“SUPERMAMA’, the first installment of three short films that will complete “The Adventures of SUPERMAMA’ trilogy, will release at selected South African cinemas during August.
The film, directed by Karen van Schalkwyk who co-wrote and co-produced with Damon Berry, plays as part of the supporting programme of specific main features. Ster-Kinekor Distribution previously released “The Storekeeper’, “And there in the Dust’ and “The Sky in Her Eyes’ as short presentations accompanying feature films in recent years.
Introducing Mavis Magayeyana as SUPERMAMA, the 10-minute short film centres on “Mama’, who works as a street vendor in downtown Johannesburg. Inspired by one of her favourite superheroes she decides to take matters into her own hands when her hawker stall is robbed.
Mama teaches herself Kung-Fu in her garden in Alexandria, and over the course of three nights, to her husband’s initial dismay, she sews her own disguise and ends up making the evening news.
“I have never been one for hero stories, so it is strange that for my first film I would choose this as my central theme. But, living in a world where so much brutality, corruption and disregard for human life is perpetuated, it seemed a natural choice,’ says Karen Van Schalkwyk.
Damon Berry adds: “I liked the concept immediately when Karen initially brought it to me. The comic factor and the endless potential for adventure that SUPERMAMA held were obvious. We had to make it happen.’
SUPERMAMA also stars Dambuza Mdledle, Themba Mongwe, Nkosinathi Ndlovu, Bongeziwe Mabandla, Tema Sebopedi, Doris Msibi and Philip Kgomo. The film was shot by Marius van Graan and features “Get Down’, a contemporary title track by written and performed by Dan Selsick and Hugh Davison. Additional music was supplied by The Opera House Orchestra.
The screenplay for SUPERMAMA Episode 2 is currently in development.
SUPERMAMA is owned by Googelplex Productions and powered by The Gauteng Film Commission (GFC), Puma Video, Panasonic, Media Film Service, Video Lab, Film Lab, Screen Africa, Ster-Kinekor Distribution, Cinemark, Popcorn and both NuMetro and Ster-Kinekor Exhibition.
