There’s no stopping the freight train that is Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161) as they continue full steam ahead with their roll out of one hot local show after the other.
Viewers can’t get enough of the multitude of compelling movies, drama and series coming from the channel – and now they are in for even more of a treat when two new movies produced exclusively for the channel by hotshot young filmmakers from M-Net’s Magic in Motion Academy premiere in April and May.
Now in its third year, the Magic in Motion Academy has become THE in-demand training ground for interns yearning for hands-on film and TV experience, working on some of the best shows in the country coming out of the most recognised and celebrated production houses in the land.
“The Magic in Motion Academy aims to expose the interns to all aspects of the film and television industry during the academic year. We place the interns with as many different film and television productions as possible, and aim to introduce them to as many of the country’s top film and television producers, writers, and directors possible, giving them access to a network of people in the industry that most of us can only gain over a period of a decade or more,” says M-Net CEO, Yolisa Phahle.
Since its inception in 2015, the Magic in Motion Academy has trained over 30 film and television interns, resulting in 12 graduates and six original films produced and directed by the interns. Job placements include successful shows and movies such as Isibaya, Happiness is A Four Letter Word, Idols SA, Cape Town Carnival and Miss SA 2016.
The success of the Magic in Motion Academy has seen an upsurge in demand, with the academy rising the intake number for 2017 to 20 interns and the production of original Mzansi movies to four.
“We’re very excited to be upskilling another 20 brilliant young storytellers for this ever-growing industry. The need and demand for local content is increasing every day – and we’re thrilled to be in a position where we can have a direct impact on the industry,” adds Phahle.
Sofa Silahlane (Till Death Do Us Apart) airing on the 1st of April and followed by Mmangwana in May are the two films from the Class of 2016 which will be screened on Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161).
A compelling and emotional film, Sofa Silahlane is the story of the ill-fated romance between Mojalefa and Azania who love is cruelly cut short when a pregnant Aza dies in a car accident. What follows is a disturbing journey of real versus imagined as Mo struggles to accept his one true love is no more. He can still see and talk to her, and can’t understand why he is treated as a “crazy” by everyone else when he tries to convince them of that. Sofa Silahlane is a beautiful love story with a far from a happily ever-after fairytale ending.
Mmangwana is an emotional drama centered on the universal ideals of love. At its heart is a story about a family and how one person can change the definition of that word. It is about women and the sacrifices they make to play the roles society calls on them to play; often at the cost of their own lives.
Phahle was full of praise for the interns, saying they represent the future of the local film and TV. “It’s a deeply proud moment for us to witness how these young aspiring producers and film makers are coming into their own. They are the future, and they are telling the kind of stories that will put our industry on the map.”
For more information, visit www.mzansimagic.tv or www.mnetmagicinmotion.com
Brought to you by M-Net Magic in Motion Academy Class of 2016
Anika Du Toit, Chandre Jacobs, Dharini Naidoo, Fikephethwe Shange, Hendrick Buthelezi, Kganki Mphahlele, Nasiphi Mvunyiswa, Neo Sibiya, Nikita Morare, Noloyiso Hili, Nomathemba Busakwe, Portia Nkabane, Rarang Tabane, Sindi Nkabane, Thabo Mashaila, Tshepo Masete, Tshepo Narvis, Unathi Yoyo, and Xolani Nhlapo.
Magic in Motion Academy Director: Bobby Heaney
