{"id":5258,"date":"2017-10-10T18:27:18","date_gmt":"2017-10-10T16:27:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=5258"},"modified":"2017-10-10T18:27:18","modified_gmt":"2017-10-10T16:27:18","slug":"vaya-showcases-some-of-the-countrys-most-exciting-new-and-established-talents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2017\/10\/10\/vaya-showcases-some-of-the-countrys-most-exciting-new-and-established-talents\/","title":{"rendered":"Vaya Showcases Some Of The Country’s Most Exciting New And Established Talents"},"content":{"rendered":"

Akin Omotoso\u2019s award-winning feature film, Vaya, which releases at cinemas nationally on 27 October, is a riveting tale of innocents adrift in an uncaring, often dangerous metropolis and brings together some of the country\u2019s finest and most exciting new and established acting talents.<\/p>\n

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Zimkhitha Nyoka, Lunga Radebe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In casting for Vaya, the filmmakers turned to South Africa\u2019s supreme casting agent Moonyeenn Lee, who has assembled an enviable cast of well-loved, household names as well as some of the country\u2019s most captivating new actors. \u201cWe were fortunate to have Moonyeenn Lee to guide us through the casting process,\u201d says Akin Omotoso.\u00a0 \u201cShe understood perfectly the demands of the script and brought her years of experience and magic touch to the casting process.\u00a0\u00a0 Each of these actors brings something unique and special to the film and their performances are uniformly brilliant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Written by Craig Freimond, Tshabalira Lebakeng, Antony Mafela, David Majoka, Madoda Nthuli, Harriet Perlman and Robbie Thorpe, Vaya follows three characters who arrive by train at Johannesburg\u2019s Park Station, each on a personal mission.\u00a0 Strangers to the city, they are each forced to confront fundamental issues of survival.<\/p>\n

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Sibusiso Msimang (Nkulu)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nkulu is charged with retrieving his father\u2019s remains from the city and bringing them back home for burial. Sent on a wild goose chase in search of his father\u2019s body, he discovers that there were many aspects to his father\u2019s life that he knew nothing of.\u00a0 Nkulu is played by newcomer Sibusiso Msimang in his debut film role.\u00a0\u00a0 This Bachelor of Social Sciences student turns in a fine, nuanced performance as a small-town and na\u00efve young man who, must negotiate an unfamiliar, cruel environment to save his family\u2019s honour.<\/p>\n

Fellow traveler, Nhlanhla, a chatty, enthusiastic, devil-may-care guy is excited about the prospect of getting rich quickly in the City of Gold. He has been offered a job by his wealthy cousin, however, upon arrival, he finds that the job being offered is far removed from what he envisioned and his dreams are quickly dashed.\u00a0 Sihle Xaba who plays Nhlanhla is no stranger to local audiences.\u00a0 He earned rave reviews for his roles in \u201cAyanda, \u2018Otelo Burning\u2019, for which he won Best Promising Actor in the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in Nigeria and the television series \u2018Bay of Plenty\u2019.<\/p>\n

The only female in the group is Zanele who is chaperoning a young girl who\u2019s en route to reunite with her mother, a singer who manages a tavern.\u00a0 Zanele harbours dreams of her own and when she meets the tavern owner, who promises that he can get her on TV as a dancer, she believes her life is about to change forever.\u00a0 But there is more to this offer than meets the eye.\u00a0 Cast as Zanele, is Zimkhitha Nyoka who turns in a mesmerizing performance as a gentle, resourceful woman trying to balance her own dreams with her duty to protect a young child from a dreadful fate.\u00a0 Best remembered for her roles in \u2018Mutual Friends\u2019 and \u2018Gold Diggers\u2019, Vaya marks her feature film debut. \u00a0Her role earned her an African Movie Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading role.<\/p>\n

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Sihle Xaba and Warren Masemola<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Burning up the screen as Xolani, local gangster and all-round bad guy, is multi award-winning actor, Warren Masemola.\u00a0 His quiet, brooding portrayal, punctuated by lethal glances and a resolute jaw imbue the character of Xolani with enough menace to raise the hairs at the back of your neck.\u00a0 Warren has earned accolades for his work in local and international films \u2018iNumber Number\u2019, \u2018Hard to Get\u2019 and most recently Gavin Hood\u2019s \u2018Eye in the Sky.\u2019<\/p>\n

Vaya is distributed by Times Media Films.<\/p>\n