SPOTLIGHT | Local movies star on small screen, 'Barakat' gets Oscar nod

Sons of the Sea and long-awaited sequel Happiness Ever After shine on the small screen, while Barakat hopes for Oscar glory

11 November 2021 - 15:29
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Spotlight is our entertainment bite-sized snapshot featuring new entertainment releases in SA, exclusive film trailers and much more. New episodes are out every Thursday on Sunday Times Lifestyle, Sowetan Entertainment and on YouTube, plus you can follow Spotlight on Facebook.

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Click here to find previous episodes of Spotlight with all the movie news you need and follow Spotlight on Facebook for all the latest news and giveaways

In this week’s Spotlight episode we celebrate a colourful bouquet of local entertainment, news and achievements, shining a bright light on the many reasons to be proudly South African when it comes to our moviemaking talents.

We cover the premieres of two new films which appear on television: Sons of the Sea (DStv Box Office) and Happiness Ever After (Netflix). 

Sons of the Sea, launching this week on DStv Box Office, is the winner of the best local film at the Durban International Film Festival. This South African gem covers powerful themes of survival and brotherhood and stars Marlon Swarts and Roberto Kyle.

Another local movie already showing on DStv Box Office is Kedibone, poignantly showcasing the socioeconomic challenges faced by young people blinded by the false promise of glitz and glamour in the big city. It features Blood and Water series actress Natasha Thahane in the lead role.

With great style Netflix launched Happiness Ever After, the sequel to 2016’s blockbuster Happiness is a Four-Letter Word, in Johannesburg. Presenter Collette Prince mingled with the stars of the film, including Khanyi Mbau, Renate Stuurman and Nambita Ben Mwazi. This much anticipated film is a fresh release on Netflix this week.

We congratulate Indigenous Film Distribution’s Barakat for being selected as the official SA entry for the 2022 Academy Awards in the category Best International Feature. We are all rooting for Barakat to make the final nominations list on February 8 2022, and viewers can look out for the film’s re-release on kykNET from December 18.

And we haven’t forgotten about great releases at the movies — look out for clips of King Richard and Ghostbusters: Afterlife coming to cinemas next week.

For full interviews, breaking news, trailers and clips, visit our Spotlight Facebook page. See you at the movies!

Presenter Collette Prince is dressed by Kalea Collective.


Win movie tickets to a premiere

We are giving away two sets of New Material premiere tickets this week:

Two tickets for the Durban (Suncoast Casino) premiere on November 17 and two tickets for the Johannesburg (Emperor’s Palace) premiere on November 24.

Question: Which is your favourite local film featured in this week’s episode of Spotlight?

To enter, visit Spotlight SA on Facebook for all the details

Terms and conditions apply.

Winners will be drawn randomly and notified by SMS after the competition has closed.  Entrants’ personal details will not be retained for marketing purposes. Winners have to provide proof of age (ID/driver’s licence) and cover their own travel and accommodation expenses. By entering participants agree to have their names published on TimesLIVE, SowetanLIVE and Spotlight SA on Facebook. Employees of Arena Holdings and their family members are not eligible to enter.


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