Feature film, Noem My Skollie, has been nominated as South Africa's official selection to the 89th Annual Academy Awards (Oscars) in the category for Best Foreign Language Film Award - the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) announced on Tuesday.
"We are proud that after a rigorous judging process, Noem My Skollie, is nominated as the official selection for the 89th Annual Academy Awards. This is indicative of the role that the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) plays in empowering, and transforming the film industry by taking South African stories from our streets to the world, " said NFVF CEO Zama Mkosi in a statement.
According to the statement, the competition this year for the coveted nomination to represent South Africa was intense.
The producers, David Max Brown and Moshidi Motshegwa and their partners who supported the financing of the film at the NFVF, kykNET, Mnet and the distributor Ster Kinekor Entertainment, are absolutely thrilled with this news and are proud that the film deserved the accolade and confident that it will earn the Academy’s further nomination.
To date the film has been seen by over 32 000 people in South Africa.
"Noem My Skollie’s great box office performance has now been crowned with the nomination as South Africa’s entry into the Oscars, we are extremely proud to have been part of getting this amazing film on to SA screens and are excited about the continued potential in our market and on the global stage," said Mario Dos Santos, Chief Executive Officer, Ster Kinekor Entertainment.
Director of M-Net Channels Jan du Plessis echoed the similar sentiments: "Noem My Skollie has been a project close to our hearts and M-Net and kykNET are incredibly proud of every single person who has brought this authentic South African story to life."
About the film
The film tells the story of a young man in 1960’s Cape Town who ends up in jail and barters his skills as a storyteller in order to avoid being forced into the number gangs. It is based on the life of the scriptwriter John W. Fredericks who is now 70 years old. This is a heart-lifting story of redemption that sends the audience on an action filled roller coaster with a massive emotional impact. It is a film that delves with great authenticity into the culture of the coloured people of the Western Cape but it is a film for all South Africans to enjoy regardless of colour, creed or language.
Watch the trailer below:
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