Daryn’s Gym, the mockumentary comedy by writer-director Brett Michael Innes, has been selected to be part of the 51st edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), where it will have its international premiere as part of the Big Screen Competition section of the programme.
The Big Screen Competition is the result of a long-lived collaboration between IFFR and VPRO, bridging the gap between popular, classic and art house cinema by showcasing 16 feature films from across the globe to an audience jury.
“I was completely blown away,” said Innes when asked about the selection.
“It is notoriously difficult for comedies to find a place at festivals, as the genre is often passed over for more ‘prestigious’ content. In addition to this, South African films that have festival traction almost exclusively focuses on our pain and trauma, so to have one that celebrates our shared humanity through the lens of comedy is a huge honour.”
In pre-pandemic times, filmmakers would have travelled to Rotterdam to present the film to audiences of the festival, but the recent lockdown in the Netherlands has forced the festival to pivot from a physical event to a virtual one.
The festival will run from January 26 to February 6 and will feature several masterclasses and industry programmes.
“We’re naturally very disappointed that we won’t be able to experience this in person,” said producer Paulo Areal.
“I was fortunate enough to attend the festival in 2018 when my film Ellen: The Ellen Pakkies Story played in the programme and have always been blown away by the love and support extended to filmmakers by the festival.”
Set in a family gym in Randburg, the film sees the lovable Daryn Jnr pitted against the ruthless owner of a multi-national fitness centre as he fights to keep his family legacy alive.
Starring newcomer Clifford Joshua Young, the comedy also features performances from Hlubi Mboya, Natasha Sutherland, Siv Ngesi and Deon Coetzee.
The film is now available nationwide on eVOD (https://watch.evod.co.za).
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