South Africa’s Known Associates, the fast-growing parent company of Johannesburg-based Known Associates Entertainment (Kae) and Cape Town-based Moonlighting Films, is launching into unscripted programming, Variety can reveal.
The company has acquired a 60% stake in Zero Gravity, a production outfit founded in 2017 by former Endemol Shine Africa and Trace Studios CEO Sivan Pillay, and will team up with South African media giant Primedia to “relaunch multiple new high-end unscripted formats,” according to Pillay. Though specific titles covered by that agreement have not been finalized, Primedia’s catalog includes hit series “The Masked Singer,” “Deal or No Deal” and “Ready Steady Cook.”
“For us, it’s a natural progression,” said Known Associates chairperson Joel Phiri at the Joburg Film Festival. “We’re bringing our production expertise, and it’s keeping in line with our acquiring [production services giant] Moonlighting [in 2022]. It’s linking with our servicing facilities and growing that side of the business.”
The...
The company has acquired a 60% stake in Zero Gravity, a production outfit founded in 2017 by former Endemol Shine Africa and Trace Studios CEO Sivan Pillay, and will team up with South African media giant Primedia to “relaunch multiple new high-end unscripted formats,” according to Pillay. Though specific titles covered by that agreement have not been finalized, Primedia’s catalog includes hit series “The Masked Singer,” “Deal or No Deal” and “Ready Steady Cook.”
“For us, it’s a natural progression,” said Known Associates chairperson Joel Phiri at the Joburg Film Festival. “We’re bringing our production expertise, and it’s keeping in line with our acquiring [production services giant] Moonlighting [in 2022]. It’s linking with our servicing facilities and growing that side of the business.”
The...
- 3/1/2024
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
South African filmmaker John Barker is developing a six-episode, “Last Dance”-style documentary series about the South African national soccer team’s stirring triumph at the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations, a landmark moment for a young nation still celebrating its transition to democracy after the end of apartheid.
“Bafana the Boys,” which has already been acquired by South African streaming service eVOD and is currently being circled by global platforms, features interviews with legendary players from the championship squad, such as team captain Neil Tovey and star midfielder Doctor Khumalo. Barker is in talks with icons of the international game, including French players Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry — who scored his first international goal against South Africa — as well as coaching legends Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho.
Produced by Joel Phiri and Athos Kyriakides for Known Associates Entertainment, “Bafana the Boys” also includes interviews with former South African President Thabo Mbeki,...
“Bafana the Boys,” which has already been acquired by South African streaming service eVOD and is currently being circled by global platforms, features interviews with legendary players from the championship squad, such as team captain Neil Tovey and star midfielder Doctor Khumalo. Barker is in talks with icons of the international game, including French players Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry — who scored his first international goal against South Africa — as well as coaching legends Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho.
Produced by Joel Phiri and Athos Kyriakides for Known Associates Entertainment, “Bafana the Boys” also includes interviews with former South African President Thabo Mbeki,...
- 2/28/2024
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
The Umbrella Men: Escape From Robben Island
In the first part of my interview with Interview with John Barker, Bronté Snell and Shamilla Miller about The Umbrella Men: Escape From Robben Island, which screened as part of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, we discussed character development, bringing the female characters to the fore and doing scuba diving stunts in open water in one of the world's most popular places for great white sharks to hang out. It's a sequel which involves Shamilla and Bronté's characters concocting a daring scheme to spring the male members of their family from jail on a reopened Robben Island You don't need to have seen the first one to follow it, but the idea to explain the events of that film – and keep viewers from losing track in this one – by using a Greek-style chorus came about due to the success of the town crier.
In the first part of my interview with Interview with John Barker, Bronté Snell and Shamilla Miller about The Umbrella Men: Escape From Robben Island, which screened as part of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, we discussed character development, bringing the female characters to the fore and doing scuba diving stunts in open water in one of the world's most popular places for great white sharks to hang out. It's a sequel which involves Shamilla and Bronté's characters concocting a daring scheme to spring the male members of their family from jail on a reopened Robben Island You don't need to have seen the first one to follow it, but the idea to explain the events of that film – and keep viewers from losing track in this one – by using a Greek-style chorus came about due to the success of the town crier.
- 9/22/2023
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
One of the unheralded delights of last year’s Toronto International Film Festival was John Barker’s spirited musical heist comedy The Umbrella Men, which saw a group of friends set up an elaborate scheme to rob a corrupt bank and thereby save their beloved club from a scheming developer. Although that film ended joyfully, as the title of this film suggests, they didn’t get away with it as neatly and completely as they thought.
Back at Toronto for a second year, the original team now presents a scenario which sees heroes Jerome (Jacques De Silva) and Mortimer (Keenan Arrison) picked up by the police and locked up on a reopened Robben Island, haunting symbol of Cape Town’s past. Unwilling to take their chances on a judicial system which could take years to kick into gear, Jerome’s partner Keisha (Shamilla Miller) and loyal friend Mila (Bronté Snell) have to figure.
Back at Toronto for a second year, the original team now presents a scenario which sees heroes Jerome (Jacques De Silva) and Mortimer (Keenan Arrison) picked up by the police and locked up on a reopened Robben Island, haunting symbol of Cape Town’s past. Unwilling to take their chances on a judicial system which could take years to kick into gear, Jerome’s partner Keisha (Shamilla Miller) and loyal friend Mila (Bronté Snell) have to figure.
- 9/11/2023
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The Toronto Film Festival has unveiled its lineup for the Industry Selects program of films beyond the official fest lineup and available for worldwide acquisition as each gets an in-person screening for film buyers and industry execs.
Leading the selection is director James Marsh’s Dance First, a biopic with Gabriel Byrne playing the literary giant Samuel Beckett and Sandrine Bonnaire, Maxine Peake, Aidan Gillen and Fionn O’Shea also starring; and director Neil Burger’s Inheritance, a thriller that has a woman played by Phoebe Dynevor learning her father Sam (Rhys Ifans) was once a spy, which puts her at the center of an international conspiracy.
Also picked for market screenings in Toronto is Jimmy Warden’s Borderline, set in 1996 Los Angeles and starring Eric Dane, Ray Nicholson and Samara Weaving as a pop star taken hostage; The Home, a horror pic from Purge series creator James DeMonaco, and starring...
Leading the selection is director James Marsh’s Dance First, a biopic with Gabriel Byrne playing the literary giant Samuel Beckett and Sandrine Bonnaire, Maxine Peake, Aidan Gillen and Fionn O’Shea also starring; and director Neil Burger’s Inheritance, a thriller that has a woman played by Phoebe Dynevor learning her father Sam (Rhys Ifans) was once a spy, which puts her at the center of an international conspiracy.
Also picked for market screenings in Toronto is Jimmy Warden’s Borderline, set in 1996 Los Angeles and starring Eric Dane, Ray Nicholson and Samara Weaving as a pop star taken hostage; The Home, a horror pic from Purge series creator James DeMonaco, and starring...
- 8/21/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jaques De Silva in The Umbrella Men
John Barker's music-filled heist comedy thriller The Umbrella Men was one of the most entertaining film s to screen at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, and if you've read the first part of my interview with director John Bsrker and stars Jaques De Silva, Shamilla Miller, Keenan Arrison and Bronté Snell, you'll have noticed that it seems like it was just as much fun to make. In the second half of our conversation, we discussed favourite moments, the importance of getting the chemistry right, and the excitement of hitting the festival circuit.
I mention a line in the film about the importance of not basing a heist on what you’ve seen in recent films.
“Yeah, I mean, we had to use that,” says John. “And also, because the heist is such a popular genre and there are so many films,...
John Barker's music-filled heist comedy thriller The Umbrella Men was one of the most entertaining film s to screen at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, and if you've read the first part of my interview with director John Bsrker and stars Jaques De Silva, Shamilla Miller, Keenan Arrison and Bronté Snell, you'll have noticed that it seems like it was just as much fun to make. In the second half of our conversation, we discussed favourite moments, the importance of getting the chemistry right, and the excitement of hitting the festival circuit.
I mention a line in the film about the importance of not basing a heist on what you’ve seen in recent films.
“Yeah, I mean, we had to use that,” says John. “And also, because the heist is such a popular genre and there are so many films,...
- 9/23/2022
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
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After a short break, the letters page is back! And, er, you've been asking us difficult questions...
Gah. Best laid plans, right? Last month, time beat us, and our letters page had to take a break while we attempted to frantically steer the tolerable ship Den Of Geek towards its daily DoGMRoD (see last letters page). But we're back! And you've ben asking us more tricky questions. That we have tried to answer.
Right here, in fact.
Really Long News Articles
I [nice things redacted] Den Of Geek, and have done for a long time. It’s [nice things redacted] site out there and I [nice things redacted] every day.
I do have a question though. What’s with these long news articles with lots of updates on them? Can’t we just have one individual news article for each story? It was much easier to comment on.
Carry on being [nice things redacted]. You’re far better than [best redact this bit too].
Peter
Simon replies: Thanks Peter.
google+
After a short break, the letters page is back! And, er, you've been asking us difficult questions...
Gah. Best laid plans, right? Last month, time beat us, and our letters page had to take a break while we attempted to frantically steer the tolerable ship Den Of Geek towards its daily DoGMRoD (see last letters page). But we're back! And you've ben asking us more tricky questions. That we have tried to answer.
Right here, in fact.
Really Long News Articles
I [nice things redacted] Den Of Geek, and have done for a long time. It’s [nice things redacted] site out there and I [nice things redacted] every day.
I do have a question though. What’s with these long news articles with lots of updates on them? Can’t we just have one individual news article for each story? It was much easier to comment on.
Carry on being [nice things redacted]. You’re far better than [best redact this bit too].
Peter
Simon replies: Thanks Peter.
- 11/12/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
The Global Film Initiative and Virgin America, the California-based airline, are partnering to release the Initiative’s critically acclaimed traveling film series—Global Lens—on Virgin America’s interactive, in-flight entertainment system, Red™. Films from the series are now available on demand on all Virgin America flights.
“Global Lens is a one-of-a-kind film series. Virgin America is a one-of-a-kind airline. Put the two together and you have an in-flight experience that has no comparison,” says Santhosh Daniel, Director of Programs at the Global Film Initiative. The Global Lens series is a collection of dynamic feature-length film from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East that can be seen in more than 35 cities across the United States and in Canada. On Virgin America, the Global Film Initiative brings this diverse and pioneering collection to new audiences via Red™—Virgin America’s touch-screen personal in-flight entertainment system. “Virgin America is committed...
“Global Lens is a one-of-a-kind film series. Virgin America is a one-of-a-kind airline. Put the two together and you have an in-flight experience that has no comparison,” says Santhosh Daniel, Director of Programs at the Global Film Initiative. The Global Lens series is a collection of dynamic feature-length film from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East that can be seen in more than 35 cities across the United States and in Canada. On Virgin America, the Global Film Initiative brings this diverse and pioneering collection to new audiences via Red™—Virgin America’s touch-screen personal in-flight entertainment system. “Virgin America is committed...
- 1/8/2009
- by Michael Guillen
- Screen Anarchy
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