We look forward to
excitement, entertainment, some emotional moments, new insights and surprises.
We don’t know what to expect, but we are looking forward to what the families
will be dishing up."
Here are more about the 2 families:
LeRoux
The father of this Centurion family, Braam Le
Roux (50), wants to use the prize money to pay for his daughter’s wedding, if
his family wins. He doesn’t get bored easily and enthusiastically describes
himself as a fun-loving guy.
His wife, Jana Le Roux (49), likes to laugh at her
family’s jokes, but she firmly believes her families will emerge as the winners
after 60 days because they have team spirit and zeal.
Their children, Lisa (25) and Manie (19), both loves
winning, but they’re not bad sports or sore losers.
Lisa is engaged to Adriaan Brie
(26), who will be living in the house with his in-laws-to-be. He loves pranks
and says he isn’t scared of boredom because he has endurance.
Cousin Heinrich Olwage (25) completes the Le Roux family. He’s aninnovator and problem solver, and he’s
convinced his family will keep viewers on their toes.
Scheepers
The Scheepers is a composite family from
Johannesburg. Mother, Avril Scheepers (46), and aunt Pamela Anthia Okkers (53) will
lead this energetic family. Both are strong women convinced that their family
will be victorious because they are talented, interesting and very funny.
Avril’s son, Austin Scheepers (19), believes that
his bubbly personality will ensure that he makes friends with the neighbours although
he is very competitive.
The Scheepers also consists of their extended family
friends, the Hendrick sisters namely Kel-cee (20) and Jade (18) and refer to
themselves as “the cousins!”.
Kel-cee
Hendricks (21) is more of a quite type. She describes herself as “the person
who prefers to watch and laugh.”
The Scheepersis complete with Caryn Cloete (21) – a withdrawn individual who likes to
have space and who easily falls for her family’s pranks, but still loves them
dearly.
The young Jade Hendricks believes that the Scheepershas the personalities that will entertain the whole country with their quirks
and high jinks.
Production has temporarily shut down and the start of filming pushed out until April on the second season of the Afrikaans talent search reality series Maak My Famous produced in Cape Town due to the growing Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic spreading in South Africa and globally.
Maak My Famous with hosts Emo Adams and Tarryn Lamb makes use of an in-studio audience with members of the public with episodes that are recorded at the Roxy Review bar at GrandWest Casino but which will now only start at possibly 14 April 2020.
"As the rest of the country takes precautionary measures to minimise the spread of
the Covid-19 we have decided to postpone our current production schedule," says Emo Adams in a press statement that was issued on Tuesday evening by kykNET only after the close of business and only after a notice was posted first on social media and not by kykNET itself.
"We thank the audiences that have been supporting our live recordings and look
forward to sharing the journey of our Top 48 with viewers in April," says Emo Adams.
Karen Meiring, M-Net director of kykNET channels, says "The
first season of Maak my Famous was a runaway hit that had about
1.4 million viewers voting to secure the top 2 talents in the competition".
"The
feedback from our current live audiences have been extremely positive and we
know that viewers are going to be just as excited about the incredible talent
our country has to offer."
"We are really excited about the second season but right now we need to take the necessary precautions, in April the production and journey to find our next Maak my Famous winner will continue."
kykNET hasn't announced any other shutdowns of any of its other local shows, or a temporary shutdown or banning of audience members from shows making use of an in-studio audience.
kykNET has been asked since Sunday evening about the issue and which of the channel set's series are ongoing and which are shutting down.
kykNET referred the media enquiry to MultiChoice which runs the DStv satellite pay-TV service on which the kykNET channels are carried. MultiChoice spokesperson Benedict Maaga haven't yet responded with any answers.
by Thinus Ferreira MultiChoice and M-Net is launching another new kykNET channel, kykNET Lekker, on 9 March 2020 which will be an Afrikaans TV channel compiled with shows from the existing kykNET library for DStv Access subscribers. kykNET Lekker that will run on channel 148 on DStv will be compiled out of the best of kykNET programmes, including soaps, lifestyle shows, children’s entertainment and music
shows that DStv subscribers on the DStv Access package haven't had the opportunity to see. Interestingly, kykNET Lekker won't be upscaled and won't be available on any other higher-tiered kykNET packages like DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact or DStv Family who will continue to receive the existing selection of allocated kykNET channels for those packages.
kykNET Lekker will launch with the first season of Jou
Show met Emo, the fitness guru Lindi Kriel's Kry daai lyf and will include Afrikaans soaps like Binnelanders and Suidooster. Suidooster will restart from season 1 for people who have never had the chance to watch and follow it, while the hospital set series Binnelanders will start from season 4. Children's programming will include Teddies, Bundu Buddies, and Groentjie. Music shows like Joltyd, Kom ons Karaoke, #Duidelik, and Sakkie Langarm are also on the schedule. "kykNET Lekker joins other kykNET channels to showcase Afrikaans content on an affordable and accessible package for DStv subscribers. It will become the home of a variety of the best Afrikaans programs from the kykNET vault and will only be available on the DStv Access package," says Karen Meiring, director of kykNET channels. Other kykNET fare for 2020 On kykNET kykNET (DStv 144) singer and talk show host Karen Zoid will return for her 5th season as president of Die Republiek van Zoid Afrika, and Emo Adams will present the second season of the talent competition Maak my Famous on kykNET and kykNET&kie (DStv 145) to showcase some of our country’s talented upcoming artists. Casper de Vries returns to kykNETwith his new sketch show, Cas oppie Kassie while viewers can
also look forward to a brand new drama from Paul C. Venter later in the year.
Venter was the writer of previous popular kykNET dramas such as Vlug na
Egipte and Knapsekêrels. On kykNET&Kie a new music talk show entiteld Koortjies is starting soon with the popular gospel musician Jonathan Rubain as presenter. The crime series Op Seer se
Spoor will return for a second season on kykNET&kie with presenter Ernusta Maralack revisiting the violent crimes that shook
communities across the country.
kykNET will be celebrating its 20th anniversary on Friday, 15 November at 20:00 with a live TV special entertainment broadcast entitled kykNET 20 Jaar, done from MultiChoice's Studio 6 in Randburg to look back at the 2 decades legacy of M-Net's Afrikaans TV channels division.
kykNET's 20th anniversary live TV special on 15 November is timed to the exact date 20 years ago when kykNET first officially went on the air on 15 November 1999 on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service when M-Net offered the first Afrikaans television content besides the SABC.
Friday night's kykNET special will include a retrospective look back at kykNET's video entertainment journey over the past two decades, filled with musical performances and some interviews, as well as comical highlights.
kykNET presenters from then to now - ranging from Tracey Lange, Henré Pretorius, Hannes van Wyk, Elana Afrika-Bredenkamp, Janine Oberholzer, Leah and Kim Cloete - will make appearances, including Emo Adams, Nadia Beukes, Willem Botha, Rian van Heerden and Terence Bridgett and the show will include a song about kykNET’s shows and presenters over the years.
Pedro Kruger, Rocco de Villiers, Coenie de Villiers and Clint Brink will be singing while Schalk Bezuidenhout will provide some laughter, and Hamilton Wessels, Lieb Bester, Toks van der Linde, Breyten Paulse and Pieter Koen will be doing dance moves.
kykNET's TV special will include Coenie de Villiers and Early B, as well as a Boer
Soek ’n Vrousurprise, while Hannon, Cindy Swanepoel and Bennie
Fourie will talk about the film industry.
Johnny Davids and
Vivian Molauly who were the winning duo of kykNET's Zing! singing reality competition will be performing
together for the first time in years, while Sandra Prinsloo and Amanda Strydom will
also make an appearance.
kykNET's TV special will end with an "Afrikaners
is Plesierig" item - perhaps a hint about Karen Zoid?
"We're going with the live broadcast - day and date 20 years after kykNET launched - from Studio 6 in Randburg. We're planning a wonderful, entertaining line-up the story of kykNET from beginning to now," Karen Meiring, M-Net's director of Afrikaans channels said on kykNET's weekly entertainment magazine show Kwêla on Sunday night's episode.
"For kykNET the challenge is renewal; new things; to keep in step with the viewer but also with what's happening in the world regarding TV content. There are so many new trends and to bring some of that to us and to kykNET is wonderful and exciting," she said.
It's not quite Cannes - but it isn't trying to be.
Again taking place as in previous years on the other side of Victoria Road at Camps Bay Beach in Cape Town, kykNET's just-concluded 9th Silwerskermfees Afrikaans film festival for 2019 was the biggest one yet.
The 4-day Silwerskermfees, or Silverscreen festival, continues to grow as the African continent's only film festival organised by M-Net's Afrikaans channels division, dedicated to promoting and celebrating Afrikaans language film and its industry in South Africa.
Beyond specifically supporting Afrikaans, the Silwerskermfees has grown to become an inclusive umbrella film festival helping filmmakers and producers, on-screen talent, writers, industry executives and a wide variety of people employed in the film and TV production and related services value chain to connect, attend master-classes, and to workshop and learn more from panel discussions on a wide range of industry topics.
"Right from the start, kykNET had a long-term vision with this special project. The Silwerskermfees' focus has been, and will always be, the South African and Afrikaans film industry," said Karen Meiring, director of kykNET channels at M-Net.
"The festival has generated positive energy and results, organically growing in size and influence. This year the festival spread its wings even further with screenings opened to the general public in the Theatre on the Bay and the Labia, inviting film enthusiasts to become part of the experience."
"Afrikaans films and content have huge potential internationally because it is authentic and represents a diverse South African community in a unique African language. There is a great need to watch each other's work, to learn from each other and through this to grow," said Karen Meiring.
Jan du Plessis, director of M-Net channels said "the kykNET Silwerskermfees was a risk 9 years ago - as is every original film and TV project that M-Net gets involved it. But it has always been our mission to give a platform to creative talent - in front and behind the camera".
Here are 4 important takeaways from kykNET's 9th Silwerskermfees 2019 edition:
1. Making films but minding the money
"There's a growing recognition, awareness and focus under filmmakers to think of what will be happening to their film from the time they're envisioning and planning it, writing it, pitching it, producing it and marketing it," Jan du Plessis told TVwithThinus at the festival.
"It has always been a case of something being a 'passion project', then we show it to the world, and it hits or it doesn't. If you look at this year's Silwerskermfees there are a lot more projects based on things like books or real-life stories [Fiela se Kind, Toorbos, Griekwastad, Poppie Nongena, Die Verhaal van Racheltjie de Beer]."
"In order words, you hope to enter the film and consumer market with some type of awareness or a built-in audience or an appeal, which a film without it wouldn't necessarily have had."
"It's very interesting for me that when we start the pitching process, we immediately start by asking the person: 'For which market, which channel, where would you place and play it, what are comparative titles?'"
"And then we go back to the person and say 'You mentioned these 10 titles saying your films is almost like them. Do you realise they performed like this at the box office - and it's likely not a lot - or it made this at DStv BoxOffice on TVOD, and these 10 films you mentioned have never been sold internationally.' Then we look at the budget and then we look at whether it's making business sense."
"If you look at the Silwerskermfees films, they're films that have a commercial approach for an international market."
"We have to start to ensure that our film budgets and marketing plans accurately represent the potential of the film, instead of just blindly making something."
"It's important to always still produce passion projects and to believe in certain stories to make it to film. I'm not saying we should stop doing that. But ensure there are enough hooks."
"And in terms of casting - who are the talent putting bums in cinema seats? Who are the actors who are big stars in soaps or who feature big here, or who feature big there? Ensure your film has angles," said Jan du Plessis.
2. A shift to a bigger business focus awareness under filmmakers
"The Silwerskermfees this year, the biggest thing I've noticed at the film festival is the shift towards a business-focus format in terms of bringing in an awareness of all of the business and strategy side that filmmakers need to put in place whether you're producing short films, features or documentaries," Shaamila Fataar, senior specialist for Showmax Originals, told TVwithThinus at the festival.
"The highlight for me at this year's Silwerskermfees was the film finance event with Wesgro and bringing in all of these different players from the banking sector to a broadcaster, an entertainment law legal firm - all sharing their knowledge and explaining to filmmakers and creatives that your movie is not just a content piece, it's not just a work of creativity, it's also a work of financial value."
"I think this is the cusp of a new generation of filmmakers who are going to be producing content with a financial model in mind, and not just for the sake of creating art," said Shaamila Fataar. "It's blending the two together."
3. A strong focus on remarkable women in front of and behind-the-scenes, as well as subject matter.
The debut feature films at the 2019 Silwerskermfees were true South African stories, beautifully told, with a focus on remarkable women.
Two female directors, Jenna Bass [Flatland] and Rene van Rooyen [Toorbos] were at the helm of two of the films.
4. The celebration of non-Afrikaans speaking, black film talent
The big winner(s) at the 9th Silwerskermfees were not what South Africa would traditionally expect from an Afrikaans film festival. Instead of accolades for predominantly white Afrikaans mother-tongue talent, prize after prize at the 2019 festival went to non-Afrikaans speaking, black talent.
It reflects the progressive and extremely diverse nature of what kykNET's Silwerskermfees has become, which has expanded to become one of the most inclusive annual film festivals in South Africa.
The win of Poppie Nongena as 2019's best feature film - a harrowing depiction of the brutality and injustice of South Africa's apartheid system and reflecting the courage and fortitude of people in the face of hardship and difficulty - was accentuated by the recognition given to non-Afrikaans speaking talent who cleaned up across categories.
Clementine Mosimane won for Best actress, Chris Gxalaba won Best supporting actor, and Nomsa Nene won best supporting actress, with several more awards going to Poppie Nongena (12 in total, the most ever for a single film).
In addition, several other films and their on-screen and production talent scooped category wins at the Silwerskermfees - people who work in the industry and worked on Afrikaans films but who don't speak a word of Afrikaans.
