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Egg Films and Net#work BBDO win Ad of the Year for Colleague

Martie Bester
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At Creative Circle Ad of the Year on 3 April the Mercedes-Benz’s commercial Colleague won the film category. Bruno Bossi of Egg Films directed, while Brent Singer and Jenny Glover were the executive creative directors.

The hilarious consequences of letting your mind wander while driving, especially when you have a colleague with you, are demonstrated in the spot. (Who knew what could happen when listening to The Girl from Ipanema behind the steering wheel?)

Paul Gilpin shot the commercial, which was edited by Matthew Swanepoel at Priest.

This win follows on Egg Films success at The Loerie Awards, where they were the most awarded production company in 2013.

Watch and embed Colleague at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS8Bje2nt1Y.

African Movie Academy Awards nominations: South African films feature prominently

Martie Bester
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The African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), has announced the 2014 nominees for the 10th edition of this pan-African event.

Various South African films feature prominently on the list of the continent’s prestigious awards for filmmakers of the African Diaspora.

Writer and director Jahmil X.T. Qubeka’s Of Good Report has been nominated in 13 categories; The Forgotten Kingdom, directed by Andrew Mudge and produced by ZenHQ Films in Cape Town, has been nominated for nine awards, while feel-good movie Felix, directed by Roberta Durrant and written by South African Writers’ Guild Muse Award winner Shirley Johnston received eight nominations.

Of Good Report and The Forgotten Kingdom are in the running for Best Feature Film; Mudge and Qubeka have both been nominated in the Best Director of a Feature Film category, with Mudge and Durrant receiving nominations for Best First Feature Film by a Director.

Highly successful South African animated feature film Khumba by Triggerfish Animation Studios on Cape Town has been nominated in the Best Animation category.

The full list of nominees:

EFERE OZAKO AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM

Haunted Soul – Kenya
Siriya Mtungi – Tanzania
Dialemi – Gabon
New Horizon – Nigeria
Nandy l’orpheline – Mali
Living Funeral – Nigeria
Phindile’s Heart – South Africa

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATION

The Hare and the Lion – Burkina Faso
Thank God it’s Friday – Morocco
Leila – Nigeria
Khumba – South Africa
The Brats and Toy Thief – Mozambique

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY

Hamu Beya – The Sand Fishers – Mali
Potraits of a Lone Farmer – Nigeria / Denmark
Kushaya Ingagasi – South Africa
Daughters of the Niger Delta – Nigeria
Sincerely Ethiopia – Ethiopia

OUSMANE SEMBENE AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST FILM IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE

The Forgotten Kingdom – South Africa
B for Boy – Nigeria
Omo Elemosho – Nigeria
Onye Ozi – Nigeria
Ni Sisi – Kenya

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST FILM BY AN AFRICAN LIVING ABROAD

The jury decided there would be no nomination this year for this category.

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA SHORT

Passage – Bahamas
Heaven – USA
Tickle Me Rich – Trinidad and Tobago
Red – USA

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA DOCUMENTARY

Finding Samuel Lowe: From Harlem to China – USA / CANADA
Freedom Summer – USA
No Bois Man, No Frad – Trinidad and Tobago
Through the Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People – USA

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA FEATURE

Tula The Revolt – Curacao
AZU – Venezuela
Kingston Paradise – Jamaica
Retrieval – USA

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN

Northern Affair – Ghana
Of Good Report – South Africa
Ni Sisi – Kenya
Good Old Days: Love of AA – Ghana
Apaye – Nigeria

AMAA 2014 ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN

Good Old Days: Love of AA – Ghana
Apaye – Nigeria
Omo Elemosho – Nigeria
Ni Sisi – Kenya
The Forgotten Kingdom – South Africa

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP

A Mile from Home – Nigeria
Apaye – Nigeria
Once Upon a Road Trip – South Africa
Felista Fable – Uganda
Potomanto – Ghana

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUNDTRACK

Once Upon a Road Trip
Onye Ozi
Felix
Of Good Report
Potomanto

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECT

A Mile from Home
Omo Elemosho
Secret Room
Ni Sisi
Of Good Report

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND

Felix
Northern Affair
Nothing for Mahala
Of Good Report
The Forgotten Kingdom

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

Once Upon a Road Trip
Good Old Days: Love of AA
Of Good Report
The Forgotten Kingdom
The Children of Troumaron

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING

Of Good Report
Accident
Once Upon a Road Trip
Potomanto
Felix

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SCREENPLAY

B for Boy
Of Good Report
Accident
Potomanto
Felix

AMAA 2014 – BAYELSA STATE GOVERNMENT ENDOWED AWARD FOR BEST NIGERIAN FILM

Apaye
B for Boy
Accident
Murder at Prime Suites
Omo Elemosho

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST CHILD ACTOR

Tobe Oboli – Brothers Keeper
Lebohang Ntsane – The Forgotten Kingdom
Hlayani Junior Mabasa – Felix

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST YOUNG / PROMISING ACTOR

Evelyn Galle Ansah – Good Old Days: For the Love of AA
Petronella Tshuma – Of Good Report
Tope Tedela – A Mile from Home
Kitty Phillips – The Children of Troumatron
Shawn Faqua – Lagos Cougar

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Desmond Elliot – Finding Mercy
Thapelo Mofekeng – Felix
Yomi Fash-Lanso – Omo Elemosho
Aniekan Iyoho – Potomanto
Tshamano Sebe – Of Good Report

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Vinaya Sungkur – The Children of Troumaron
Patience Ozokwo – After the Proposal
Marie Humbert – Potomanto
Barbara Soky – Brothers Keeper
Lee-Ann van Rooi – Of Good Report

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Zengo Ngqobe – The Forgotten Kingdom
Kanayo Kanayo – Apaye
Mothusi Magano – Of Good Report
Joseph Benjamin – Murder at Prime Suites
Adjatey Annan – Potomanto
Majid Michel – Brothers Keeper

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Uche Nnadili – B for Boy
Linda Sokhulu – Felix
Chioma Chukwuka Akpotha – Accident
Clarion Chukwura – Apaye
Uche Jombo, Rodriquez, Monalisa Chinda and Daniella Okeke – Lagos Cougar
Joselyn Dumas – Northern Affair

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM BY A DIRECTOR<br>
Roberta Durrant – Felix
Chika Anadu – B for Boy
Andrew Mudge – The Forgotten Kingdom
Harrikrishna and Sharvan Anenden – The Children of Troumaron
Dilman Dila – Felista’s Fable
Joyce Mhango Chavula – No More Tears

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR

Harrikrishna and Sharvan Anenden – Children of Troumaron (Mauritius)
Shirley Frimpong Manso – Potomanto (Ghana)
Andrew Mudge – The Forgotten Kingdom (South Africa)
Jamil X.T. Quebeka – Of Good Report (South Africa)
Teco Benson – Accident (Nigeria)

AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST FILM

Children of Troumaron – Mauritius
Potomanto – Nigeria
The Forgotten Kingdom – South Africa
Of Good Report – South Africa
Accident – Nigeria

Bryan Crawford appointed as VC of FCB Worldwide

Martie Bester
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Bryan Crawford, one of worldwide advertising agency FCB’s most successful executives in Asia Pacific, has been named as Vice Chairman of the network. The announcement was made by global CEO Carter Murray.

For the past eight years, Crawford has been Chairman and Group CEO of FCB Australia and New Zealand, an agency group that has received international recognition for its award-winning creative campaigns.

Joining the global management team, Crawford will report to Murray, while retaining his current role.

“Bryan’s track record in taking agencies from good to great is simply outstanding. He’s been a pillar in our Asia Pacific region for some time and we are capitalising on his talent and ensuring the wider network benefits from his expertise and leadership,’ said Murray.

He continued: “Bryan’s been the driving force behind the success of the New Zealand operation. His extensive experience within and outside the advertising sector will benefit our global team and clients.’

Crawford is the second Vice Chairman to join Murray’s management team, teaming up with Jonathan Harries, who is Vice Chairman and Global Chief Creative Officer.

Uniquely positioned to support and offer guidance to the senior leadership in major markets, especially to those who recently joined the agency, Crawford has a proven track record of an ability to build strong agency culture and has shown business acumen.

Crawford has developed FCB as one of New Zealand’s largest, fully integrated advertising, marketing and communications agencies since joining the agency as CEO in 2006.

His efforts have resulted in delivering positive change to FCB’s portfolio of brand, retail, government and media clients. Crawford was awarded New Zealand Ad Media’s CEO of the Year twice.

Said Crawford: “I’m excited about this opportunity, particularly as it comes at a time when FCB is poised to reaffirm its position as one of the world’s leading advertising networks.

“Carter’s vigour for the business and his appetite for creative and effectiveness excellence is a vision we share. I’m looking forward to working with him and the wider senior leadership team to achieve this and take our clients and team with us on this exciting journey.’

FCB New Zealand won 12 Cannes Lions in 2013, including three Gold. Ranked in the top 20 advertising agencies in the world last year, FCB held the number one position for New Zealand and recently won the sought-after Campaign Brief Agency of the Year.

Executive Eben Greyling exits MultiChoice

Martie Bester
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Eben Greyling, long-term MultiChoice and Naspers executive, has left his position with immediate effect.

Previous head of the group’s pay-television segment, Jim Volkwyn, took over from Greyling on 1 April.

Greyling, who had been with Naspers for more than 18 years in various roles, is reportedly taking a break and wants to pursue new interests. He was appointed to head up pay-television operations in 2009.

Naspers said in a short statement sent to shareholders: “Eben has been instrumental in building the group’s successful pay-TV businesses across the continent. Under his leadership over the last five years the subscriber base and turnover of the pay-TV businesses more than doubled. He has made a great contribution and delivered a sterling service to the group. The board wishes him all the best as he takes a break to prepare for the next phase of his career.’

Greyling joined the group as financial manager of MultiChoice Africa in 1996 and served a number of roles at the company, such as CEO and chief financial officer of the African business and chief financial officer for pay-TV at Naspers subsidiary MIH Holdings.

South African co-production The Forgotten Kingdom wins international awards

Martie Bester
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Director of photography Carlos Carvalho has won the Haskell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography at the 14th annual Woodstock Film Festival Maverick Awards Gala held in New York for The Forgotten Kingdom, the first feature film produced in Lesotho.

The Forgotten Kingdom, directed by Andrew Mudge, tells the story of Atang Mokoeyna, an unemployed young man who lives in Johannesburg and travels home to Lesotho, his ancestral land, to bury his estranged father. Once there, Atang is drawn to the magical beauty and hardships of the country and people he had left behind and forgotten.

Haskell Wexler, an American cinematographer, film producer, and director who was named as one of film history’s 10 most influential cinematographers by the International Cinematographers Guild, presented the award to Carvalho and said the tough city slum shooting in the film has the realistic edge of a documentary, while the camera moves are smooth and there are sometimes painterly frames as part of a transition to the lead characters memories of rural youth.

“The first frame is a lone man on a cliff,’ Wexler commented. “A distant, beautiful shot valid as a still, then after a beat of six the man moves out of frame. A visual transition to the urban. There are strong other world, even mystical images at the remote mountain village. The picture involves the main character in what one viewer describes as “the mystical beauty and hardships of the people’.

“Carlos Carvalho is a first class shooter well deserving of this award,’ continued Wexler. “I hope the Woodstock recognition will encourage him to continue pursuing his artful career doing features like The Forgotten Kingdom where the story he tells is as integrated and important as how you tell it.’

As his prize, Carvalho receives $15,000 worth of film camera equipment rental from Panavision in New York. Other nominees in the cinematography category were Justin Chin for Purgatorio, Sean Porter for It Felt Like Love, and Yasu Tanida for The Retrieval.

The winning cinematographer joined the film industry as a runner in 1992 after studying photography at the Port Elizabeth Technikon. Carvalho has won several other awards and works on TV commercials, feature films, documentaries and corporate infomercials.

At the festival, The Forgotten Kingdom also won the Jury Award for Best Feature Narrative and the award for Best Editing of a Feature Narrative.

Said producer Chris Roland of ZenHQ Films in Cape Town: “The Forgotten Kingdom is a profoundly visual story. The first film ever to be produced in Lesotho, it’s a charming and captivating quest steeped in the history and culture of the Basotho people. We congratulate Carlos Carvalho on this significant win.’

The Forgotten Kingdom screens nationwide in South Africa from 11 April through Indigenous Film Distribution.

Fox International Channels partners with Nigeria’s pay-TV provider Montage

Martie Bester
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21st Century Fox’s multimedia company, Fox International Channels (FIC), has announced a partnership with Montage, a rapidly growing player in the West African Sub-Region pay-TV market.

Also included in the deal is the launch in Africa of one of the iconic brands of the FIC’s portfolio: FOX Movies, a channel dedicated to exceptional movie content that will be seen first on Montage. This agreement is in line with FIC’s corporate strategy of broad expansion of channel distribution into the African territory.

Montage, which provides alternative bouquet of channel genres, received eight channel brands as part of the partnership with FOX Movies from 1 April, also including FOX, FX, FOX Crime, Nat Geo Gold, Baby-TV, Setanta Africa and Setanta Action.

This move sees Montage extend FIC’s carriage on the West African region. Following after the FIC announced the purchase of a 100% stake in Setanta Africa in 2013, the partnership increases the variety in its African portfolio of channels to include sport.

Premiering great series such as Da Vinci’s Demons, The Bridge, The Walking Dead, Falling Skies, Rogue, and Meet the Russians, FIC’s fiction and factual entertainment channels epitomise the most appealing premium TV offer on the market.

CEO of Montage, Bamidele Adetunji, said: “We are pleased to be a partner of the FOX family as we strive to provide quality and credible alternative pay-TV service to the deserving and underserved West African market. We view this deal as strategic and a progressive move that will reshape the entire media and entertainment landscape in years to come while counting on the support of our global partners and regulators to ensure that pay-TV is no longer seen as an exclusive but an inclusive industry in the continent.’

“Africa is a priority market for FIC and our mission to expand the distribution of our channel brands across the continent cannot be realised without Nigeria,’ commented Adam Theiler, EVP of FIC Southern Europe and Africa. “We are thrilled that FOX Movies and our FOX brands will find new audiences through the partnership with Montage, and we look forward to having closer contact with our fans in West Africa.

Concluded Alessandro Tucci, SVP and General Manager for FIC Africa: “We are very pleased with the launch of FOX Movies and the growth of our distribution in the West African region and Montage is a fitting partner in our overall plan of ensuring that the availability of our channels is far reaching. The support from FIC will be driven by a dynamic locally based team situated in Johannesburg; this ensures that our common language and culture position us closer to this territory.’

Afrikaans film Die Windpomp to premiere at Australian Gold Coast Film Festival

Martie Bester
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New Afrikaans film Die Windpomp has been selected to participate in the Australian Gold Coast Film Festival (GCFF). The highly anticipated fantasy love story will premiere in April alongside films such as Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Says Mitch Ziems, Programme Director of the GCFF: “Die Windpomp is wonderfully written and incredibly touching. There is a large Afrikaans community in Australia, and Die Windpomp is the perfect fit. We are thrilled to have the film in this year’s line-up.’

To the film’s credit, Die Windpomp was not submitted to the GCFF for consideration, the festival director heard about the film and after viewing the trailer, requested the movie.

Comments Die Windpomp’s producer Chris Roland of Cape Town-based ZenHQ Films: “It doesn’t happen often that a festival calls a producer and requests a film. We usually submit films to festivals along with thousands of other submissions and hope we get noticed. It’s fantastic when we get asked.’

In Australia, reviewers are referring to Die Windpomp as “poignant’ and have rated it with a $16 ticket price, a rating system used to determine how much reviewers would pay to see a film from $1 to $20.

Says Roland: “That equates to about R150, impressive when you consider the average ticket in South Africa is R55!’

Die Windpomp is being submitted to several film festivals as part of its international marketing strategy, including the Cannes Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival in France and Canada respectively.

The film, written and directed by Etienne Fourie, revolves around a summer romance between Hendri and Margot, two young people living in a retirement village, with a very unexpected twist at the end.

Die Windpomp releases nationwide in South Africa on 25 April through Times Media Films.

European Film Festival returns to Cinema Nouveau

Martie Bester
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The European Film Festival (EUFF), themed Beyond Love, shows exclusively at Cinema Nouveau theatres from 9 to 18 May with the screening of 10 internationally acclaimed films, representing the best of European cinema never before screened to South African audiences.

The movies showing at the EUFF (#EuroFilmFestSA), in partnership with 10 European cultural agencies and embassies in South Africa, are recipients of several awards at international film festivals and competitions, such as the Academy Awards and the Cannes Film Festival.

Showing love’s many faces, which are sometimes unexpected and sometimes challenging, the films are the latest productions from the most exciting and talented film directors in Europe at the moment, which is a true reflection of European cinematographic diversity and creativity.

Says Darryl Els, EUFF 2014 festival director: “The theme of love serves as an interesting starting point for a European film selection. This contemporary selection of films allows us to experience tales beyond the cliche and “national’ narrative, to offer challenging, entertaining and compelling images of love, desire and the current state of Europe.’

Lola Gallant, brand manager of Cinema Nouveau, comments: “We pride ourselves on providing a platform to screen the best foreign language fare, and the 10 films lined up for the EUFF in May are a must-see. We are privileged to offer these films that would otherwise not be available in South Africa, at our cinemas, and are grateful to all the partners involved in putting this festival together.’

The films that will be screened during the European Film Festival 2014 are:

Paradise: Love (Austria) – Cannes Film Festival 2012 – Official Competition
The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium) – Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nominated, 2014
The Hunt (Denmark) – Cannes Film Festival 2012 – Official Competition Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nominated, 2014
Stranger by the Lake (France) – Cannes Film Festival 2013 – Best Director Award, Un Certain Regard section
Barbara (Germany) – Berlin International Film Festival 2012, Best Director Award
The Great Beauty (Italy) – Best Foreign Language Film Oscar 2014
Tabu (Portugal) – Berlin International Film Festival 2012 – Official Competition,
Child’s Pose (Romania) – Berlin International Film Festival 2013, Golden Bear (Best Film)
Living is Easy with Eyes Closed (Spain) – San Sebastian International Film Festival – Official Competition
Le Week-End (United Kingdom) – Toronto International Film Festival

An outreach screening programme and a competition that gives ticket holders the chance to win a trip for two to France form part of the festival. This prize is courtesy of Air France and French tourism agency, Atout France. Find all the details regarding the festival schedule, bookings and competition from 15 April on www.cinemanouveau.co.za.

The 10-day screening programme takes place simultaneously in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria with bookings opening on 15 April. Special festival rates will apply.

The EUFF is co-ordinated by the French Institute of South Africa and organised in partnership with the European Union and eight other European cultural agencies or embassies in South Africa: the British Council, the Camoes Institute, the Goethe Institut, the Italian Cultural Institute, the Flemish government delegation and the Embassies of Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Spain.

For booking information on the festival, visit www.cinemanouveau.co.za or sterkinekor.mobi, or call Ticketline on 082 16789.

Classic Malian film Baara – The Porter screens at AfricAvenir in Namibia

Martie Bester
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AfricAvenir, in partnership with the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre (FNCC), will screen Baara – The Porter, which was the first feature film that was made in Mali in 1978 by acclaimed director Souleymane Cisse, on Wednesday 9 April.

The film tells of a Malian country boy who works as a baara, a porter in Bamako. Balla Traore, a young engineer, befriends the boy and helps him out of a difficult situation with the police and finds him employment at the textile factory where Balla works.

Balla tries to apply his liberal ideas in the factory after having studied in Europe. Apart from taking on the union which the owner controls, he condemns the economic exploitation in the factory as well as the corruption of which his manager is guilty.

Described as the first great African movie dealing with the proletarian class, the film grapples with the greed and corruption of the business elite, and highlights the evolving social consciousness of workers and women.

The movie went on to win a several awards, such as the Grand Prix de la Meilleure Photographie at the Festival International du Film de Locarno and the Etalon de Yennenga at the Panafrican Film and Televsion Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) in 1978 and 1979 respectively.

Baara – The Porter has a running time of 90 minutes and is in Bambara language with English subtitles. Entrance to watch the movie is N$20.

New Afrikaans film Hollywood in my Huis a “refreshing coming-of-age’ rom com

Martie Bester
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On 13 April principal photography begins on writer and director Corne van Rooyen’s debut film Hollywood in my Huis (Hollywood in my House), which will be filmed in Cape Town.

Described as a “spirited, refreshing coming-of-age romantic comedy’ the film tells the story of “wallflower’ Jana, who lives in a poor neighbourhood with her dysfunctional parents.

Seeing Charlize Theron win the Oscar, inspires Jana to change her destiny and she navigates the minefield of family, friendship, peer pressure and a vibrant teenage imagination to ensure her own Hollywood red carpet moment at the imminent matric dance.

Van Rooyen directed the award-winning short film of the same title and wrote the feature-length screenplay with his wife Rene.

With the Van Rooyen’s Red Letter Day Pictures, Dylan Voogt and Saskia Schiel of Stage 5 Films are producing the movie. Jan du Plessis pay channel kykNet is executive producer alongside skilled producer Vlokkie Gordon with her newly established company Advantage Entertainment.

Christa Visser as Jana and Edwin van der Walt as Frikkie, the boy next door, are two exciting new actors who make their screen debuts in Hollywood in my Huis. Visser and Van der Walt are supported by talented local cast members such as Louw Venter (Semi-Soet, Die Laaste Tango, Konfetti) and Nicola Hanekom (Faan se Trein, Jimmy in Pienk) together with Leandie du Randt (Klein Karoo, Die Windpomp), Vilje Maritz (Verraaiers, High Rollers) and radio and television personality Elana Afrika.

An accomplished creative team comprising SAFTA award-winning cinematographer Zenn van Zyl; production designer Michelle Randall; fashion designer Julita de Wet doing wardrobe with SAFTA-nominated hair and make-up artist Julene Paton, will assist Van Rooyen.

The soundtrack will be composed by Ben Ludik while Roshni Haraldsen, post-production supervisor for End Post has been tasked with editing the film.

Media Film Services will supply the gear and Searle Street Post is in charge of the online post-production services.

Hollywood in my Huis will be distributed by Indigenous Film Distribution.

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