Kegumbo Okegumbo on Showmax
By Rosalia David
A Namibian film directed by Hilma Sheehama premiered on Showmax on Tuesday in celebration of Africa Day.
In an interview with Confidente, director Sheehama described her journey working on the film explaining that she had to make sure that the film was culturally rooted.
“The language (Oshiwambo) was the most important thing for the cast to get right and most of them were first time actors, so a lot of things were new to them. But as the director I did what I could to point them in the direction I wanted. And my crew definitely did what was needed to bring the set to life and keep the cameras rolling. I like how the film turned out, it is exactly how I pictured it,” she said.
She however added that she is nervous about the feedback after the film airs.
Sheehama is one of the 2020 MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) African students who showcased their short films exclusively on the newly launched Afro-Cinema Pop Up channel on DStv and GOtv.
In addition to this, MTF 2019 alumni films ‘The Painting’ and ‘Savannah Skies’ are also available on the platform.
According to MultiChoice, the series also featured 16 films shot and directed by the MTF Academy Class of 2020.
“Viewers got to sink their teeth into a selection of films from East, West and Southern Africa, and marvel at the results of the talent honed by the MTF Academy’s distinctive curriculum.
“The Colours of Africa film series is one of the many ways that MultiChoice celebrates young film talent in Africa. We are proud to honour Africa Day by celebrating the work of the MTF Academies’ Class of 2020 in this way. The film series also speaks to MultiChoice’s commitment to developing and nurturing the abundance of young talent who represent the future of our industry,” said Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice Group CEO of general entertainment and connected video.
The M-Net Afro-Cinema pop-up also features films from the inaugural class of theMTF Academy, as well as public service announcements (PSAs) shot by the Class of 2020 for the United Nation’s ‘Pledge to Pause’ campaign as part of their academic course.
Phahle added that the Covid-19 pandemic set a precedent for the class of 2020, but their resilience culminated in a successful second year of the MTF shared-value initiative while the students’ academic course was extended from 12 months to 18 months, additional time allowed for an online accredited course through a partnership with the New York Film Academy.
“The theme of the collections of films is ‘Connecting generations through storytelling’ and what is particularly beautiful about the series is that the MTF students produced the short films in their home countries adding local context, voice and visuals to their cinematic expression in the Colours of Africa series. The series also speaks to the purpose of MTF to ensure that we invest in the next generation of storytellers with knowledge shared by skilled professionals in the industry,” Cheryl Uys-Allie, director of the MultiChoice Talent Factory initiative further said.