Earlier this year, I sang the praises of the Showmax home-grown feature, “One Night Kwa Mxolisi”, for a myriad reasons.
Sisanda Henna, who also stars in the lead role of Mxolisi, made his impressive directorial debut in a feature. The casting and screenplay were impressive.
Of course, I am clearly not the only one impressed.
The movie recently bagged two nominations: Best African Feature Film and Best Actor (Henna) at the upcoming New Vision International Film Festival (NVIFF), which will be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on December 20.
If you haven’t seen the movie, which is on the streaming platform, it centres on a close-knit group of friends dealing with hurdles in their lives and relationships. During an intimate dinner partner, tempers flare and secrets are revealed.
Ian-Willem Breure, director of the NVIFF, said that Henna’s energy and creativity were aligned perfectly with the festival’s vision.
He added: “We have seen Sisanda Henna’s work and want to nominate him for (the) best actor”.
Linda Mtoba, who fans will recognise from “Isibaya” and “The River”, played Henna’s wife in the movie. And she was elated to learn about the nominations.
She said: “This nomination from the NVIFF is such a great nod for the film. I couldn't be prouder of the work we put in as a collective, and of Sisanda as the director. The South African film industry is taking on the world stage and I believe this is just the beginning.”
Yolisa Phahle, CEO General Entertainment and Connected Video at MultiChoice, said international recognition for African films was on the rise.
She added: “Congrats to Sisanda and the entire ”One Night Kwa Mxolisi“ team for the latest in a string of accolades for the African film industry this year.
“We’re delighted with the increasing international recognition for African films, which has seen local films on and from MultiChoice nominated for Baftas, win at SXSW (the South by Southwest film festival), represent the country as South Africa's Oscar entry, and earn rave reviews internationally in 2021.
“We remain committed to supporting our industry and leading the way in taking African stories to the world.”
Meanwhile, Henna, who also starred in “Rogue”, “Trackers” and “Inconceivable” – not to mention directed on BET’s telenovela “Isono” – reprises his role as Bongi in the Afrikaans rom-com “Klein Karoo 2”.