SA’s ‘Moffie’ to compete in Best Film category at London International Film Festival

Oliver Hermanus’ new film, Moffie has been invited to compete in the Best Film category at this year’s 63rd BFI London Film Festival.

The festival, which is hosted in London’s West End, is the main annual British film event complete with red carpet premieres of the most significant movie offerings of the year.

The Best Film competitive section is limited to 10 international films and “celebrates the highest creative achievements of British and international filmmakers, applauding extraordinary storytelling and inventive filmmaking”.

“Moffie is crisp and confident filmmaking, detailing the dehumanising brutality of conscripted military service in Apartheid-era South Africa. We think London audiences will get a real thrill out of the film, and it will be our pleasure to present it to them,” said Tricia Tuttle, director of the BFI London Film Festival.

The film will have its world premiere on 4 September at the 76th Venice Film Festival, where it will also be competing for a host of awards including the Queer Lion.

Moffie is the second film by Oliver and only the fourth South African film to receive an official invitation to Venice in the 76 years of the festival.His previous film The Endless River (2015) was the first South African film to compete for the Golden Lion.

Oliver’s film Skoonheid (Beauty) won the Queer Palm at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and his first film Shirley Adams was nominated for the Golden Leopard at the Locarno International Film Festival in 2009.

“It has been a very exciting month for everyone involved in Moffie. The response to the film from international film festivals has been extremely encouraging. We will take our first bow in Venice in just a few days and I am thrilled that so many members of the team – actors and crew, will be joining us there to represent our movie,’ said the film’s director, Oliver.

Moffie is based on the memoir of the same name by Andre Carl van der Merwe, produced by Eric Abraham and Jack Sidey, co-produced by Theresa Ryan-Van Graan and stars Kai-Luke Brummer, Ryan De Villiers, Matthew Vey, Stefan Vermaak and Hilton Pelser.

– Channel24

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