South African film, SARAFINA! has received another standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival… 31 years after it first premiered at the prestigious festival on the French Riviera. Watch below. “It was the best reaction!” producer Anant Singh told SAPeople at a beach event afterwards. There were tears shed by the international audience as the […]

The 2023 Durban FilmMart (DFM), Africa’s premier coproduction and finance market, has selected 28 projects for its Pitch and Finance Forum. Under the theme African Constellations, the 14th DFM takes place from 21 – 24 July 2023 as a 4-day physical event in Durban, South Africa.   The Pitch and Finance Forum functions as a crucial […]

Succession star Brian Cox told SAPeople this week that he would LOVE to work in South Africa again. The award-winning actor, who was in Lille (France) as Guest of Honour for Series Mania, spoke to SAPeople about the show, family and his experiences filming in SA. Cox also gave a Masterclass in advance of the […]

South African actor and producer, Stelio Savante, has been enjoying a thriving career in Los Angeles for years. At this year’s European Film Market (EFM), during the Berlinale, he was represented in not just one, but three films. Here, the South African born and US-based multilingual American Movie award winner (plus SAG and the Berlinale’s […]

South African filmmaker Sandulela Asanda, was in Berlin recently with her coming-of-age concept film, ‘Mirror Mirror’, starring Luhle Macanda, Buhle Ngaba and Mpumi Sizani. The powerful, funny and provocative short film was warmly received amongst the Berlinale’s Generation14plus Programme. Sandulela, who is a graduate of the AFDA Film School in Cape Town, spoke to SAPeople […]

‘Mirror Mirror’, a short film by South African filmmaker and graduate of the AFDA Film School in Cape Town, Sandulela Asanda, is having its European premiere at the Berlinale (16-26th of February 2023). This coming-of-age comedy is a nine minute mix of English and Xhosa, showcasing the frustrating sexual self-exploration journey of Luthando, a young teenager, played […]

South African actor and producer Stelio Savante stars in the lead ensemble cast of three films slated for world-wide sales at the EFM (European Film Market) at this year’s Berlinale in Germany, which kicked off today. The first film is a noir thriller What Remains, in which Savante stars opposite Anne Heche in what tragically […]

‘No Place But Here’ had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), as part of the Art Directions: Immersive Media. The film was warmly received with all 86 of the 15-minute screenings being sold out! The ‘360-degree documentary’ uses virtual-reality technology to bring the audience into the lives and stories of the […]

‘Shimoni’, a directorial debut feature by Kenyan director Angela Wanjiku Wamai, is competing in the Joburg Film Festival where it had its African premiere yesterday. The film was also among the Bright Future films at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). Angela told SAPeople: “I couldn’t make it (to Joburg) because I’m doing a writing […]

A film from Africa has scooped the top prize at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). Cameroonian filmmaker Cyrielle Raingou won the festival’s Tiger Competition Award 2023 on Friday night, with her profound documentary ‘Le Spectre de Boko Haram’, beating out 15 other finalists from around the world. Raingou sat down to speak with SAPeople […]

José Cardoso and Adrian Van Wyk’s short documentary, ‘What the Soil Remembers’, had its premiere on Friday 27th at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) in The Netherlands, where it is competing in the Ammodo Tiger Short Competition. The documentary, ‘What the Soil Remembers’, deals with the ongoing trauma of the community of Die Vlakte, […]

Honorary Oscar award winning actor, Jackie Chan, came to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for an in-conversation at the Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF), coinciding with the 60th anniversary of his film career. Having acted and participated in over 300 films, Jackie Chan, the man responsible for creating an art out of martial arts, spoke about […]

The new Oliver Hermanus movie ‘Living’ starring Bill Nighy premiered in MENA in the festival favourites at the Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Monday 5th of December. The director Oliver Hermanus is best known for Moffie (2019) and Beauty (2011) which won the Queer Palm Award at that year’s […]

Ruben Östlund’s satirical drama comedy, Triangle of Sadness, had its MENA Premiere 2nd of December at the Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The film, starring late South African actress Charlbi Dean, is screening as part of the International Spectacular program of the RSIFF. In three acts the film dives deep into […]

UN Climate Change News – This year’s Bonn annual UN Climate Change Conference kicked off today, designed to lay the groundwork for success at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Governments are meeting for the first time since the conclusion of the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow last November, at which the operational details of […]

While much of the world has rallied to support Ukraine as it comes under fire from Russia, South Africans who are fleeing the country have shared accounts of alleged discrimination they say they have suffered at the hands of Ukraine soldiers and border post officials. Fortunately three exceptional South African women have rallied together to […]

As Tom Cruise prepares to begin filming Mission Impossible 8 in South Africa, SAPeople spoke to 22-year-old British-Libyan actor, Adam Ali, about his experience filming in the country. Adam, who recently won the Best Actor award at the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) for his performance in ‘Europa’, spent the month of October […]

A film in development, featuring the first armed female anti-poaching group in Africa, has won a grant of $25,000 from the Red Sea Fund… which will help ensure the film – Akashinga (working title) – is completed. Writer and director Naishe Hassan Nyamubaya, who lives in South Africa and writes for eTV, present via video, […]

South African actor and producer Sharlto Copley’s new film Ted K was featured at this month’s inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia… where the director told SAPeople, Sharlto was “an amazing actor” and “in another league”. The film, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival before its Arab premiere, stars […]

Norwegian actress from The Worst Person in the World Renate Reinsve wins Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival. Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s romantic comedy came out of the Cannes Film Festival’s Official Competition with Renate Reinsve winning the Best Actress Award for her stunning performance. South Africans can enjoy a refreshing story about life, love and […]

Moroccan music drama Casablanca Beats (Haut Et Fort) has world premiere in Competition at Cannes Film Festival. Written and directed by Nabil Ayouch, Casablanca Beats (Haut Et Fort), tells the story of a former rapper, Anas, as he begins working at a cultural centre in a working-class neighbourhood in Casablanca. Encouraged by their new teacher, his students […]

Egyptian director, Omar El Zohairy, wins Critic’s Week Grand Prize for his debut feature film, Feathers, in Cannes. Feathers is the portrayal of an Egyptian wife and mother who experiences a total transformation when her authoritarian husband is accidentally turned into a chicken by a magic trick at a kid’s birthday party; and she becomes responsible for […]

Chadian abortion drama, Lingui – The Sacred Bonds, directed by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, has reportedly been acquired by Mubi for distribution in North America, Latin America, the UK and Ireland. Writer-director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun previously won the Cannes’ Jury Prize with A Screaming Man in 2011, and also had Grigris selected for competition in 2013. His most recent […]

Chadian film Lingui – The Sacred Bonds, directed by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun has enjoyed its world premiere in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Set near N’djamena in Chad, Lingui – The Sacred Bonds, charts the connection between a mother, Amina, played by Achouackh Abakar Souleymane and her teenage daughter, Maria, played by Rihane Khalil Alio. The film deals […]

There are a record two African films competing in this year’s Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival (06/07/21 – 17/07/21) with one of the jury members being Senegal’s Mati Diop. In a first for African films, two were selected for the official competition, Chadian film Lingui – The Sacred Bonds from director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, […]