Zulu Wedding to hit cinemas in April

There is good news and bad for fans who have been looking forward to director and producer Lineo Sekeleoane’s much-anticipated romantic comedy, Zulu Wedding, which was supposed to already be in cinemas.

Initially scheduled for release at the end of February, the film will now premiere on April 20.

But while moviegoers will have to hold out a little longer to see their favourite stars in action on the big screen, the team behind the film promises the wait will be worth it.

“While we were extremely excited about the February release date, several new ideas started to take shape in recent months and we needed time to mobilise the right people to launch these initiatives. As such, we had no choice but move the release to April,” says Sekeleoane.

The first of these initiatives, she says, is that instead of only showing the film locally, it will be released simultaneously throughout Africa, with VIP screenings in several countries.

“We are working on a surprise screening in Los Angeles, but our goal is to tour the African continent with Zulu Wedding and premiere it in as many countries as possible,” says Sekeleoane.

“With the support of our funders, Tsoga Afrika Lifestyle, we’ll be launching a pop-up cinema campaign to ensure people in rural and low access township areas will be able to watch the film.”

This, she says, is aimed at starting new township economies that will rebuild the bioscope moviegoing culture that was so popular in the townships in the 1980s.

Inspired by Cassper Nyovest’s Fill up the Dome, the team is hoping to sell 1 million tickets for the film – driven by the #1MillionTicketsSold for Zulu Wedding social media campaign.

All these initiatives will be supported by a star-studded soundtrack, curated by DJ Maphorisa, and featuring Tira, Prince Bulo, Kelly Khumalo, Goapele, Shekhinah and JR, among others.

Zulu Wedding is the first SA film with a black female producer and director.

“The film is unashamedly romantic, glamorous and hilarious, all at the same time, and pays loving tribute to the richness of African culture.

“It acknowledges the sometimes schizophrenic reality of many urban South Africans who live sophisticated modern lives, which are nonetheless shaped by their family cultures, traditions and expectations,” says Sekeleoane.

The movie tells the story of feisty choreographer Lu “Lungile” (Nondumiso Tembe), who will do anything to avoid falling in love, even more, to avoid going home to SA, where she’s traditionally engaged to a king.

However, when she meets her soul mate Tex (Darrin Dewitt Henson), she is forced to confront the tradition she’s been running away from – and the stage is set for hilarity, hijinks and heartbreak. With an effervescent screenplay by Julie Hall and stunning cinematography by award winning Lance Gewer of Tsotsi fame, Zulu Wedding promises a lush, playful, escapist experience which should appeal to fans of films like Happiness is a Four-letter Word.

The cast includes Pallance Dladla (Isibaya), funnyman Carl Payne (The Cosby Show), Bubu Mazibuko, Kelly Khumalo, S’thandiwe Kgoroge, Kole Omotoso and Makgano Mamabolo – with cameo appearances from DJ Tira and many other Mzansi celebs.

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