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Local movies are the flavour of the month on the big screen from March to May

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Local movies are the flavour of the month on the big screen from March to May:

Local movies are the flavour of the month in March when Ster-Kinekor releases a number of homegrown films and a new title from our Namibian neighbour. These films, which celebrate our local cultures through creative and authentic storytelling, will be released in select Ster-Kinekor cinemas, with the Namibian title also being screened in the two newly renovated and upgraded Ster-Kinekor owned cinemas in Windhoek.

Currently screening at select Ster-Kinekor cinemas is the Afrikaans movie, Frankie en Felipé. The film follows the story of two brothers whose lives took completely different paths when they were separated as children. When they are reunited just before Frankie’s wedding, their past catches up with them both as they negotiate the tangled mess that their current lives have become.

Directed by Marvin-Lee Beukes with cinematography by Nick Burton Moore, this romantic comedy was produced by and stars the late Bradley Olivier as Frankie and Solomon Cupido as Felipé, with Kim Syster as Frankie’s fiancée Kim Fortuin, and Bianca Flanders, Ilse Klink, Zane Meas, Shimmy Isaacs, Danny Ross, Bouwer Bosch, Lee-Ann van Rooi, Brendon Daniels and Terence Bridgett. (Watch the trailer here.)

Another Afrikaans comedy, #Lovemyselfie, follows the antics of Adele Swan (Illse Roos), an acclaimed actress in the twilight of her career, who suffers a significant blow to her ego as the face of a campaign to sell retirement units during a cruise on the MSC Sinfonia.

By sending in their best “selfie” pic, 12 Lucky winners are chosen to spend the weekend with TV star Adele on the cruise of a lifetime. Up-for-grabs is one of the retirement units valued at R7-million! The women must compete in survivor-like games and quizzes to win the exclusive prize.

When Adele discovers that her fiancé has squandered all her savings and is now sleeping with a Gen Z influencer, she has no choice but to put on the performance of a lifetime to make everyone believe she is still worth it. On the exotic all-expense-paid holiday cruise, she is teamed up with an old school friend, Winifred, who reveals that George, a trusted patron and property mogul, is not all that he pretends to be. To take George down, Adele will need to step up and be prepared to be unmasked to reveal her true self.

Starring Illse Roos, June van Merch, Joanie Combrink, Hélène Truter, Kevin Smith, Robyn Scott, Thokozie Ntshinga, Chané Grobler and Kurt Darren, and directed by Lika Berning, #Lovemyselfie, with English sub-titles, releases in select Ster-Kinekor cinemas – Brooklyn Mall in Tshwane, Garden Route in George, and Tygervalley and Somerset in Cape Town – on 08 March. (Watch the trailer here.)

Filmed and produced in Namibia, Lukas is the story of an 11-year-old boy who tragically witnesses the brutal murder of his mother and grandmother by his stepfather. Sent to Windhoek to live with an aunt, he runs away and finds himself on the street, where he meets and becomes involved with Samora and his gang. His life then become intimately intertwined with the one of Samora. Spanning 15 years, the film follows Lukas’ story, casting a timely spotlight on the growing problem of street children and how they survive on the streets of Windhoek, and how the past constantly influences the present.

Directed by Philippe Talavera, Lukas stars Alejandro Cooper, Hernandes Goanatgosi and Treazurique Titus as Lukas from a young boy to adulthood, and Isvaldo Eixab and Oscar Shilongo as the young and adult Samora. With English sub-titles, this hard-hitting drama also releases on 08 March at Ster-Kinekor’s two cinemas in Windhoek – The Grove Mall and Maerua Mall, and at Rosebank Nouveau and Southgate in Johannesburg, and N1 City and V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. (Watch the trailer here.)

Another locally produced drama to hit the big screen is The Bush Knife, which releases on 15 March. William Singh is living peacefully with his wife and daughters Kerry and Kathy when a local gangster known as the Skull attacks the family, killing his wife and kidnapping his children. In an effort to avenge his wife’s death, William takes on the persona of the Bush Knife, a dual-wielding vengeance-seeking vigilante who is seemingly the only one with the connections and resolve to bring down the murdering kingpin. Assisted by Detectives Rome and Michelle, the Bush Knife carves a bloody path to find his children, all the while pushing himself to his very limits. Meanwhile, the Skull is leading his gang to a takeover of the city.

Directed by Renaldo Kell, and starring Bruce Gounder, Ryan Mayne, Jerome Naidu and Nerissa Reddy, the film can be seen at Ster-Kinekor’s The Zone @Rosebank, Gateway and N1 City cinemas from 15 March. (Watch the trailer here.)

In May, the fifth local title will be released at select Ster-Kinekor cinemas. The Bad Bishop follows the life of a young man who, with the gift of talking, is brought into the church to draw in crowds and boost the congregation. One day he decides to start his own church with a group of misfits with the sole purpose of getting rich fast through fake miracles. However, things start taking an unbelievable turn when their wealth starts to attract enemies far and wide.

Filmed in the Vhembe District of Limpopo Province, this dark comedy was written by Shumela ‘Blue’ Mapholi, directed by Joseph Muthaphuli, and features a stellar local cast including Dumisane Mbebe, Dineo Nchabeleng and Tebatso Mashishi, among other talented actors. The film releases on 03 May in the following Ster-Kinekor cinemas: Maponya Mall, Eastgate, Sterland, Boardwalk, Gateway, Mimosa Mall, N1 City and Mall of the North. (Watch the trailer here.)

Celebrate authentic storytelling and local talent by booking your tickets for all these titles now at www.sterkinekor.com or download the SK App on your smartphone. For news and updates, go to Facebook: Ster-Kinekor Theatres | follow Ster-Kinekor on Twitter: @Ster-Kinekor. For all queries, call Ticketline on 0861-Movies (668 437).

#DoMoviesRight #SterKinekor #SupportLocal

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Author: Janet de Kretser from aHead PR on behalf of Ster-Kinekor.

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The World’s Largest Man-Made Urban Forest

One of the most surprising facts about Johannesburg is its status as a “green” city. When the first settlers arrived, the Highveld was a barren, treeless grassland (savannah). To support the mining industry, millions of trees were imported and planted to provide timber for mine underground supports. Fast forward to the present day, and Johannesburg is widely considered the largest man-made urban forest in the world.

There are an estimated 10 million trees within the city limits. This includes 1.2 million trees on sidewalks and in parks, and over 4.8 million in private gardens. This forest is so dense that satellite images of the northern suburbs often resemble a tropical rainforest. The most iconic of these trees is the Jacaranda, which was imported from South America in the early 20th century. Every October and November, the city turns a vibrant shade of purple as thousands of Jacarandas bloom simultaneously. However, this “forest” also highlights the city’s historical inequality; during the Apartheid era, trees were predominantly planted in wealthy white suburbs, leaving townships like Soweto as dusty plains. In the last two decades, “Greening Soweto” initiatives have seen hundreds of thousands of trees planted to bridge this “green divide,” emphasizing the role of urban forestry in social justice and climate cooling.