Viacom Africa adds its first local South African animation acquisition for its preschool channel NickToons, Munki and Trunk from Sunrise Productions, to the schedule from 2 April.

Viacom Africa did its first local South African animation acquisition for the NickToons (DStv 309) preschool kids channel, with the animation show Munki and Trunk that will start on the preschool kids channel from 2 April at 17:15.

The monkey and elephant cartoon created by the local animation studio, Sunrise Productions, is aimed at kids between 4 and 7 with episodes that are dialogue-free and with edutainment stories revolving around themes of friendship.

"NickToons places a strong focus on educational and entertaining content with great stories and characters that empower kids to learn while they play," says Tasania Parsadh, Nickelodeon channel director.

"Munki and Trunk specifically brings in wholesome themes of friendship, laughter and humor, cultivating a love and awareness of nature and its environment together with problem solving, which is very in line with our programming for the channel."

Sunrise Productions is a local production company with a full service animation studio based in Cape Town, South Africa. Launched in 1998, Sunrise Productions launched the first-ever feature length stop-motion animation in Africa. Munki and Trunk is written and directed by Sam Wilson, with Tim Keller as producer for Sunrise Productions.

"Munki and Trunk is a beautifully crafted CGI series, with wonderful character designs and brilliantly funny story lines," says Tim Keller.

"At Sunrise there's an intense focus on quality, from the storytelling and the animation right down to the moss on the rocks in the background.  We are delighted that the show will premiere on NickToons, it's the perfect home for Munki and Trunk."

INTERVIEW. Actress Juanita de Villiers exits M-Net's Dancing with the Stars South Africa: 'I just saw how people loved me and that is beautiful'.

On Sunday night the actress Juanita de Villiers became the 6th celebrity contestant to be voted out of Dancing with the Stars SA on M-Net (DStv 101), saying it was an amazing experience "and I just saw how people loved me and that is beautiful".

TVwithThinus spoke with Juanita de Villiers, who danced with the professional dancer Johan Dippenaar, as she shares about learning to say "no", feeling sexy in a slimmer body, bonding and making real friends with the dancers - and what unnerved her a bit when she arrived on Saturdays at the ballroom dancing set.

Is there anything you think you could have done differently?

No, I think we worked really hard during the week to get the technique and the dancing as well as we can. And then it depends on whether people liked it.

I think from side I'm so happy and so thankful for what we've done and Johan was such an amazing teacher also. I couldn't ask for more.

How do you feel about being voted out?

I'm disappointed for sure but I also know how it works and I understand that it depends on voters and people who are engaged with you and love you, so it's right to also get voted out. My dance wasn't maybe good enough or they couldn't connect with me. It doesn't matter, you know, as long as I've done my best, and I really feel last night was my best performance in general, so I'm so, so happy.

What has the experience been like for you being part of this show?

I think the whole experience – I’ve learnt that I'm much stronger than what you think you are. You can handle a lot more stuff and your body is such an amazing thing to have and to push. 

I think the thing I've learnt the most about myself and my personality is how much further I can push myself. The whole experience was just amazing. I'm so unbelievable thankful for this platform, for my career, but also personally. It also brought people together, and my support system together and helping me and I just saw how people loved me and that is beautiful.

What do you think of the judges?

The judges are great to be there because they must help the people who don't know what the technique is supposed to be – that’s their job. 

And I'm glad that they're there and they've done what they've done. I was a bit confused last night with the comments but I think I understand what they tried to say is that if your technique is there but you don't "perform" it more, it's not good enough but I feel that I really performed. So, I understand that they must do what they must do and help the people realise – they must give a guideline for people. 

What was the hardest for you?

I think if I must be honest is on a Saturday when you get to the stage for the first time and they play the song for the first time and a live band – I think that was the hardest for me, listening to this track that you are rehearsing, and then on a Saturday morning you get there, and the music sounds totally different. That was the hardest for me, just to get your ear to go "don't worry, don't panic, you know what you're doing, you'll be fine".

How did your body change?

Ha ha ha. Wow, I feel like a million bucks! I've lost so much weight and I think that's a very big plus point for me. 

But ja, my body changed in a very great way. Ha ha, I'm loving this body so I'm really going to try and not eat too much and leave the chocolates alone now! Ja, I've lost centimetres and I'm toned and I think that's what dancing does to you - it develops muscles you've never had and you look pretty and sexy! Ha ha.

What did you not expect about this journey?

That, tjo. I think that I really just fell in love with all the contestants – and even the professional dancers. I didn't think that I would really get to know them, because you're only there the weekends but you're under such pressure and you really get to know the people. And I think that was such a lovely surprise for me also to really get to know people and to get to love them - they're amazing and talented and such gifted people. That was one unexpected thing for me. 

What did you learn about yourself?

I think the most important thing for me was so say what I feel. 

You know, I'm very easy-going and can handle anything and everything. But sometimes you need to say what you feel and believe in it and speak to that. That's the biggest thing I've learn in this journey – it’s okay sometimes to say "I'm not happy," or "I don't like this," and embrace that. You can sometimes say "No, I don't like it". 

And that was the nicest experience for me because I usually just let it go, and with this journey I had a chance to say "No, I don't like this," or "I don't want this," and that was great for me as a person.

REVIEW. 2018's 12th South African Film and TV Awards was again a badly done production, marred by a litany of the same embarrassing mistakes as in previous years and damaging the image of the industry it's supposed to showcase.

The 12th South African Film and TV Awards (Saftas) was once again a badly done and embarrassing sub standard production, with the award show broadcast on SABC2 that was marred by a litany of the same mistakes as in previous years and damaging the image of the very industry it's supposed to showcase.

With the live broadcast once again running far over time - only ending at 23:03 instead of 22:30 and one of the big indicators of when a live show is badly produced and not keeping to its supposedly minute-my-minute pre-mapped plan - viewers who might have set recordings would have missed the whole last part of the show once again boycotted by some of the biggest shows on South African television.

The first award in this year's televised Saftas, produced by the attv production company for the NFVF, was only handed out after 25 minutes in - the thing that viewers are actually tuning in for.

The National Film and Video Foundation's (NFVF) broadcast of the 12th Saftas - done for a second year from Sun City and with NFVF CEO Zama Mkosi getting an executive producer title - was again marred by on-air spelling mistakes, sound and visual problems and mistakes throughout.

The 12th Saftas again contained too many awkward presenter and script mistakes, wrong names called out, wrong pronunciation from a lack of practice and rehearsal, wrong footage roll, and names embarrassingly left out of the In Memoriam segment.

The amateur, uninspiring set construction with a wooden stage quickly showed up as dull from shoeprints that were never polished during ad breaks and with visible scrapes during panning shots, as even the reflective trim on the front steps started to fall off and hang.

Shaky camerawork at times spinning off into darkness with the director not switching to another live cam in time, panning shots over empty chairs without any seat-fillers, viewers hearing the floor manager directing the in-studio audience while the nominee roll plays, and a lack of representatives and executives from e.tv, M-Net and MultiChoice leaving it mostly a SABC majority, added to amateur production values of the ceremony that is supposed to show how good South Africa's film and TV production is.

Saturday's cringe-worthy Saftas looked like a badly organised school concert, one where it's more about the act of dressing up and going to show off clothes, coiffe and Jimmy Choo's, than actually honouring television and film work.

Like a kindergarden end-of-year pantomime, this year's Saftas once again created the impression that the parents (TV and film talent attending) looking on, are somehow in on an act and colluding with a set of unspoken rules - coming together to watch an on-stage spectacle without any expectation of quality, but looking to see if their child gets a moment to shine and if anyone's able to move at least halfway-right on cue and say at least some of the words right while looking pretty.

Like a school headmistress before the week's assembly guest or speaker arrives, as a housekeeping and production rule, Thando Thabethe on-air had to tell the audience they will be played off if they talk too long. It's something that nominees should be told off-air as part of their initial invitation pack and by the stage manager before the start of the live show.

Camera shots kept showing people walking around. At some point viewers heard the floor manager trying to tell the audience, "When a winner comes up, please ..."

Adding to the awkwardness and embarrassment was NFVF CEO Zama Mkosi who later popped up on stage (doesn't she belong in the final control box directing playout as executive producer?) who appeared earlier in a pre-recorded, taped message, alluding to the allegations of corruption mismanagement and mismanagement of funds, telling viewers how difficult it is to find funding for the Saftas due to the "ongoing bad press" in the media.

Embarrassed presenters literally called out mistakes. "That is a mistake," said co-host Phat Joe early on in the 12th Saftas broadcast, before he later also wrongly stumbled, then retreated from the stage while one category sub set was still ongoing, as visible problems and errors kept stacking up.

Several times during the Saftas presenters wondered out loud where the envelopes and Golden Horn statues were that they were supposed to read out and hand over.

"Obviously that is not Emmanuel Castis on screen," said Emmanuel Castis after wrong footage were shown. "I'm definitely not Lerato Kganyago," said Nomzamo Mbatha on stage who was introduced as Lerato.

Several times the mics of on-stage presenters were faulty, simply not turned on or not channeled through the sound desk correctly, leaving it to the side-stage mics to capture the sound, and for the hall audio to be relayed to viewers at home - resulting in the "boxy" voices.

Some of this ironically happened during the segment where the Noot vir Noot music show creator, Johan Stemmet was honoured with one of this year's Lifetime achievement awards.

The In Memoriam segment to honour TV and film people who've passed away in the past year again left out several names, meaning that very basic research isn't being done by the NFVF and Saftas or can't be done and that there is a lack of access to basic newspaper archives. With the focus on, and large shots of musicians, viewers at home struggled to actually see all the names the Saftas segment was supposed to be about.

There were many more mistakes and daft, inexplicable production decisions that resulted in terrible production values for what was yet-again a shoddy Saftas.

South Africa's TV and film industry deserves a better produced, better organised and a better broadcast Saftas, while South African viewers who have to sit through over three hours of television trash deserve a better done show.

M-Net's weekly investigative magazine show, Carte Blanche, this Sunday at 7pm looks at South African girls stripping on sex cams, the growing corruption case against Jacob Zuma, how the VAT hike will impact the poor and the government's Esidimeni scandal.

M-Net's weekly investigative magazine show, Carte Blanche, this Sunday at 19:00 on M-Net (DStv 101) will be looking at the South African government's scandalous Esidimeni tragedy and what the impact is going to be of the government's hike to 15% of VAT on poor households.

Meanwhile the fraud and corruption case is building against former president Jacob Zuma, and Carte Blanche also looks at how South African girls are stripping online as part of sex streaming shows.

Life After Esidimeni

The families of the Esidimeni tragedy have been awarded R1.2-million each as compensation for the lives lost in the tragedy. 

Retired deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke made damning observations in his arbitration award about the sheer lack of accountability for the lives of patients, saying senior officials had lied, played victim and violated the constitution. Carte Blanche asks: while responsibility has been apportioned, will it improve the state of mental health care services?  

Producer: Anna-Maria van Niekerk and Marzanne van den Berg

Presenter: Devi Sankaree Govender

VAT

Value Added Tax (VAT) will be increased to 15% from 1 April 2018. Some say it's a necessary step to keep the economy on track but others blame it squarely on State capture and corruption. 

The big question is: with the majority of South Africans living below the poverty line, how will the poor compensate from their already empty pockets?

Producer: Sophia Phirippides

Presenter: Nhlanhla Sehume

Researcher: Siniketiwe Hlanze

The Case against Zuma

After years of delays and obfuscation, it seems Jacob Zuma’s past is finally catching up with him. Armed with a docket of multiple counts of fraud and corruption, the National Prosecuting Authority believes it has a strong case against the former president.  But could Zuma still have a few smart legal cards to play?

Producer: Este de Klerk

Presenter: Devi Sankaree Govender

Cam Girls

It’s a lucrative business and many South African women are cashing in. Using their bodies, a webcam and an internet connection, cam girls are combining old methods of stripping with modern technology to make money. Carte Blanche explores the real world of camming.

Producer: Tarryn Crossman

Presenter: Claire Mawisa

On Sunday there's a special "Making Of" episode of the Blue Planet II on BBC Earth showing how the BBC's natural history went about capturing the underwater content for the series.

This Sunday on BBC Earth (DStv 184) at 16:00 there's a special episode of the BBC's Blue Planet II, entitled "The Making Of" that's actually an episode showing and containing the extras that's available on the Blue Planet II DVD box set, that reveals the stories behind some of the memorable moments and how the footage was captured.

The Blue Planet II "Making Of" episode shows viewers the extremes the team from the BBC’s natural history unit went to and the ground-breaking filming technology used during their four years of filming to capture the cinematic underwater content from around the world.

The devastation that plastic wreaks on our environment and especially on our oceans is always a hot topic and the episode will show the impact plastic has on the worlds that co-exist with ours under the surface of our oceans.

Second night of the NFVF's once again badly organised and flawed 12th South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) to be broadcast on SABC2 after the first night's technical awards once again saw headscratcher trophies handed out.

The second awards night of the National Film and Video Foundation's (NFVF) once again badly organised and flawed 12th South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) will be taking place this evening at Sun City and broadcast on SABC2 as a live event starting at 20:00.

The Saftas' first awards night for "technical awards" - once again with mind-boggling winners in categories they don't belong in - took place on Thursday night at Sun City.

It wasn't shown on television nor live-streamed on social media, online or through any commercial video-on-demand (VOD) services available in South Africa, with talent working behind-the-scenes literally kept away from viewers and behind the scenes, and with absolutely no progression made by the NFVF to try and show this night's winners to people.

As in the past people not physically attending couldn't hear acceptance speeches, see people accepting awards, or hear what the South Africans actually making film and television had to say to their peers in the local industry.

The NFVF's communications coordinator Neo Moretlwe and its roped-in PR agency Mason Communications to handle the media for the Saftas didn't respond with answers to a media enquiry asking what production company is responsible for producing the 12th Saftas show this year, who designed and built and stage that viewers will see on Saturday night, why viewers should be tuning in to watch, or how many people the Saftas are preparing for to attend the awards show this year.

There's also been no quotable from Zama Mkosi, the NFVF chairperson in the pre-show press release. Choosing who get Golden Horn trophies are 262 judges under chairpersons Firdoze Bulbulia and Thembi Mtshali-Jones.

On Thursday the Saftas judges were once again responsible for bestowing several headscratcher trophies to category winners.

The Cheeky Media produced Wingin' It, broadcast on M-Net (DStv 101), for instance won as Best Reality show while its actually a travel magazine show.

"Enviroserv: Kicking Up a Stink" from Nguni TV was handed a Saftas trophy as Best Current Affairs Programme while it was actually an insert that aired in SABC2's 50/50 environmental affairs magazine show. As in the past there were several other weird Saftas winners.

Once again the NFVF and the Saftas are also completely ignoring large swathes of programming genres and categories like news, current affairs programming genres and magazine shows who are not able to enter.

The 12th Saftas are also again suffering from an ongoing boycott by South African production companies and shows damaging the award show's credibility with the winner of the Most Popular TV Soap that will once again be a hollow victory since the NFVF and Saftas locked out companies from all other categories over their refusal to enter.

The credibility of the 12th Saftas are once again tarnished as Generations on SABC1 produced by Morula Pictures and Muvhango on SABC2 produced by Word of Mouth Productions - two of the most watched shows on South African television - are both boycotting the Saftas over ongoing problems with the judging process, transparency and other grievances.

As in previous years, the winner of the Most Popular Soap category at the 12th Saftas - as voted for by viewers - will this year once again not be a true reflection of what the viewers' choice really might be since the NFVF and the Saftas blocked viewers who wanted to vote for Generations or Muvhango from being able to.

The co-hosts for the 12th South African Film and Television Awards will be Phat Joe and Thando Thabethe.

The 12th Saftas will be doing a red carpet pre-show broadcast at 19:30 on SABC2 with Kuli Roberts from SABC3's Trending SA show, with Rorisang Thandekiso.

Tebogo Leshope appointed as new COO at parastatal signal distributor, Sentech.

Tebogo Leshope has been appointed as the new chief operating officer (COO) at South Africa's parastatal signal distributor, Sentech.

Tebogo Leshope has been with the state-owned company for 19 years. Sentech does broadcasting signal distribution in South Africa for for instance the South African public broadcaster, the SABC, that owes Sentech hundreds of millions of rands in arrear payments.

In a statement announcing Tebogo Leshope's appointment, Sentech says he possesses telecommunications experience, with proven leadership capabilities on highly complex operations and telecommunications projects and that he has managed complex technology projects, developed technology operating models and led operations.

Tebogo Leshope is qualified in electrical engineering, with a Bachelor of Technology from University of Johannesburg, Project Management from Unisa and is a registered professional with the Engineering Council of South Africa, South African Institute of Electrical Engineers and the Institute of Directors Southern Africa.

"As Tebogo Leshope takes on the COO responsibilities, we are positive that he will provide Sentech with core operations leadership, driving operational excellence, business growth and migration of core platforms to digital," says Mlamli Booi, Sentech CEO.

SABC top management to now meet with unions after the Communication Workers Union (CWU) also sends a letter to execs demanding answers about allegations of SABC News corruption, Kenneth Makatees, and changes at SABC News and SAfm without consultation.

The SABC's top management will be meeting with trade unions to try and prevent legal action from trade unions who are unhappy over changes at the public broadcaster's SABC News division, including the revamping of the SABC News (DStv 404) channel on MultiChoice's platform and turning SAfm into a talk radio station.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has sent a letter to the SABC's top executives, similar to the Broadcasting, Electronic, Media  Allied Workers Union (Bemawu), also demanding that the SABC stops implementing sweeping changes in its newsroom without proper consultation, and demanding that the SABC release the report into a recent investigation into allegations of corruption in the SABC News editing division.

In the Bemawu petition, 116 SABC News staffers warn over ongoing allegations of victimisation at the SABC, political interference, Hlaudi Motsoeneng "enforcers" who are still active at the SABC, and sex for jobs at the public broadcaster.

In a letter the CWU demands that the SABC release the findings of a recent investigation into allegations of corruption at SABC news editing.

In the letter the CWU's Billy Matsitse says the trade union "note with concern the challenges at news division, and we request your office facilitate an urgent meeting to address the issues".

The CWU, like Bemawu, is also upset about the ongoing presence of the controversial SABC staffer Kenneth Makatees at the SABC's newsroom in Auckland Park, wanting to know why he is here and not back in Cape Town since his period of acting as head of news has lapsed.

"Rumour is that he is earmarked to take over as head of the 24-hour SABC News channel. Positions cannot be created for pals or individuals. We demand that Kenneth Maketees to immediately assume his position in Cape Town," says the CWU.

"We note with concern the ‘turnaround’ at news without consultation of which it has impact on our members. Talent is brought in from our competitors, and what we see is that they bring their own personnel (crew or their own producers). What will happen to our technical people who have been performing such functions?" says the CWU.

The CWU demands that the SABC explain "the rationale behind the SAfm changes" and want to know why the appointment process for the position of SABC political editor is not transparent.

"We know interviews happened, but Corporation decided otherwise and advertised externally. We want to know why is the SABC ignoring talent from within".

The CWU also wants the SABC's top executives to explain changes to news technical staffers' contracts, since contracts of staffers were not renewed during the Henley and news technical staff merger. "As CWU, we feel that we need to act with speed and resolve the matters raised."

The SABC now says it will be meeting with the unions, following an appearance of SABC top management in parliament this week before the portfolio committee on communications.

M-Net launching the M-Net Movies Marvel Studios pop-up channel from 13 April for DStv Premium subscribers showing 15 Marvel action hero films as well as documentaries and extras.

M-Net's M-Net Movies channel division is creating another pop-up channel, this time a M-Net Movies Marvel Studios pop-up channel that will run for 10 days in April for DStv Premium subscribers.

The M-Net Movies Marvel Studios pop-up channel will start on Friday 13 April on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform on DStv channel 109, and will run until Sunday 22 April, showing 15 Marvel action hero films and some other content, in the lead-up to Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War movie being released in cinemas.

The M-Net Movies Marvel Studios pop-up channel will run from 06:00 to midnight daily.

Each day of the week a film from the Marvel action hero franchise, which has overlapping storylines, will be shown in chronological order. 

Starting with 2008’s Iron Man, DStv subscribers can revisit the stories of the heroes all the way through to Spider-Man: Homecoming, which will close the channel on Sunday 22 April.

"This channel is a special treat for the legions of Marvel fans - both old and new - who have enjoyed the live-action exploits of favourite Marvel Superheroes in films that express the unique vision and creativity of their filmmakers, and deliver thrilling action and visual spectacles with relatable characters," says Lani Lombard, M-Net's head of publicity.

"The timing of our M-Net Movies Marvels Studios pop-up channel is also absolutely perfect with the franchise currently creating an incredible buzz worldwide."  

The release of the recent Black Panther became the biggest film of all time in East, West and South Africa, showing that Marvel Studios is at the forefront of the comic-book-turned-action-pop-culture phenomenon. 

While the M-Net Movies Marvel pop-up channel will give DStv viewers the opportunity to enjoy more gems of the franchise, which has been ten years in the making, it also serves as a lead-up to the new Avengers: Infinity War which hits South African cinemas on Friday 27 April 2018.

On top of the 15 feature films there will also be programming linked to the behind the scenes of the movies, such as: United We Stand, Divided We Fall; The Making of Captain America: Civil War; Guide to The Galaxy with James Gunn and more. 

Additionally, avid fans of the blockbuster franchise will be treated to a range of documentaries offering incredible insight into the history of Marvel. 

These include: Marvel 75 Years From Pulp to Pop; From Asgard To Earth (Thor); Marvel's Captain America: 75 Heroic Years; Ultimate Iron Man: The Making of Iron Man 2 Rebuilding the Suit, and Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe.

The 15 Marvel Studios blockbusters on the M-Net Movies Marvel Studios pop-up channel are:

Iron Man (2008)

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Thor (2011)

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Marvel's The Avengers (2012)

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Ant-Man (2015)

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Doctor Strange (2016)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)