This year’s Joburg Film Festival starts on Tuesday (27 February 2024) and a notable highlight is the world premiere of the Showmax Original film Musangwe (watch the trailer on YouTube).
The South African movie will screen at 17h30 on Wednesday, 28 February at Theatre-on-the-Square in Sandton. It will subsequently launch on Showmax on Friday, 22 March 2024.
‘Musangwe’ movie
Musangwe tells the story of Takalani Masevhe, who wants to become a champion boxer but is reluctant to take the long, hard route. While visiting his ailing grandmother in Venda, Limpopo, he discovers musangwe, a bare-knuckle boxing competition. He enters the competition and tries to win the title and Lufuno’s affection – but the reigning champion Matome stands in his way.
Cast
Wiseman Zitha (Entangled) stars as Takalani, with Mulisa Mudau (Muvhango) as Lufuno and Tiisetso Thoka (The Herd) as Matome. Others in the cast include Africa Movie Academy Award nominee Millicent Makhado (Muvhango), Phophi Mudau (Skeem Saam), Elsie Rasalanavho (Muvhango) and Khathu Litshani, well-known on TikTok as DJ Khathu.
Musangwe is produced by The Milton Empire (Intlawulo, Mzali Wam), with Lufuno Nekhabambe making his feature film directorial debut. Nekhabambe was part of the SAFTA-winning directing team on Gomora and was also nominated twice for his work on Isithembiso.
More Showmax films coming
Meanwhile, nine films by first-time directors are currently in production following an open call by Showmax and the Joburg Film Festival at last year’s edition of the festival. The African streamer received 296 submissions from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. An expert panel subsequently made the final picks.
The films in development for Showmax include:
- Adam, a drama from South African writer Winford Collings and director Liyema Speelman. A headstrong teenager clashes with his idealistic teacher at a farm school.
- Bet I Love You, a comedy from Nigerian writer-director Joseph Duke. After losing a bet, Akin tries to get the money he was given for his sister’s wedding back in time for her ceremony.
- Bobo, a crime drama from Kenyan director Maurice Muendo. A promising runway model puts her career in jeopardy when she falls in love with a criminal.
- Finding Optel, a whimsical detective story from South African directors Mikayla Brown and Jesse Brown. A teen detective is determined to find her neighbourhood’s missing dog, Optel, but the search opens old wounds about her brother’s disappearance seven years before.
- Kites, a comedy from South African writer-director Menzi Mzimela. Sihle offered to drive his DJ friends to their gigs – not a body to the hospital…
- Pretty’s Daughter, a teen drama from South African writer-director Siphokazi Mtila. While Sine struggles with her “new” mother, she has to navigate the treacherous waters of her posh new school, mean girls, crushes and what it really means to be yourself when you don’t recognise who that is.
- Perfect Match, a romcom from South African director Mphomotseng Hoelejane. When a lobola mishap upturns his perfect plans, under-pressure Muzi Nyathi teams up with a sassy swindler to prove himself to his family, but they both get more than they bargained for.
- Pheletso, a thriller from South African writer-director Zack Ntombeni, about a fatal collision that rips two families apart
- Race to Liberty – The Accountant, a thriller from Ghanaian writer-director Nathaniel Nicholai Williams, about an accountant with a gambling addiction that leaves him in debt to a drug kingpin.
Mandla N and Kelsey Egan are some of the first-time feature film directors who got their break on Showmax. Loving Thokoza won Mandla a SAFTA for Made-for-TV Movie and Kelsey’s Glasshouse won five SAFTAs, becoming the most-awarded feature film overall at the SAFTAs.