Kevin Kriedemann and Joy Sapieka‘Felix’, the feel-good South African family film that has been selected for the 57th BFI London Film Festival, was named one of the top 11 film festivals in the world by The Guardian last year.
The movie will be screened alongside some of the most eagerly-anticipated films from around the globe, including ‘Saving Mr Banks’, with Tom Hanks as Walt Disney; ‘Gravity’, with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney and new films from the likes of Paul Greengrass ‘Captain Phillips’, Stephen Frears ‘Philomena’, Steve McQueen ‘12 Years a Slave’, Jason Reitman ‘Labor Day’, and the Coen Brothers ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’.
Namibian movie goers can view the flick as from Friday, 13 September. The films tells the story of 14-year-old Felix Xaba who dreams of becoming a saxophonist like his late father, but his mother Lindiwe thinks jazz is the devil’s music. When Felix leaves his township friends to take up a scholarship for grade eight at an elite private school, he defies his mother and turns to two ageing members of his father’s old band to help him prepare for the school jazz concert.
‘Felix’ has had huge success since it’s release, including selection for BFI London Film Festival and three others similar festivals, it won the Durban International Film Festival Audience Award and will be screened in 40 Southern African cinemas.
“The programmer saw ‘Felix’ at the Durban International Film Festival, where we won the Audience Award for Best Film, and called me about the wonderful audience response,” said the director Roberta Durrant.
“Being selected for Britain’s premier film festival is a huge honour and hopefully we’ll be able to announce a cinema release in London soon.”
‘Felix’ has also been selected for three other major international film festivals, namely the Vancouver International Film Festival in Canada and Lucas International Children’s Film Festival and The Hamburg FilmFest in Germany.
The director, Durrant has been invited to all four festivals.
Durrant, a South African Film and Television Award Lifetime Achievement (SAFTA) winner, was the creative producer on the International Emmy nominated TV series ‘Home Affairs’, ‘Stokvel’ and ‘Sokhulu and Partners’, but ‘Felix’ is the first feature film script she has chosen to direct.
‘Felix’ boasts a number of firsts for the South African film industry. It’s the most female-empowered film since South Africa’s democracy, with a female director, writer, editor (Maryke Kruger), cinematographer (Natalie Haarhoff), line producer (Kate Schalk), art director (Surisa Surisa), wardrobe stylist (Ayesha Khatieb) and hair and make up artist (Islyn Goliath).
It’s the first film fully financed by Sabido Productions, the production arm of Sabido Investments, a South African media group with holdings in a variety of broadcasting, content and production businesses, including e.TV, e.Sat, YFM and Cape Town Film Studios.
It is also the first South African feature film for Johannesburg-born Oscar nominee Dame Janet Suzman; the first film for South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) Best Actress winner Linda Sokhulu (Isidingo) and the first lead for Hlayani Junior Mabasa, cast in the title role from over 500 auditions across South Africa. Fleur du Cap winners Andre Jacobs and Nicholas Ellenbogen co-star.
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