Filming starts on Netflix's first South African Netflix Original drama series, Queen Sono; cast and directors announced.

Filming has started in Johannesburg, South Africa on Queen Sono, Netflix's first commissioned Netflix Original series for Africa with the 6-episode spy drama, produced by Diprente, that will likely be released globally on Netflix during 2020.

Rounding out the Queen Sono ensemble cast beyond the already-announced Pearl Thusi are Vuyo Dabula, Enhle Maphumulo, Kate Liquorish, Loyiso Madinga, Sechaba Morojele, Chi Mhende, Rob Van Vuuren, Khathu Ramabulana, Abigail Kubekha, Otto Nobela, Connie Chiume and James Ngcobo. 

Pearl Thusi portrays an unconventional spy "working for an undercover South African agency devoted to protecting the people of Africa".

Vuyo Dabula from Generations: The Legacy fame plays Shandu, an ex-spy who has taken a different path, while Sechaba Morojele who starred in Yizo Yizo, Rhythm City and Hard Copy will be seen as Dr Sid, director of the SOG.

Chi Mhende (also previously from Generations: The Legacy), Loyiso Madinga of The Bantu Hour, and comedian Rob Van Vuuren are agents on his team.

Kate Liquorish of The Bantu Hour plays Ekaterina, the heiress of an oligarch family with ulterior motives, while Khathu Ramabulana of Scandal! and Generations plays Queen’s childhood friend, William, now in a relationship with Nova, played by Enhle Maphumulo who previously appeared in Scandal!, Broken Vows and Rockville. 

Abigail Kubekha will appear in Queen Sono as Mazet, Queen's beloved Gogo, who has always supported her irrespective of the trouble she might find herself in.

Tamsin Andersson is the executive producer with directors Tebogo Malope and Kagiso Lediga who will both be directing three episodes of Queen Sono each.

While Netflix had the debut of Shadow in March this year, Netflix didn't commission the series but merely acquired the rights to it, making Queen Sono its first real South African produced Netflix Original show. 

Netflix has since commissioned another drama series, Blood & Water as a high school set series produced by Gambit Films; as well as an animation series, Mama K's Team 4 produced by Triggerfish Animation Studios and CAKE.

Openview's new black-and-white TV commercial with Siya Kolisi and Wayde van Niekerk features a people's movement building a free TV mountain.

eMedia's free-to-air satellite TV service, Openview, has made a black-and-white TV commercial with Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and Olympian athlete Wayde van Niekerk to underscore the growing movement of free-to-air digital television in South Africa.

The "TV Free and Proud" advert that was filmed in Johannesburg and conceptualised and produced by Sugar Ray Leonard & Partners and directed by Tebogo Malope, director at The Star Film Company, has people in various setting staring at TV screens with pay-TV channels until they unplug it and start moving, en masse, with the TV sets outside.

It leads to a movements of people stacking their TV sets in a heap on the Nelson Mandela Bridge in downtown Johannesburg.

More than 150 extras, including e.tv staff, took part in the commercial.

"The team at eMedia really put us through our paces in terms of carving out the positioning for Openview," says Marlin van Noie, Sugary Ray Leonard's chief creative officer.

"We finally got to the 'freedom of entertainment', and it felt right for Openview to be the liberator of free - the brand for the people."

Director Tebogo Malope says "the team at eMedia are creative, and they are also plugged into the streets. They are about the people, and they are about creative work like this. I realised I am in a space with kindred spirits who understand how to make work that resonates with our people."

Openview has just passed 1.5 million activated set-top boxes (STBs) this month and currently carries 20 TV channels and 8 radio stations.

"For the first time in the South African landscape there is world-class television in high-definition (HD) for free," says Khalik Sheriff, the new eMedia Investments' CEO.

"Don't tell anybody I didn't warn you. Even if you don't believe me today, in a few years from now, we will all be watching Openview."

12 DStv subscribers acting out their favourite movie scene can snag a week trip to Los Angeles and a walk-on role in M-Net Movies film, Greatest Movie Ever Made.

"I'll be back": Acting out and recording just a few seconds of a scene from any of the Terminator films, Top Gun, Toy Story, Batman, Rambo - literally any movie currently showing on any of the M-Net Movies channels on DStv could win 12 viewers the prize of flying to Los Angeles and starring in the short M-Net Movies film Greatest Movie Ever Made that will be filmed in South Africa.

If you have chest hair you can have ripped off shouting "Aaaah, Kelly Clarkson!" like in the funny chest waxing scene from The 40 Year Old Virgin, to Shrek, Jurassic Park, Star Trek or Julia Roberts conniving in My Best Friend's Wedding, 12 South African DStv subscribers can snag a week long trip to LA with a partner, as well as a walk-on role in a South African film.

Any scene from any film on any of the M-Net Movies channels on DStv, ranging from M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv 104), M-Net Movies Smile (DStv 105), M-Net Movies Action (DStv 106), M-Net Movies Showcase (DStv 107), M-Net Movies Action (DStv 110) to M-Net Movies All Stars (DStv 111) and M-Net Movies Zone (DStv 139) can be used to act out and record for the competition.

The closing date is Saturday 20 August at midnight.

Contestants older than 18 need to upload their short video to social media using the hashtag #MMGreatest on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and then fill out an entry form at www.mnet.tv to validate the entry within the first week of posting the video on social media.

A panel will pick the 24 best entries, with the public who will then vote from 23 August. The 12 contestants with the most votes will go to Los Angeles for a week and will be able to take a partner along.

In South Africa, the 12 will be included in Greatest Movie Ever Made filmed during the week of 26 September.

"You may just be acting opposite one of your favourite local stars and experience what it's really like behind-the-scenes on a movie shoot - even more reason to take part in the competition," says Lani Lombard, M-Net's head of publicity.