By: Zethu Gweva
To elevate the Eastern Cape entertainment industry, Kumkani Pictures Production created a Montywood Xhosa Nostra Original TV series in East London.
According to Montywood & Kumkani Pictures Production Marketing Manager Siyamamkela Wanga, the series is all about an ex-convict who wants to get back his stolen territories, this creates war amongst the mafia families.
”The series is inspired by how American filmmakers are not scared of retelling stories affecting ordinary people. For example, in South Africa ordinary citizens are terrorised for protection fees and this series will create a conversation around this phenomenon.
Also, in the series, we get to see how organised crimes by illegitimate business people and politicians are affecting the greater populace. These negative events inspired this production with the hope of exposing these,” Wanga.
In-addition, Xhosa Nostra was produced by Xabiso Ngabase, Zimkhitha Keswa, Phumeza Matini and Unathi Dyubula being the Executive Producer and the Director of the series.
“Having this number of producers proves that the project was very big compared to the short films we have shot before,” he said.
One of the Producers Xabiso Ngabase said it is a 15 – 20 minutes Mafia 10-part series and that means it was a sophisticated and complex film to make.
“However, we’ve managed to take this sophisticated idea and interpret it in a manner that the ordinary citizens, until the upper class would relate or resonate with some aspects in the film by operating on a low budget,” said Ngabase.
The production hopes to attract a bigger audience to their platform.
“We believe that what will help us attract the audience is what we put on the catalogue which includes series, movies, documentaries, TV reality shows,” said Wanga.
Talking about the Eastern entertainment industry Wanga said that Montywood will elevate the Eastern Cape Entertainment industry, having identified the problems that the province and the country are facing which is lack of sustainability in the film industry as well as having people leaving the province to pursue their dreams in Johannesburg where they end up living on the streets.
“Having the distribution platform, Montywood originating in the Eastern Cape, alone will help us elevate the entertainment industry in the province. We want to involve people in what we are building, this is not only ours but it’s for all of us in the Eastern Cape and Africa at large,” he said.
Wanga said the production will shoot Season two of Xhosa Nostra in November.
“Business people can reach out to us for any kind of support as we shoot the season with a low budget. Together, we can make the South African film industry better,” he said.
The series will premiere as of 27th of April 2021 only on the Montywood platform via the web www.montywood.co.za as mentioned earlier on. We also have our app that can be downloaded from the Google Play Store.