Let’s Go To The Movies

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New Releases

CAPERNAUM Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Nadine Labaki’s film (“Chaos”) tells the story of Zain (Zain al Rafeea), a Lebanese boy who sues his parents for the “crime” of giving him life. It follows Zain, a gutsy streetwise child as he flees his negligent parents, survives through his wits on the streets, takes care of Ethiopian refugee Rahil (Yordanos Shiferaw) and her baby son, Yonas (Boluwatife Treasure Bankole), being jailed for a crime, and finally, seeks justice in a courtroom. Feature: A hopeful film set in the depths of a society’s systematic inhumanity / Trailer / Showing from 18 April

KANDASAMYS: THE WEDDING Building on the theme developed in the first movie, ‘Kandasamys: The Wedding’ (KTW) will centre on the much-anticipated Naidoo/Kandasamy wedding. Director/Writer Jayan Moodley reprises her roles in the sequel and is all set to make the big screen come alive with more side-splitting comedy and heart touching moments as the two Chatsworth families plan the wedding of the year (or if the Mother of the Bride would have it – The Wedding of the decade in spectacular Kandasamy style!)
Interview with Producer-director and writer Jayan Moodley /   Trailer /Showing from 18 April /

PET SEMATARY It follows “a doctor who moves his family out of the big city to the country. There he discovers that they have moved near a pet cemetery that rests on an ancient burial ground, and when his toddler son is killed in an auto accident, he takes the boy’s body to the cemetery, where it is resurrected in demonic form. Directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer and written by Jeff Buhler and David Kajganich. It is the second adaptation of the novel of the same name by Stephen King, after the 1989 film. Feature: A Terrifying Original Adaptation / Trailer / Showing from 18 April

THE QUEEN’S CORGI The animated adventure of Rex, the British monarch’s most beloved dog, who loses track of his mistress and stumbles across a clan with dogs of all kinds confronting and fighting each other. During his epic journey to return to the queen, Rex falls in love and discovers his true self. The film is being directed by Ben Stassen and Vincent Kesteloot, and written by John R. Smith and Rob Sprackling. Trailer/ Showing from 18 April

LITTLE Marsai Martin (TV’s Black-ish) stars in and executive produces Universal Pictures’ LITTLE, a comedy from producer Will Packer (Girls Trip, Ride Along and Think Like a Man series) based on an idea the young actress pitched. Directed by Tina Gordon (Peeples), the film tells the story of a woman who-when the pressures of adulthood become too much to bear-gets the chance to relive the carefree life of her younger self. Trailer / Showing from 18 April

SAINT JUDY tells the inspirational true story of immigration attorney Judy Wood and her fight that changed American asylum law forever. In her first case, Judy represents a woman forced to flee her home country after being persecuted by the Taliban for opening a school for girls. While juggling her life as a single mother, Judy fights tenacious battles in and out of court, not only saving her client’s life, but changing the Law of Asylum in the United States. This case has saved the lives of thousands of other persecuted women around the world. Like Erin Brokovich, it tells the story of a remarkable woman who overcame tremendous odds, and reminds us how one person can change the world. Directed by Sean Hanish with Michelle Monaghan and Alfred Molina.Read more / Trailer / Showing from 18 April

Sneak Preview

AVENGERS: END GAME A turning point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It completes the story that began in Avengers: Infinity War, centring around the machinations of the giant, purple space villain Thanos. It is intended to be the direct sequel to 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, as well as the sequel to 2012’s Marvel’s The Avengers and 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron and the twenty-second film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, with a screenplay by the writing team of Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.Read more / Showing from April 26

THE AFTERMATH Set in postwar Germany in 1946. Rachael Morgan (Keira Knightley) arrives in the ruins of Hamburg in the bitter winter, to be reunited with her husband Lewis (Jason Clarke), a British colonel charged with rebuilding the shattered city. But as they set off for their new home, Rachael is stunned to discover that Lewis has made an unexpected decision: They will be sharing the grand house with its previous owners, a German widower (Alexander Skarsgård) and his troubled daughter. In this charged atmosphere, enmity and grief give way to passion and betrayal. Directed by James Kent and written by Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse, based on the novel of the same name by Rhidian Brook. Read more / Trailer / Showing from 26 April

ACT OF DEFIANCE In 1963, Nelson Mandela‘s inner circle of Black and Jewish activists, known as the Umkhonto we Sizwe, are arrested by the apartheid South African government for conspiracy to commit sabotage. The group joins Mandela in prison and are being held indefinitely without formal charge due to the government’s 90 day rule. Bram Fischer, a sympathetic lawyer and head of the bar, risks his career and freedom to defend Mandela and the men from facing the death sentence. Over the course of the film it is revealed that Bram is also part of Mandela’s inner circle and becomes subject to a secret police investigation. The film ends with the trial’s conclusion, Mandela and the others get life imprisonment instead of the death penalty, and shortly after Bram is arrested. The film is an adapted screenplay based on Joel Joffe’s book, The State Vs. Nelson Mandela. Mandela and Fischer are portrayed by Sello Motloung and Peter Paul Muller. Directed by Jean van de Velde. Screenplay by Jean van de Velde, Matt Harvey, Dominic Morgan . Read more / Trailer . Showing from 26 April

THE LEAST OF THESE: THE GRAHAM STAINES STORY As the social fabric of life in rural India disintegrates in the late 1990s, journalist Manav Banerjee (Sharman Joshi) moves with his pregnant wife to the town of Orissa in hope of a better life and the promise of a lucrative career. When speculation mounts that local Australian missionary Graham Staines (Stephen Baldwin) is illegally proselytizing leprosy patients, Manav agrees to investigate undercover for the newspaper. What he finds is a series of revelations that are difficult to fathom and even harder to explain, and Manav is forced to make a choice between his own ambition and the truth. In the end, his actions spark a tragic event that is felt around the world. Based on a true story and shot on location in India, this faith-based drama from director Aneesh Daniel and screenwriter Andrew Matthew illustrates the power of love, hope and forgiveness to overcome hate. Showing from 26 April. Watch Trailer

12 Steps To Writing The Perfect Screenplay

Interviews

Producer-director-writer Jayan Moodley talks about Kandasamys: The Wedding

Writer-Director Ettienne Kallos talks about Die Stropers (The Harvesters)

Producer-writer-director Sallas De Jager talks about Dominee Tiene

Writer-director Eubulus Timothy talks about the South African surfing movie Deep End

Writer-director-actor Hendrik Cronje talks bout his debut feature Liewe Lisa

Now Showing

AFTER This adult romance follows the journey of self-discovery of a young woman whose guarded world opens up when she meets a dark and secretive rebel that Tessa would typically shun, but is drawn to him by the passions they share that will change her forever. Directed by Jenny Gage and the screenplay written by Susan McMartin. Feature: From social storytelling sharing platform Wattpad to Big Screen / Trailer /

HELLBOY  Based on the graphic novels by Mike Mignola, Hellboy, caught between the worlds of the supernatural and human, battles an ancient sorceress bent on revenge.B ased on the Dark Horse Comics character of the same name. The film is directed by Neil Marshall and stars David Harbour as Hellboy.  Feature: Reimagining The Film Franchise For A New Generation / Trailer /

BREAKTHROUGH Based on the inspirational true story of one mother’s unfaltering love in the face of impossible odds. When Joyce Smith’s adopted son John falls through an icy Missouri lake, all hope seems lost. But as John lies lifeless, Joyce refuses to give up. Her steadfast belief inspires those around her to continue to pray for John’s recovery, even in the face of every case history and scientific prediction. From producer DeVon Franklin (Miracles from Heaven) and adapted for the screen by Grant Nieporte (Seven Pounds) from Joyce Smith’s own book, it is an enthralling reminder that faith and love can create a mountain of hope, and sometimes even a miracle. Directed by Roxann Dawson. Feature: A modern-day resurrection story/ Trailer /

A DOG’S WAY HOME It chronicles the heartwarming adventure of Bella, a dog who embarks on an epic 400-mile journey home after she is separated from her beloved human, Lucas, an aspiring med student and VA hospital volunteer. Bella touches the lives of many during her unwavering quest; from an orphaned mountain lion cub to a homeless veteran down on his luck, Bella brings joy and comfort to everyone she meets with her unique spirit and faith. Directed by Charles Martin Smith and written by W. Bruce Cameron and Cathryn Michon, based on the New York Times best-selling book by Cameron.  Read more / Trailer /

DIE SEEMEEU Christiaan Olwagen (Johnny is nie Dood nie, Kanarie) adapts Anton Chekhov’s classic play, The Seagull, to film, and places it in South Africa in the 1990’s, almost one hundred years after it was written. Each of Chekhov’s skillfully drawn characters grapple with inner fears, longings, doubts, regrets, recriminations and miseries. All of them, of course, of their own making.Performed in Afrikaans, with English subtitles, the characters are easily recognised, yet appear as if they were written for this new setting.  Read review / Read more / Trailer /

RACETIME A spectacular sled race through the village. Frankie-Four-Eyes and his team, including Sophie as the driver, take on the newcomers: the mysterious and conceited Zac and his athletic cousin Charly. The fantastic sled designed by Frankie disintegrates right before crossing the finish line. It is a bitter loss for Frankie who refuses to accept that he might have made some building mistakes. Together with his friends, he manages to prove that Zac cheated during the race. Frankie demands a rematch; which Zac accepts on condition that Frankie build an entirely new race track. Frankie and his friends build a spectacular race track. Zac realizes he is up against a worthy opponent, so he raises the stakes even more by cornering Frankie into adding a bet. As the two teams prepare for race day, Zac has no scruples about cheating even more to weight the outcome of the race in his favor. But Frankie and his team have a few surprises of their own in store for him.  Canadian animated film directed by Benoît Godbout. A sequel to the 2015 filmb Snowtime.Read more / Trailer /