Shot in 24 days on a R5 million budget, Kagiso Lediga’s directorial debut, Catching Feelings, premieres at the inaugural Cape Town International Film Festival (CTIFF) today after a “positive” run in the US.
The film premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival (LAFF) in June and, recently, in New York at the Urbanworld Film Festival.
Lediga also plays the lead character, Max Matsane.
“It was a bit of a challenge but nothing preparation could not help (with),” he said. “I did a lot of preparation and, having done a lot of sketch comedy in the past, I would get in front of the camera while directing.”
Playing the film to an audience so far removed from South Africa gave him some “nerves”, he says.
“But seeing how an audience further from myself could relate felt like quite an accomplishment.
“When you see all the bits go down the way they were intended, it is an accomplishment and relief at the same time,” he said.
Besides Lediga, the film also features Pearl Thusi, Andrew Buckland, Loyiso Gola, Zandi Tisani, Precious Makgaretsa and Kate Liquorish.
Catching Feelings follows a jaded academic (Lediga) and his journalist wife (Thusi), who have their lives turned upside down when a celebrated and hedonistic older writer ( Buckland) unexpectedly moves into their urban Johannesburg home.
Despite their love for each other, their relationship has hit a rut.
Lacking excitement, the couple have settled into a routine that neither agrees with.
Max now spends his time at dinners and events, musing over his frustrations with his key conspirator and sounding board, Joel (Akin Omotoso), who has his hands full with an illicit affair.
Lediga describes the film as a “dramedy”.
“It is a slice of a life story which is quite humorous,” he said.
The highlight in making this film was “working with some of my favourite people and having the creative freedom to do it the way I wanted to”, he said.
Lediga will also be featuring a project close to his heart called Matwetwe (Wizard).
Matwetwe recently returned from Fantastic Fest, the biggest genre festival in America.
It is a coming-of-age adventure following Lefa and Papi, best friends and recent high school graduates, on the hustle of their young lives.
He said: “This film is very special to me, very close to my heart.
“It is a story I had since university.
“It it self-financed and features some very talented people.
“Over December, we just decided to make a film
“We did and it turned out to be very beautiful, with these unknown actors from Pretoria.”
The CTIFF is taking place at the V&A Waterfront until Saturday.