A film about a man who has 48 hours to live won Best Film at the recent Amasiko Heritage Festival held at Unisa, Pretoria.
Writer / producer / director Bonginhlanhla Ncube (aka Mr B) shot 48 over 14 days in Pretoria earlier this year. The film stars Muvhango’s Millicent Mothiba (nee Makhado), Karabo Lance, a local DJ at a Christian radio station, Jeffrey Sekele of Jerusalema fame and Khulu Skenjana, who acted alongside Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon in Invictus.
48 has a lot of other well known faces. “It is a star-studded film; this was done in order to entertain audiences from all walks of life, whether you like movies or TV soapies, you’ll find a character you know and love,’ says publicist Faith Hanyani Mangwani, who doubles up as the newsreader in the film.
The film premiered on pay-TV broadcaster M-Net’s Mzansi Magic channel at the end of May this year.
Says Mr B: “48 always promised to be a great film – it was selected for the Durban International Film Festival but unfortunately had to be withdrawn because it had played on TV before the festival screenings. I was very happy to learn of its selection for screening by the Amasiko Heritage Festival.’
The film has been entered into several international film festivals. Mr B notes that these are very strict with tight competition.
“Locally, the response to 48 has been amazing,’ he says. “It has been signed up by two distributors who have put it up in Dakota stores and Look & Listen shops countrywide. The film is being strongly considered by other well known music & DVD shops as well.
“I believe every person has a right to buy any film they want, be it an international film, Nigerian film or Proudly South African production like 48. However, when you buy locally made films, you create employment for our actors and encourage promising filmmakers like myself to make more films.’
To watch a trailer of 48 visit www.48themovie.com.
