12 April 2024, Johannesburg. The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and Netflix in association with Indigenous Film Distribution, are pleased to announce the completion and release of the 6 Micro-budget Films.The films are a result of the R28 Million joint fund by the NFVF and Netflix,created with the intent to finance each production at 100% of their budget. This partnership with the global streaming service, Netflix, was announced in March 2021 tocreate new opportunities for emergingfilmmakers in the local film industry after many productions locally and internationally had to behalted due to COVID-19 global lockdowns. Both partners contributed R14 million each in support of the production of local films, which will have exclusive debuts on Netflix.
The six local films were categorized into two streams: four feature films with a budget of R4 million each and two feature films with a budget of R6 million each. Under Stream 1, four Fictional Feature Films by emerging filmmakers were funded at a capped amount of R4 000 000, while for Stream 2, Fictional Feature Films by established filmmakers were capped at R6 000 000.
These are the six films selected:
Runs in the Family, is a film about a reformed con artist, Varun, and his transmasculine son, River, who go on a road trip across South Africa to break River's estranged mother out of rehab. The film is currently streaming on Netflix.
Key Cast: Ace Bhatti, Gabe Gabriel, Diaan Lawrenson, Rob van Vuuren, Cleo Wesley
Director: Ian Gabriel
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Prime, a film about a young man trapped by indecision is triggered by his abusive father's death, shaking up the trauma of his mother's suicide and cutting into the woman he loves, setting him up for the seduction of an ancient demon. The film is currently streaming on Netflix.
Key Cast: Richard Gau, Nomsa Twala, Jasmine Hazi
Director: Thabiso Christopher
Inkabi: The Hitman, film is about Frank, the retired hitman, who has chosen to disappear and start his life as a private taxi driver. He befriends Lucy, a young woman working at a shady downtown casino. After losing custody of her child Angela, Lucy is back on a downward spiral of drugs and high-class prostitution. One night she witnesses the murder of one of her clients, a prominent millionaire in the city. Lucy manages to escape but the killer is out for her blood. She has no one to turn to except Frank, her only friend. The film is currently streaming on Netflix.
Key Cast: Tshamo Sebe, Michelle Tiren, Dumisane Dlamini, Muzi Mthabela and Kenneth Nkosi
Director: Norman Maake
Smart Casual, two couples in Johannesburg travel equal and opposite paths in the search to find love. Taki has sworn off coupledom, that is until he meets Tumi. Mahlatsi and Bheka have been together for years and are looking forward to their third attempt at getting married. As one couple moves towards love and a life together, the other realises that love isn't what they imagined it to be. The film premieres on Netflix in April 2024.
Key Cast: Anga Makubalo, Angela Sithole, Terrence Ngwila, and Mandisa Constable
Director: Zwo Farisani
Soweto Blaze is a hyper-stylised stoner-comedy set in Soweto, South Africa: A small-time pot dealer's attempts at making a better life for himself are ambushed when his dim-witted friends sweep him up in a wacky kidnapping scheme involving a feisty young woman with her own plans. The film will premiere on Netflix in 2024.
Key Cast: Matli Mohapelo, Dimpho More, Nhlanhla Masiya, Sydney Ndlovu, Nyeleti Khoza, Sello Sebotsane, Palesa Mosiea
Director: Brad Katzen
Real Estate Sisters, will take you on a wild ride as two feisty real estate agent sisters, down on their luck and high on sass, aspire to go from selling shabby apartments to high-end real estate in Pretoria. The film will premiere on Netflix in 2024.
Key Cast: Gina Koffman, Leera Mthethwa, Lerato Makheta, Marcus Mabusela, Sibongile Nojila, Jerry Chirindza, Sammy Fever, Jude Ben O'Donovan, Karin van der Laag
Director: Reabetswe Moeti-Vogt
Part of the mandate of the NFVF is to promote the South African Film industry locally and internationally, so this partnership with Netflix has contributed immensely to achieve this. We are proud of, and congratulate the cast and crews of the six films on completing their films and taking the best of who we are as South Africans to the world through their stories, flying the South African flag high on this global streaming leader, Netflix. We look forward to more filmmaker-centred partnerships that will not only help the film industry grow but will also highlight South Africa as the filming destination of choice and contribute to the economy of our country, says NFVF Acting CEO, Thobela Mayinje.
We are incredibly proud of the creators, cast, and crew of all six films that became possible through our partnership with the NFVF, and having the opportunity to bring them to local and global audiences on Netflix. These South African stories by South African filmmakers, demonstrate our commitment to growing and nurturing the next generation of talent and storytellers. We remain committed to investing in local storytellers to keep bringing exciting local stories from emerging and established filmmakers to our local and global audiences, says Ben Amadasun, VP of Content for Middle East and Africa at Netflix.
At Indigenous Film Distribution we always strive to support new filmmakers to get their content off the ground and their films in front of audiences. Working with the NFVF and Netflix as part of this unique initiative achieved exactly that. We are privileged to have worked with such a fantastic ambit of new filmmakers in so many genres and salute our partners at NFVF and Netflix for creating this opportunity for filmmakers, says Helen Kuun, Fou
