MultiChoice execs reaffirm commitment to authentic storytelling at 8th Joburg Film Festival: 'Quality doesn't only come from budget'

by Thinus Ferreira

The MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) held its MultiChoice Talent Factory Day at 2026's 8th Joburg Film Festival in Johannesburg, where MultiChoice executives reaffirmed that whatever is happening after Canal+'s takeover of the pay-TV company, authentic storytelling and authenticity in on-screen work will always continue to matter immensely.

Held at the Theatre on the Square in Sandton, on stage were the MultiChoice executives Tebogo Matlawa, head of scripted content: middle & mass South Africa; Waldimar Pelser, director of premium channels; Shirley Adonisi, channel director for local entertainment; and Tracy-Ann Van Rooyen, executive head of content strategy.

Tebogo Matlawa said "The question with each show that is pitched is always which local market it will satisfy first".

"Think local, be global. If it doesn't have a market here or in our African territories, it's a no-go. But sometimes you come across a story and you immediately know it can travel."

Shirley Adonisi said "At the core of it is authenticity".

" If our audiences do not identify with the characters or the stories we create, then that is an epic fail on our part. It's not about how much the show costs. It's about how rich the story is and how people connect with it and say, 'that looks like me'."

The panel discussion also explored how the changing media landscape is reshaping the way stories are developed and consumed.

Tracy-Ann van Rooyen said "When you are thinking about content strategy, you can't think about it in isolation".

"You have to believe in your story first and know that it has a market. Scale means opportunity, and for African creators, that opportunity is growing."

Waldimar Pelser noted that the creative direction when commissioning content remains rooted in local insight.

"Commissioning across Africa remains locally led," he said.

"Finding the right stories to back is a team sport, and we rely on storytellers and producers to help us understand our audiences."

"Quality doesn't only come from budget. It comes from the quality of a story, the authenticity of a story, and whether it speaks to somebody specific."

This is the fourth consecutive year that MultiChoice is a partner of the Joburg Film Festival, with MultiChoice Talent Factory alumni who premiered the film Keletso at the festival this week.

The Keletso screening highlighted the growing impact of the film academy and showcased how graduates are moving from training environments into professional filmmaking and bringing their work to major industry platforms.

Sanktuary Films and kykNET's Afrikaans road trip movie Die Kwiksilwers does boffo box office business after Covid

Thinus Ferreira

The Afrikaans buddy road trip movie Die Kwiksilwers has become the Afrikaans film with the highest box office gross during its opening weekend since South Africa's cinemas reopened after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Die Kwiksilwers, produced by Jordy Sank and Gabriella Blumberg's Sanktuary Films, and distributed by Filmfinity, was the 5th highest-grossing film at the South African box office during its opening weekend over the first weekend of May 2025.

Die Kwiksilwers was only surpassed by the American releases of Thunderbolts, Sinners, A Minecraft Movie en The Accountant 2.

Die Kwiksilwers tells the story of four older women who go on a road trip through South Africa's Karoo region, starring Lida Botha, Susanne Beyers, June van Merch and Theresa Sedras.

Another three Afrikaans films, including one from Namibia and another one on Netflix, will still be released this year.

"Die Kwiksilwers had a terrific opening weekend - the best opening weekend for an Afrikaans film since theatres opened after Covid," Pieter Geldenhuys, Filmfinity distributor, tells me.

"After its first week in theatres, Die Kwiksilwers stood at R750 000 and attendance of 7 306. We hope it's a good sign for the road ahead."

He says "Filmfinity is positive about Afrikaans films. We have already released two this year: Som van Twee and Die Kwiksilwers and both were very well received. We hope that more are made after a relatively quiet period after Covid."

Die Kwiksilwers is a full commission from kykNET, with Sanktuary Films that pitched the idea to kykNET three years ago, after which it was approved for debut at the kykNET Silwerskermfees.

It was fully funded by kykNET and had its premiere last year at the kykNET Silwerskermfees, after which it premiered in South African theatres the first weekend of May 2025.

"KykNET remain committed to the production of Afrikaans films even with tight budgets," says Waldimar Pelser, M-Net director for premium channels. "It's an important vehicle to tell stories with a long shelf-life and which will be enjoyed by future generations."

Jordy Sank, director and writer of the film, tells me "It's wonderful that people immediately fell in love with Die Kwiksilwers and wanted to go on a wild road trip with these characters."

"Last year we could already see that Die Kwiksilwers was a movie that this community really, really wants to go and see."

He says it's important for South African stories to return to cinema. "It's a phenomenal time for South African storytellers and filmmakers to create and get their stories out to inspire people."

He says that behind-the-scenes during filming in the middle of the Karoo on a farm without electricity or cellphone reception, "it was incredible to just watch the performances of Lida Botha and the rest of the veteran cast with so much energy and excitement".

Veteran film critic Leon van Nierop tells me that Die Kwiksilwers was "really made with the audience in mind and the film and cinemagoers immediately found each other".

"The audience knows what it's about. They can see it's fun and upbeat and joyful. People want to relax but a lot of people want to sit inside a theatre with other Afrikaans-speaking people and for a change laugh in and about Afrikaans inside a cinema."

He says it's important to celebrate Afrikaans film.

"Afrikaans is 100 years old. A hundred years ago, it was six years before the Afrikaans film Moedertjie. We should be proud on what we are doing as an industry and we should tell our own stories in an accessible way."

"In Die Kwiksilwers we have a bunch of old ladies who are eccentric but the film makes them accessible and funny. We are used to older Afrikaans women depicted as aunties in Daar Kom Tant Alie and Tant Ralie se Losieshuis - as caricatures or stereotypes."

"In this case, the characters are real people. It shows that age is just a number. They are older but they haven't yet started to open the fridge door to cool off, they're still living past the fridge door".

According to Leon van Nierop, Die Kwiksilwers' box office performance "should serve as motivation for people to make other and more Afrikaans films to be released in cinemas".

"The industry should be daring and courageous and bold and not scared and realise that Afrkaans and Afrikaans film is relevant. There was a time when people were ashamed of Afrikaans film. That time has long passed. Don't be scared to share Afrikaans films with audiences in cinemas."

On 23 May Die Dekontruksie van Retta Blom will be released, and on 29 August the Namibian film, My F*k Marelize will have its premiere in cinemas.

Semi-Soeter from Anel Alexander and Joshua Rous will be released soon on Netflix, although a release date isn't yet known.

Netflix SA didn't respond to a media query about Semi-Soeter's release date, why the streamer decided to invest in creating this Afrikaans follow-up film to Semi-Soet, or whether Semi-Soeter might get a limited release in South African cinemas.

M-Net boss Waldimar Pelser anchors kykNET's In Gesprek as Lourensa Eckard takes family leave

by Thinus Ferreira

On Monday night Waldimar Pelser was back behind the tri-colour, circular anchor desk of the current affairs programme In Gesprek in Stark Studios, substituting for Lourensa Eckard who has taken family leave.

Waldimar Pelser relinquished the role when he was appointed as M-Net director for premium channels, with Lourensa Eckard who took over anchoring duties from January 2022 three years ago.

Before that Lourensa Eckard stood in as substitute anchor for Waldimar Pelser on In Gesprek produced for kykNET by Idea Candy.

kykNET told TVwithThinus on Monday afternoon that Lourensa Eckard has taken leave for personal family matters, without going into any details, and that Waldimar Pelser will be stepping in as anchor for the next few Monday nights.

In Gesprek with Lourensa Eckard just returned a few weeks ago for the 2025 year with new episodes after the year-end break.

"Good evening and welcome, I'm Waldimar Pelser and for the following two weeks I'm standing in for Lourensa Eckard," Waldimar Pelser said at the start of Monday night's episode.

Niggies set for March and filmed by Wolflight Films is kykNET's first drama series based on a true-crime double murder

by Thinus Ferreira

M-Net has commissioned and filmed a new Afrikaans drama series, Niggies, for kykNET (DStv 144), which is kykNET's first-ever drama series based on true-crime murders in South Africa.

Niggies will start on kykNET in March. 

Produced by Wolflight Films with Jaco Bouwer as director, the 9-episode Niggies started filming in October 2024 and wrapped on 7 December, with principal photography that took place around Cape Town.

Niggies is based on the double murders in 1965 of Issie Fourie and Petro Nel in the Free State province town of Odendaalsrus who were both abducted and murdered.

Issie's brother, André decided to bring the perpetrator to justice - something that took 18 years.

Niggies stars Beer Adriaanse as the older André, with Janru Steenkamp as the younger André, alongside Carel Nel.

Niggies starts with the double abduction and murder of Issie Fourie and Petro Nel in Odendaalsrus in 1965 and stretches across the 1960s and 1980s. The story is set in Odendaalsrus, Allanridge and Kroonstad in the northeastern Free State. 

Niggies has Roelof Storm as executive producer with Saartjie Botha and Philip Rademeyer who penned the script.

Jaco Bouwer says "While the abduction and murders made headlines at the time, the details of the story have been forgotten by all but those directly affected by the trauma".

"We didn't want to open old wounds but rather explore what really happened, with some dramatic license, and examine it in the context of modern South Africa where these events are more common than they were 60 years ago."

Waldimar Pelser, M-Net director of premium channels, says "Niggies is a raw exploration of loss and how unresolved trauma can destroy families".

"It is not a sensational story about violence - rather, it is a sensitive examination of how pain can be managed, and healing found in a place where hope is not supposed to exist."

Armed robbers attack kykNET's Prontuit current affairs team and presenter Kabous Meiring

by Thinus Ferreira

Armed robbers attacked and robbed the camera crew of kykNET's Prontuit current affairs show, including its presenter Kabous Meiring, Rapport newspaper reports.

The crew and presenter were robbed of their filming equipment as well as personal belongings while recording an insert on the sportsfield of the Grabouw High School while they were filming an episode about club rugby.

Cameraman Theo Crouse was attacked first while in the vehicle they were driving.

Waldimar Pelser, M-Net director for premium channels, says in a statement "A group of armed men overwhelmed cameraman Theo Crouse first after which Kabous Meiring and director Mia Louw were threatened with an armed gun".

kykNET's Old Righteous Blues chosen as South Africa's entry for the 97th Academy Awards

by Thinus Ferreira

The small-town drama around a young man's attempt to restore the once-glorious Old Righteous Blues Christmas choir band to its former stature is South Africa's official Oscars entry in the Best International Feature Film category for the 97th Academy Awards.

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) announced that the South African Academy Awards Selection Committee chose Old Righteous Blues, set and filmed in the Western Cape province, as South Africa's official Oscars entry after an extensive judging process, which included scored reviews and in-depth deliberations.

The NFVF doesn't want to release the names of the panel of judges comprising South Africa's Academy Awards Selection Committee.

In Old Righteous Blues a young man confronts the long-standing consequences of a bitter feud started by his father two decades earlier which had split the choir in two and divided the community. 

For twenty years, street battles ensued, families were torn apart, and loyalties were tested as the two rival bands claimed ownership of the town’s Kerskoor with destructive and violent consequences.

Old Righteous Blues has already won 11 awards at the kykNET Silwerskermfees film festival, Romford Film Festival 2024 and Panther City Film Festivals. 

Some of the awards include Best Supporting Actor at the 2023 Silwerskermfees for Joshwin Dyson, Muneera Sallies snagging Best Director at the 2024 Romford Film Festival, Ayden Croy winning for Best Actor at the 2024 Romford Film Festival, and Stefan Erasmus winning the category of Best Supporting Actor at the 2024 Panther City Film Festival.

Distributed by Indigenous Film Distribution, Old Righteous Blues which was acquired by M-Net for kykNET (DStv 144) is based on an original idea by writer and producer Carol Shore.

Director Muneera Sallies says Old Righteous Blues is "an intense glimpse into the life of a young man, a family, and a community. More than that it is an intense glimpse into a journey and into the heart of brotherhood, tapping into immense stores of pain, love, dreams, and courage".

"I was drawn to this project from the very first moment I had first picked up the script. I was intrigued and captivated by the characters and their stories within this little community, so much so that I immediately decided to visit and experience the streets of Bo-Dorp Robertson."

Lebogang Mogoera, acting NFVF CEO, in a statement, says Old Righteous Blues "is a testament to the exceptional storytelling talent within South Africa".

"We are honoured to have Old Righteous Blues represent us on such a prestigious global platform, and we believe its universal themes of redemption, community, and overcoming the past will captivate audiences worldwide."

Nomsa Philiso, MultiChoice CEO for general entertainment, says "Old Righteous Blues is a powerful reflection of the complex and often painful dynamics of community, legacy and redemption".

"The film's setting is truly local and the mesmeric writing offers a unique and poignant South African perspective on unity and hope amidst division".

"MultiChoice is dedicated to telling African stories – produced and told by Africans – and taking them to the rest of the world, where they stand shoulder-to-shoulder alongside other would-be Academy Award contenders."

Waldimar Pelser, M-Net channel director for premium channels, says "The world which unfolds in Old Righteous Blues is magical and unique to the rural Western Cape towns where the movie was filmed".

"The story highlights the richness of South African heritage, while also exploring universal themes of resilience and identity."

"These Christmas choir bands are vehicles for joy and hope which the film captures with grace, warmth and humour. We are thrilled for the teams involved that this beautiful movie will represent the best of South African film-making in the run-up to the Oscars in 2025."

The top 11 nominations in the Best International Feature Film category will be announced on 17 December 2024 and the final top 5 will be announced on 17 January 2025.

kykNET's Die Brug and SABC2's Takalani Sesame get 2024 International Emmy Awards nods

by Thinus Ferreira

The reality show Die Brug on kykNET as well as the educational children's show Takalani Sesame both got 2024 International Emmy nominations.

It means that South Africa got two International Emmy Awards nods this year, compared to three last year and is also kykNET's first International Emmy Awards nomination ever.

The two South African shows are part of 56 International Emmy nominees across 14 categories that are competing in the 2024 International Emmy Awards taking place on 25 November in New York.

South Africa's two nominees are part of this year's nominees coming from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Türkiye and the United Kingdom.

"Every year the international television community competes to be recognized on the International Emmys' much-coveted global stage," says Bruce L. Paisner, International Academy president and CEO, in a statement.

"We congratulate the nominees for their outstanding programs and performances, they are once again a testament to the universal appeal of great storytelling across all genres, countries and cultures."

Die Brug, produced by Red Pepper Pictures for M-Net's kykNET (DStv 144) channel on MultiChoice's DStv has been renewed for a second season and is a nominee in the category for Best non-scripted entertainment.

Die Brug, produced by Frederick Louw and Lindi Lucouw, is also a contender in the Best International format category for this year's 18th South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) organised by the National Film and Television Foundation (NFVF) taking place in October in Johannesburg.

In its International Emmy Awards category Die Brug is up against Me Caigo De Risa [Anything Goes] from TelevisaUnivision in Mexico, Restaurant Misverstand [The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes] from Roses Are Blue in Belgium, as well as The Summit from Endemol Shine Australia in Australia.

"Die Brug is a very special format and somewhat of an enigma to produce,” says Cecil Barry, CEO of Red Pepper.

"Working with kykNET on this wonderful format was indeed a great adventure and privilege. We are proud and excited about this Emmy nomination, especially because it brings international recognition to kykNET and Red Pepper."

Waldimar Pelser, M-Net director of premium channels, says "When Marguerite Albrecht, one of the commissioning producers at kykNET, suggested in May 2022 that kykNET adapt the international format Die Brug for our viewers, we knew something exciting was coming".

"The end product, produced by Red Pepper, provided our viewers with immense enjoyment. To receive international recognition for an Afrikaans production filmed near the picturesque Swellendam in the Southern Cape is immensely gratifying. And the second season will be airing on kykNET next year."

Nomsa Philiso, MultiChoice CEO for general entertainment, says "Die Brug is one of those rare reality shows that come along from time to time that turn the genre on its head".

"We’re proud to have been able to adapt a top-notch international format for our local market – and produce such an amazing local version. Congratulations to our talented crew on bringing a uniquely South African flavour to Die Brug, which stands comfortably alongside versions produced anywhere else in the world."

The first season of Die Brug is currently available on MultiChoice's Showmax streamer.

Takalani Sesame which was also a nominee in the 2023 International Emmy Awards is again a nominee in the Kids: factual category.

Takalani Sesame on the South African public broadcaster's SABC2 and produced by the Sesame Workshop and Ochre Moving Pictures, is nominated for its Takalani Sesame Big Feelings special.

In the category, Takalani Sesame competes against De Mensenbieb [Living Library] from Skyhigh TV in the Netherlands, La Vida Secreta de tu Mente [The Secret Life of Your Mind] from Warner Bros. Discovery in Mexico, as well as My Life: Eva's Having a Ball from Fresh Start Media in the United Kingdom.

12th Silwerskerm Film Festival: Day 1 | M-Net commissions Namibian film My F*k, Marelize based on viral video.

by Thinus Ferreira

M-Net has commissioned My F*k, Marelize as a Namibian feature film based on the accident-prone Marelize Horn who went viral for her amateur video of riding a bike into a rugby pole.

My F*k, Marelize as a MultiChoice Namibia production will start shooting in Namibia in September.

Set in Windhoek and inspired by the true events that led up to the iconic rugby pole incident, the film follows the accident-prone Marelize Horn as she prepares to become an au pair in the Netherlands and her mother, Heidi Horn, as she handles a cancer diagnosis.

My F*k, Marelize is written by Safta-winning screenwriter Brett Michael Innes, the film marks the feature film debut of Zandré Coetzer, a television director on the South African hit series Dinge van ’n kind, based on a beloved young-adult novel by Marita van der Vyver. 

"The film is going to surprise everyone," says Brett Michael Innes.

"When people think of a movie based on the phrase ‘'my f*k, Marelize', they're probably expecting a slapstick comedy about a teenager who bumps into things all the time. The story of the Horn family has so much more depth than that, and we can't wait to surprise viewers with it."

Zandré Coetzer says "This story is a celebration of life - a showcase of how our people in Namibia and South Africa greet every challenge with a joke and face it with laughter".

"I was fortunate to spend time with the Horn family and witnessing their dynamic as a unit gave me such a clear vision for the film. As an Afrikaner, it is really special to be able to celebrate my language, culture and people in a story that speaks to our humour and way of doing life."

My F*k, Marelize is a Namibian and South African co-production and a collaboration with Windhoek-based producers Joel Haikali and Sophie Haikali from Joe Vision Productions and the Cape Town production companies Nagvlug Films and Nostalgia Productions.

Paulo Areal rounds out the producing team with financing from the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), kykNET Films and MultiChoice Namibia.

Waldimar Pelser, M-Net channel director for premium channels, says "kykNET is deeply rooted in Namibia, and we take great pride to be able to support not just any co-production with strong Namibian ties, but this one – a story full of pathos and humour with a unique local character".

Joel Haikali says "This lively Namibia-South Africa co-production is a love letter to Windhoek life".

"It celebrates our quirky Namibian charm and vibrant spirit with plenty of humour and our very own delicious flavour of Afrikaans. It’s a film for the entire family, and we are very excited to be a part of it."

Marelize Horn says "It's crazy how this keeps growing. When I got a random Facebook message from Brett last year about wanting to make a film about our family, I didn't know quite what to expect. Now they’re about to start filming, and I can’t wait to see how our experience is brought to life."

12th Silwerskerm Film Festival: Day 1 | Programme manager Tina Kruger on 2024's 'full, vibrant and expansive slate'.

by Thinus Ferreira

As kykNET's 12th Silwerskermfees film festival kicks off today in Cape Town with a glitzy raft of film premieres, deal-making, panel discussions and ending with an awards show on Saturday, thousands of film biz cognoscenti are once again set to descend on The Bay Hotel in Camps Bay for what the programme manager promises will be "a full, vibrant and expansive festival".

Over the next few days attendees and panellists - some flying in from as far as Dubai and London - will listen to panel sessions, attend master classes in the Rotunda and Theatre on the Bay, and have a glass of wine on the deck before Saturday night's Afrikaans film and TV awards show at the Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC) that will seat 1 300 people.

With over 60 litres of sunflower oil, 40kg of flavouring salts and 2 500 boxes that will be used, attendees will munch their way through over 275kg of popcorn as they watch an array of TV pilot episodes, short films, features and a slate of new documentaries.

"Like all other film festivals internationally, we need to continue to be very agile within this space, to continue doing what the Silwerskermfees set out to do in the first place which is to incubate projects and to give new voices an opportunity," Tina Kruger, the festival's programme manager tells me.

"The Silwerskermfees is doing an impeccable job when it comes to fostering a documentary film slate. Last year was the first time we included screening TV pilots and this year we are expanding on that with full-feature documentaries screening at this year's festival."

"The Silwerskermfees keeps expanding in what it offers. We're not just reaching traditional festival goers but we're also open to the public who can come and see and experience the content so that it goes wider than just the immediate film industry".

"Likewise, filmmakers and executives get the chance to rub shoulders with the people who they are making the content for - viewers - and not just getting together for themselves. I think that's a very important shift for the festival as a whole."

Tina Kruger says she's looking to the 2024 Silwerskermfees "which will be a full and vibrant and expansive festival".

Unique Afrikaans focus

Waldimar Pelser, channel director for premium channels at M-Net, tells TVwithThinus that the Silwerskermfees film festival continues to provide a unique Afrikaans focus with a wide umbrella for South Africa's film and TV industry.

"The Silwerskermfees, firstly, has a unique Afrikaans focus. So when we look for film projects to support, we try to find those stories in the Afrikaans community, mostly but not limited to the Western Cape. This Afrikaans community has had uneven access to platforms for storytelling on the big screen. Our efforts aim to address this."

He says those who make kykNET films for Silwerskerm are seasoned filmmakers "but increasingly new voices who often enter the industry for the first time by making a short film for Silwerskermfees" are included as well.

"This, then, is our second unique focus: Silwerskerm is fundamentally a developmental festival where new filmmakers are guided by recognised mentors to make their big screen début."

"There is a great need for mentorship and capital directed at new voices," Waldimar Pelser explains.

"In this vein, Silwerskerm has yielded hundreds of short films and dozens of new film- and TV makers who started their careers with Silwerskerm. We want to sustain this festival as an incubator for talent in the Afrikaans space, even though many of our filmmakers also produce content in other languages." 

Asked whether Afrikaans film specifically is under pressure, Waldimar Pelser says "One could argue Afrikaans film is under less pressure than English language or vernac films in South Africa because Afrikaans films benefit from a dedicated channel which needs a certain volume of films and TV shows every year to fill a linear schedule and satisfy paying subscribers".

"This level of reliable demand has been a game changer for the industry because the volumes of Afrikaans content required always remains above a certain critical level, enabling a small industry to plan and thrive around it."

"At the same time it is true that the entire film industry is under pressure. Afrikaans films are not immune."

"Cinemas are emptier than before Covid and have not recovered. Films premiering on subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services means they often skip theatrical release and pay-TV, which further diminishes the opportunities to recoup costs."

"We are therefore always developing new models to try and fund local films in a way that squares with our mandate, recognises our budgetary constraints, but also allows filmmakers to seek additional external funding."

12th kykNET Silwerskermfees to showcase stories from musical comedy to Muslim burial family drama.

by Thinus Ferreira

Ranging from musical comedy and science fiction to and Anglo Boer War horror story and a Muslim burial family drama, from 28 August the 12th kykNET Silwerskermfees will bring the footfall of established and new film professionals to Camps Bay and a festival line-up that features six feature films, six short films, eight short films by emerging filmmakers, along with five documentaries.

Once again taking place in Cape Town's seabreeze-filled Camps Bay suburb, festival-goers will get to talk show inside the Bay Hotel and Theatre on the Bay while attending various masterclasses, themed panel discussions and workshops, while getting the chance to gaze at episodes of new TV pilots.

The festival will conclude on 31 August with the ritzy blue-carpeted Silwerskerm award ceremony at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) which will be broadcast a day later on 1 September on kykNET (DStv 144).

"We believe in the future of Afrikaans film and television, in the importance of a wide variety of voices, and in the power of stories to change people's lives," says Waldimar Pelser, director of M-Net Premium Channels.

"The kykNET Silwerskermfees film festival aims to do everything possible to discover new storytellers, put talent in the spotlight, and to provide the industry with a space where people can talk, show and come together, with Afrikaans as the glue that binds us," he says.

"The film industry changes constantly, and it certainly faces many economic challenges. Therefore, it is important for kykNET to produce, and help produce films and TV that are commercially amenable, and that will reach the biggest possible audiences in order to keep the industry sustainable."

"We will also continue, even if on a smaller scale, to invest in niche projects that are less commercial but valuable in the context of our culture and our country."

After launching and expanding with a "shotgun shorts" project last year for professional short films, kykNET will debut these films at the festival in August. These will be screened besides six feature films, eight short films by emerging filmmakers, as well as five short documentaries.

Also on the programme for a second year since its introduction last year, are the first public screening of pilot episodes of upcoming new TV series.  

Various workshops, masterclasses and panel discussions with experts and film industry leaders are also on the programme, with topics ranging from how the co-production space is growing, to intimacy coordination on set and adapting works from book to screen. Festival organisers are also making it easier for the public to attend individual screenings and sessions with tickets that can be bought from 26 June through Quicket for specific programme events.

Here is the 12th kykNET Silwerskermfees film festival screening line-up:

FEATURE FILMS

Die dekonstruksie van Retta Blom

Based on Zelda Bezuidenhout's debut chick-lit novel adapted by Henriëtta Gryffenberg adapted.

This drama offers a glimpse into the life of Retta (Antoinette Louw), a housewife who had been content for many years with her role as a mother of two boys, and as a wife to Tobias. The film depicts her deconstruction as she starts questioning the so-called certainties of her life.

Gebokste Liefde

Annelize Frost makes her feature film directorial debut with this Showmax Original romcom.

Tarryn Wyngaard stars as divorced single mom, Suma-Lee. When she’s fired from her job as a fashion designer, she joins a boxing gym and finally finds the courage to stand up for herself and fight for what she wants. Also starring Roché Killian and Jandré le Roux.

Die Bloedhonde

This original murder mystery has Stiaan Smith as director and screenwriter.

Elani Dekker stars as Katrien, whose holiday with her family is cut short by an unexplained death in a resort. Katrien suspects the beloved local reverend, played by Tobie Cronjé, as the evildoer.

Also starring Waldemar Schultz and Anrich Herbst.

Som van Twee

A comedy with Simoné Pretorius as director and screenwriter. 

Louw Venter portrays Henk, a psychologist who wants to give up on life after his wife's death. 

He struggles to communicate with his son Renier (Adriaan Havenga). At his wife’s funeral, Henk admits to an old misdemeanour: leaking the matric maths paper to the entire Barberton. His confession results in a dramatic domino effect of comical adventures.

Also starring James Borthwick, Greteli de Swardt, Righard van Jaarsveld and Pierre Breytenbach.

Die Kwiksilwers

Lida Botha portrays Elsabé Marais, a widow in her eighties whose three friends (June van Merch, Susanne Beyers and Theresa Sedras) convince her to join them on a hilarious road trip through the Karoo to experience a meteor shower in Sutherland.

Hier.Na

Starring Quanita Adams who is also the director and screenwriter.

The movie addresses issues that affect communities and their faith, and tells the story of the Burgess clan, an open-minded family from Cape Town’s northern suburbs. 

Quanita portrays Juleigha, who prefers to be called Julie and describes herself as a "non-practising Muslim". When she suddenly succumbs to a heart attack, her secular husband, Eric (David Isaacs), grants their daughter Leila (Shiefaa Hendricks) her wish to arrange a Muslim funeral together with Julie's mother Sumaya (June van Merch). Eric, Leila, Sumaya and Julie's son, Deen (Lyle October), now have to navigate the undercurrents of many years in one single stormy day to secure a funeral before sunset as required by Muslim tradition.

Breathing In

A horror film set during the Anglo Boer War with Jaco Bouwer as director. A gravely wounded Boer general is nursed by a mysterious traditional healer and her out worldly daughter, has to face a far greater danger than the English soldiers.

SHORT FILMS

Die Groot Twis

A Johann Vermaak film characterised by a delightful retro approach and featuring puppets created by Marelize Viljoen. The film provides a satirical view on The Great Trek with an absurd perspective on historical figures and events.

Die Skynwerper

A psychological drama by Dewet van Rooyen and Linsen Loots that tells the story of Nelis (Ben Albertyn) who is caught up in his dark past. He lives in isolation with his embittered, paralysed father (Dawid Minnaar). After an incident at his work that leads to his dismissal, he auditions for a part in a reality series, Die skynwerper but something is not quite right.

Liewe Dudu

A comedy penned by Lydia Anne Stander about Dudu (Gugu Madlanbane), a sprightly beauty therapist who works at a stereotypical day spa in Pretoria. During the annual inspection, Dudu's day turns into complete chaos. Also starring Millie Dintoe, Zetske van Pletzen and Jaco Muller.

Marie se Laaste Dag

Lourensa Eckard and Mercy Kannemeyer combined their talents to produce this comedy tale set in the period after the first democratic election in 1994.

Marie (Mandri Sunderland), the long-time secretary of the Minister of Mineral Resources, Hendrik van der Merwe (Deon Lotz), is tasked to arrange a meeting with the new Defense Minister, Mayihlome Khumalo (Dumisani Mbebe).

Noise & Neighbours

A drama by Fraser du Toit. A story about a bored little girl and a man who has given up all hope. Bolelo (Maliaka Adonis), daughter of a working single mom, spends her days alone. The grumpy Helmut (Tobie Cronjé) lives in a flat downstairs. But when Bolelo gets a piano as a birthday present, everything changes.

O, Griet! Sy's droog

A dramatic arts film. The artist Johan van der Merwe (Ugan Daniels) literally captured three women in separate framed paintings. Hanging next to one another on a wall, they can't go return to the real world outside. Their only salvation is a new portrait of a girl wearing pearls, who possesses magic powers.

Ons

A dramatic thriller by Izel Bezuidenhout, featuring the married couple, Liezl (Izel Bezuidenhout) and Dirk (Jacques Adriaanse), whose relationship is shaken to the core by a series of revelations and a fatal incident. They are forced to face their deepest fears, insecurities and the consequences of their actions.

Steek vir Steek

A comedy by Jacqueline Viljoen and Jaco van Bosch that follows Rita (Susan Coetzer), an elderly woman, and the ladies of her knitting club who become aware that their retirement home is up for sale. They collaborate to confront Gertjie (Andrew Jordaan), the young owner of the place.

With the help of the receptionist Koekie (Jacqueline Viljoen), Rita creates an online dating app to meet older men and raise funds so save the home.

DOCUMENTARIES

By die Soutwater

A documentary by Marguerite Venter and the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation that puts the spotlight on the other side of the V&A Waterfront in the heart of Cape Town, where a team of marine specialists, scientists and volunteers try to protect sea animals from tourists and an active commercial harbour.

Jan Bloed

A documentary that focuses on the life of Alister Fortuin, aka Jan Bloed, a former member of the Fast Gun gang in Westbury, Johannesburg. He also is a former general of the notorious 26 gang. We see the place where he has committed his first murder, his "flower dens", and we meet the people from his past. His son Vercaino is also in jail. Will father and son be reunited, or will their paths go in different directions?

Maak stil die geblaf

Marisa van Tonder's love for animals and a visit to De Doorns inspired this film.

It follows a group of eleven-year-olds and their dogs in a farming community. As the children go about their lives in an environment marked by limited opportunities and violence close to home, they teach Tiger, Fluffy, Sussa and Lady to jump hurdles and navigate them through tunnels.

Tussen die draad en die dropper

Photojournalist Willem van der Berg goes on a mission to track down the Karoo’s master fencer. Willem has a long and close friendship with Hans Jors, about whom he wrote an article in 2015. But now Hans is nowhere to be found and the farmer whose Karoo kingdom was fenced in by Hans, refuses to provide information. This is a story about people born on the wrong side of the fence.

Vergeet van my

A musical documentary made by Dirkie van der Merwe and the actor Beer Adriaanse. 

When Beer's parents cleaned out their storeroom in 2021, they discovered a forgotten crate containing photos, journals and plastic bags with tapes that were recorded during various music tours. The treasure trove highlights a series of events from an almost forgotten period in the South African music industry. Archive material spanning more than a decade during a revival of alternative Afrikaans music, unveil a story of discovery, coming of age and the dream to be part of something bigger. With music by Zinkplaat, Foto na Dans, eF-eL, Straatligkinders, Tidal Waves and New Holland.

SHOTGUN SHORTS

Baas se honne

Directed by Bennie Fourie. A dark comedy about the life and times of Gys (Albert Pretorius). His existence is a mess, and he finds himself in a dark corner. His boss Roelf (Carel Nel) burdens him with an unwanted dog that Gys must put out.

Deuntjie

A musical comedy that features that little voice in everybody's head. In the case of Deuntjie (Anja Taljaard), a shy, obedient girl, her inner voice manifests as Vera (Daneel van der Walt), a larger-than-life diva accompanied by two backing vocalists, Moses and Jacob. They sing and causes havoc in poor Deuntjie’s head. Chaos ensues when Deuntjie can no longer distinguish between reality and the voices.

Also starring Dean Smith and Cindy Swanepoel.

Die boodskapper

A fantasy story produced by Rebecca Scher and directed by Paul Crafford. 

A model clay man comes to life when the tears of Jake (Liam Kruger), a young boy caught in a bitter conflict between his parents, falls on him. Jake has made the little fellow from modelling clay himself, but now the model is on a mission: He must find a discarded letter written by Jake’s dad Frank (Emile Hager), and see it delivered to Jake’s mom, Susan (Izaan du Toit).

In die verloop van

Written by Philip Rademeyer and Emma Kotze. An intimate film focusing on everyday life amidst a tragic personal loss. It tells the story of Jana (Emma Kotze) and Chris (Wilhelm van der Walt) who wake up after an eventful night. Both are caught up in their own thoughts, but something between them remains unsaid. As they go through their morning routine, the events of the previous evening are gradually revealed.

Liminale

A science fiction drama by Hanneke Schutte. It explores the broken psyche of the depressed Mia (Inge Beckmann), who finds herself in a futuristic institution while being harassed by memories of her husband’s abuse. A psychiatrist, Dr Venter (Michele Burgers), introduces her to the groundbreaking new form of VR therapy.

Selah

With director Brett Michael Innes. A disturbing exploration of postnatal depression and the unvoiced challenges of new parents who struggle to cope. It is about a mother (Erica Wessels) who struggles with her colic baby.

Stilte

Director and cinematographer Jozua Malherbe creates a rich, immersive visual dream full of conflicting emotions around a poem by Hunter Kennedy about fatherhood and how we change over time yet remain the same.

MultiChoice's global co-productions for M-Net are in English, crime stories and in beautiful South African settings.

by Thinus Ferreira

When four upcoming drama series on DStv, all done as co-productions with international partners, unspool in the coming months on M-Net, they'll have three things in common: They're crime stories, they're in English and they're in beautiful South Africa settings.

These three factors are what's in vogue right now for South African co-productions, what works, what viewers in South Africa and worldwide want to see when they watch a South African series, and what MultiChoice and international partners are looking for when doing South African co-prods together.

Devil's Peak, launching on 29 October on M-Net (DStv 101), is a 5-episode crime thriller set in Cape Town - an international co-production from Lookout Point and Expanded Media Productions together with MultiChoice Studios and BBC Studios Distribution distributing it internationally.

Spinners - launching on 8 November on MultiChoice's streamer Showmax and 13 November on Canal+ in Africa - is an 8-episode drama set in the crime-infested Cape Flats resembling Paris' banlieue and Brazil's favelas where a 17-year-old gang getaway-driver dreams of escape through an eclectic motorsport subculture called spinning.

Spinners is a co-production between Showmax and Canal+ with SutdioCanal handling international sales.

Meanwhile filming is underway in KwaZulu-Natal on the second season of the crime drama series Reyka for M-Net - a co-production between Quizzical Pictures and Fremantle - and the two companies are also working together and are filming the crime thriller White Lies also done in scenic Cape Town.

Popular South African co-productions on M-Net and for DStv premium subscribers generally now have three things in common, Nicola van Niekerk, MultiChoice's head of content for premium channels and co-productions, says: "It's crime, it's English and it's in a beautiful setting. We can tell that those work the best".

Nicola van Niekerk was a panellist this week at a MIP Africa session in Cape Town about how TV and film producers in Africa can work with MultiChoice to unlock co-production opportunities with international companies interested in telling and showcasing South African and African stories.

Waldimar Pelser, channel director for premium channels at MultiChoice, was also a panellist and said "The most productive conversations we have are with producers that consume our content and on a visceral level know who our audience is. Our partners have to understand who they're making content for."

He mentioned that content that can only be made locally in South Africa - and that viewers would not be able to find elsewhere - reap the most success.

Tebogo Matlawa, head of scripted content for the middle and mass market for South Africa at MultiChoice, said "producers should also look outside the bubble of their own existence" when working on content but cautioned that while action and dramas have seen success "there isn't much of an appetite for violence".

"Always think, would you watch this with your grandmother?" he advised when considering pitches for scripted content for middle and mass markets.

Victor Sanchez Aghahowa, head of production for MultiChoice West Africa, said "Compelling characters in compelling situations that anybody can relate to – that's what we're looking for. Anything inauthentic will immediately be sniffed out by our younger audience".

Nicola van Niekerk's advice to production companies are for producers to have an in-depth understanding of both the local and the international audience before pitching a project.

"As a producer, you need to assess your story and say, 'Where will this story work?' Will it work in a very specific demographic hyper-locally in South Africa, but where else will it work? Which other broadcaster will like that? And to know that you need to understand all of the broadcaster's strategies on a global level."

Lerato Moruti, senior manager for reality and entertainment for the middle and mass market at M-Net, said that successful reality TV shows provide a sense of "tabloid voyeurism, with family-based reality shows that rate high with viewers".

"South Africans look for meaning in content, and respond well to 'help TV', like the Mzansi Magic reality show Abandoned about orphaned children that seek out family members later in life."

2023 Silwerskerm Film Festival | Day 4: 5 reflections from the fest: Serious, uncertainty, new faces and the name not said.

by Thinus Ferreira

As 2023's edition of kykNET's annual 11th Silwerskermfees film festival drew to a close over the weekend after a week of premieres, film types chattering, and wine glasses clinking in Camps Bay in Cape Town as it rained outside, multiple questions kept swirling about the current state - and future - of South Africa's film and TV biz.

Here are five salient takeaway points to ponder:

1. Serious business

Maybe it was the early spring rains sifting down keeping everyone mostly hunkered down and the sundeck mostly empty, maybe it was the even more urgent need to network and pin down producers and execs for possible early dealmaking and shop talks and introductions at any available bistro table, but the film festival had an even more serious atmosphere than last year. 

Maybe Covid really changed everything.

Some of the late-night frivolity and somewhat party atmosphere was still present - mostly on display on Friday night - complete with a clubhouse DJ vibe on the window-fronted first floor of The Bay Hotel - but none of it was anything like the film fest's joie de vivre like previous years. 

Everywhere it was evident: people milling about were not really in the mood for superficial small talk - they were hanging around waiting for opportune open moments to try and strike while the iron is hot to make quick connections with deliberately sought-out industry types for quick chats, selling themselves and their potential projects and getting numbers into phones.

An on-property "treasure hunt" for a little treasure chest on Thursday tied to the screening of an upcoming new kykNET reality competition show - a neat idea that had the potential to create some communal excitement and buzz at the festival - was quickly over before it even began.

The Silwerskerm film festival is still fun but more than ever everyone attending are focused on fast and furious connection.

2. Programme schedule

This year's Silwerskermfees felt like those who attended never really got the really specific answers they came to seek. 

Maybe there are no answers yet, or no easy answers to be found. Q&A time during and after panel sessions were the most limited and short it's ever been - or was non-existent - as sessions ran out of time.

As South Africa's film biz and creatives are looking for answers from those holding the purse strings and controlling commissioning budgets, answers remained overall elusive and vague. 

With heightened anxiety in a difficult economy about a future with AI, streaming services and where and how everything fit in and together, creatives got vague answers like "we're not looking for niche", "we're looking for new ideas", "we're not looking for what others are doing", "we're looking for edgy", "we want content that resonates with our audience". 

Programme schedule-wise, people complained about and whispered about kykNET's lack of a physical, printed film festival schedule booklet guide this year - something they say work better than just an app, to look up and read schedules and film information and that a real booklet is simply more practical as a quick pull-out.

While the schedule had interesting panels, unlike previous years where panels had more varied experts, panels this year comprised mostly MultiChoice and M-Net execs. It meant festivalgoers got mostly the MultiChoice and M-Net as company talking points - with a lesser emphasis on industry-wider perspectives.

In previous years there were more panel sessions with more general topics under discussion at the film festival - how to finance your film, insurance, securing film locations and general film biz-focused panels. 

These made way for more thematically themed sessions centred around what MultiChoice and M-Net are doing within the content space and what they are looking for.

3. An influx of new faces

Publicists and actors who became producers, execs who became consultants, first-time female directors, new stars, new filmmakers, and old faces venturing into new chapters: The 11th Silwerskermfees was filled with fresh faces trying new things.

The most exciting thing about the Silwerskerm festival is probably its core aim - in which it remains very successful: Making the circle bigger and bringing in new voices, new images, new talent behind and in front of the screen and new hope into what can often be a jaded industry outlook. 

With new films and series - telling new and varied stories set in new and some rarely-shown places - the blue carpet at this year's Bay Hotel saw hundreds of new sets of feet making their way to the Rotunda for premieres, screenings and panel sessions. 

The addition for the first time in its existence of TV to the film festival, also helped to bring an added new dimension as well as new first-time visitors and stars (one from as far as Amsterdam with Trix Viviers starring in Juffrou X). 

So too did the the addition of TV categories for kykNET television shows to the annual awards ceremony.

4. The name not said

Like out of Harry Potter, the elephant in the room - as in previous years - remains the word "Netflix".  You can use the F-word, just politely please try and refrain from using use the N-word.

Even M-Net director of premium channels Waldimar Pelser, in a panel session literally made a mention about "viewers happy to stay with us than being promiscuous and going onto an unnamed streaming platform that's not in the room".

It's not that Netflix scares everyone like a Voldemort. 

It's that its gigantic influence - also in Africa and in South Africa - looms large over the existing TV and film industry and the traditional pay-TV industry which is having to play catch-up here, as they are in the United States and other markets.

What the future will be for TV in local markets where global streamers are increasing their influence and popularity, remains to be seen. It's also that broadcasters, producers and talent have to try and navigate a whole new uncertain world where decisions must be made without a lot of answers and without a lot of information, while the industry's tectonic plates are felt shifting.

5. Awards improvement but ...

kykNET for the first time added TV category winners to its awards show for its Silwerskermfees and renamed it. 

It's now known as the Silwerskerm Awards for TV and Film and it's a great change. There are however more Afrikaans television than just kykNET Afrikaans.

For a first time, the inaugural edition of the Silwerskerm Awards for TV and Film was wonderful but of course it can and will be improved further with more refinements and tweaking as the years go by.

kykNET would do well - and it would do and serve the entire industry well - by making the Silwerskerm Awards for TV and Film more inclusive of Afrikaans television in its totality than by keeping Afrikaans television on other platforms deliberately locked out.

kykNET can - and should - add Afrikaans television to the nominees list, from wherever it is found and available: SABC2, VIA, YouTube, TikTok and more.

Opening the door to celebrate Afrikaans video content wherever it's found won't make kykNET seem smaller or ever lead to "the others" stealing all of the prizes - in fact, it will make kykNET appear even bigger, more gracious, more supportive and something like the Silwerskerm Awards for TV and Film even more credible and representative of everything Afrikaans TV.

It was already quite encouraging how multiple people who present shows on SABC2 and VIA and who make shows for SABC2 and VIA and are producers and executives behind the scenes actually attended the 1st Silwerskerm Awards for TV and Film on Saturday night. 

Their content might not have been "eligible" but they were there, are there and they're all working towards the same common goal: the Afrikaans TV viewer and content consumer. 

They deserve the same recognition for wherever deserving work is done and kykNET sprinkling the TV fairy-dust when it comes to award prizes a little bit wider will further enhance kykNET's stature but also benefit Afrikaans television in its broadest form even more.