3. inumber number press kit final - indigenous ·...
TRANSCRIPT
Quizzical Pictures In partnership with
For the People Films Present
iNumber Number A film by Donovan Marsh
In association with
IDC (Industrial Development Corporation) NFVF (National Film and Video Foundation)
dti (Department of Trade and Industry
INTERNATIONAL SALES
www.fortissimofilms.com
HEAD OFFICE Van Diemenstraat 100 1013 CN Amsterdam The Netherlands
Phone: +31 20 627 3215 Fax: +31 20 626 1155
E-‐mail: [email protected]
ASIA OFFICE Unit A, 26/F., CKK Commercial Centre
289-‐295 Hennessy Road Wanchai, Hong Kong, S.A.R. Phone: (852) 2311 8081 Fax: (852) 2311 8023
E-‐mail: info@fortissimo-‐hk.com
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Production Country: South Africa Year: 2013 Language: Zulu Genre: Police Action Subtitle: English Format: HD Running Time: 99 minutes (incl. end credits) Colour/B&W: colour Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Frame Rate: Shoot -‐ 25fps, DCP – 24pfs Sound Ratio: 1:1 (Uncompressed) Sound Format: 5.1 Surround Originally Shot on: Sony F3, Canon 5D
CREDIT
Written & Directed by Donovan Marsh Casting by Moonyeenn Lee Director of Photography Tom Marais Production Designer Chantel Carter Executive Producers Harriet Gavshon Donovan Marsh Nimrod Geva Owen Kessel Basil Ford Katinka Schumann Producers Harriet Gavshon JP Potgieter Mariki Van Der Walt Donovan Marsh Casting Director Moonyeenn Lee Line Producer Anna Walton 1st Assistant Director Ben Horowitz Editor Donovan Marsh Music Brendan Jury Script Editor Justine Loots Southern African Distribution by Indigenous Film Distribution
CAST
S’dumo Mtshali as CHILI Presley Chweneyagae as SHOES Israel Makoe as SKROEF Owen Sejake as MAMBANE Warren Masemola as G8 Hlubi Mboya as GUGU Percy Matsemela as SLIM Carlo Radebe as KENNY /‘DEX’
LOGLINE
When an honest undercover cop is cheated out of a reward by his corrupt superiors he joins a cash-‐in-‐transit heist gang for a once off score. It’s an incredibly tense, completely satisfying, and beautifully acted heist film that would keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.
SYNOPSIS (short)
When honest undercover cop Chili Ngcobo (winner of the TV Talent show, ‘Class Act’, S’dumo Mtshali), and his by-‐the-‐book partner, Sello ‘Shoes’ Moshoeshoe (lead actor of the Oscar Winning film ‘Tsotsi’, Presley Chweneyagae), are cheated out of a large reward by their corrupt superiors, Chili finds another way of getting the money he feels they deserve. Chili penetrates a cash-‐in-‐transit heist gang, and instead of busting them, convinces his partner to participate in a once off score.
SYNOPSIS
After 8 years on the force, undercover cop Chili Ngcobo (winner of the TV Talent show, ‘Class Act’, S’dumo Mtshali), and his partner, Sello ‘Shoes’ Moshoeshoe (lead actor of the Oscar Winning film ‘Tsotsi’, Presley Chweneyagae), have an impressive by-‐the-‐book arrest record. When they risk their lives busting the Radebe gang, a violent mob of supermarket thieves, they expect to receive the large reward on offer. When their corrupt superior withholds their reward on condition they ‘lose’ some crucial evidence on another key case they are working on, Chili is seriously tempted. His partner tries to talk him out of it, but Chili is not convinced. For eight years they have been putting criminals away, they work overtime, weekends, no questions asked. They have never taken a bribe or tampered with evidence, and for what? Chili can’t pay his bills and Shoes is struggling to raise a family. It’s only when Shoes threatens to end the partnership does he have second thoughts. When Chili infiltrates a cash-‐in-‐transit heist gang he sees an opportunity to participate in a once off score. If he joins them his share will be 400k. He gets his partner to assist him by threatening to end his career as a policeman if they don’t do this.
When one of the gang recognizes Chili as a cop, Chili sends Shoes to arrest him and remove him from the equation. But Shoes is captured and dragged in front of the gang as proof that Chili is a policeman. Chili manages to convince the gang boss that he isn’t a cop but struggles to save the life of his partner. Torn between participating in the score and saving Shoes, Chili attempts to do both. When it becomes clear that innocent guards are going to be killed during the heist, Chili must decide if he is going to let the heist go down or not. In a desperate attempt to save the guards he blows his cover and despite every effort the guards are killed. The heist is successful and Chili is left for dead at the scene. Chili survives but there is nothing he can do to save his partner who is tied up back at the warehouse which the gangsters are speeding back to, to divide the cash. Chili must dig deep and find his heroic side in order to save Shoes and return the money to its rightful owners.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
With iNumber Number I wanted to bring a popular international genre, the heist, into a local South African context and produce an exciting, orginal and entertaining mashup. You will recognize the genre cues but you will have never seen them quite like this in a world where corruption is the norm and gangsters from the streets of Soweto and Johannesburg relate to each other in unusual and colourful ‘tsotsi taal’ (gangster slang).
Biographies: Cast S’dumo Mtshali (Chili Ngcobo)
S’dumo Mtshali is a South African actor who rose to fame by winning the first season of the SABC1 reality competition, Class Act, in 2010. After working a series of odd jobs, including working at Marine World, he auditioned for Class Act and ended up winning the competition. As part of his prize he won representation from Moonyeenn Lee and Associates and was sent to the New York Film Academy for eight weeks to further learn the craft of acting. He landed his first leading dramatic role in the SABC1 drama series Intersexions, which premiered in October 2010. In 2011 he landed the role of Maidi Kotwe on Rhythm City, which he played for a year. His character, a medical student, was married to Nozipho Kotwe (played by Bonnie Henna) and involved in a love triangle with Tshidi (played by Nokuthula Ledwaba). In 2013 he returned to
Rhythm City and landed the starring role of Kuti Daniels in the SABC1 drama series Tempy Pushas, set against the backdrop of the lavish fashion world and juxtaposed with the vibrant township culture. He also has a starring role as Sibusiso "S'bu" Ndlovu, Samson's youngest son, in the Mzansi Magic telenovela isiBaya, from 2013-‐2014.
Presley Chweneyagae (Sello ‘Shoes’ Moshoeshoe)
Presley, born in 1984, is a young man with a big talent. Since his school years he has performed in numerous theatre productions for North West Arts. He has played “Puck” in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and “Zipper” in Cards for the Grahamstown Festival. In 2000 he was cast in a supporting role in Orlando for SABC. He then landed the lead role in Gavin Hood’s film adaptation of Athol Fugard’s TSOTSI -‐ OSCAR WINNER “BEST FOREIGN FILM”. “Best Actor Award” Bangkok Film Festival 2006. Presley co-‐wrote the stage play “Relativity” (with Paul Grootboom) which scooped a “Herald Angel Award” at the 2006 Edinburgh Festival. He has extensive experience gained from the community theatre projects and worked with Paul Grootboom, Bongi Ndaba and Percy Langa.
Israel Makoe (Skroef)
Israel Makoe is a South African actor, poet, singer and dancer best known for his role as GP in the SABC1 drama series Gaz'lam, from 2002-‐2005. Israel, AKA Ma-‐Orange, was born in Alexandra Township, Ha Mmampjane Gommora. From 1988 to 1994 he was involved in criminal activities. He was arrested for the first time at the age of fourteen for house breaking and theft. In 1996 he was sentenced to serve eight years in prison. While serving his jail term he decided to form a theatre group called Abaqobi Drama Group. The first play that he wrote and directed, Hayi Kabi Magenge, had some of the inmates and the members of
VSTC based in Alexandra. In 1999, when he was released from prison, he got a chance to work for the Victory Sonqoba Theatre Company which is where he had the opportunity to audition for the award-‐winning SABC1 drama series Yizo Yizo. He played the role of a gang leader in prison, and ended up recording a sound track with kwaito star Mandoza. He is a director for the Alexandra-‐based theatre group Ishoshovi.
Owen Sejake (Mambane)
Owen Sejake is a South African actor best known for his roles in the television drama series Yizo Yizo, Ke Nake, Soul City, Zone 14 and Fallen, all of which aired on SABC1. He is also known for his film roles as Nobe in Beat the Drum in 2003, for which he won the Best Supporting Actor award at the Monaco International Film Festival; and as Gumboot Dlamini, a miner who gets brutally murdered on a train by the title character, in the Academy Award-‐winning Gavin Hood film, Tsotsi, in 2005. Born in Daveyton, a township in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality of Gauteng, Owen has had a lengthy career as an actor, performing in roles in film, television and theatre since 1971. His film career includes such international films as Ocean Harvest, Mandela and De Klerk, Africaine Adventures, Shot Down, Hijack Stories, Crime in Gabon and director John Boorman’s film Country of My Skull. Other films he has acted in include Pure Blood, The African Story, Score and Shake Hands with the Devil. His television career includes roles in Justice For All; Yizo Yizo; Ke Nako; Saints, Sinners and Settlers; Soul City 6; Black Velvet Band; So Hard to Forget; Deafening Silence; Masakeng; Oedipus Rex; African Skies; The Line; Scout's Safari; Going Up; Behind The Badge; Stokvel; Zero Tolerance; Mponeng; Gothia Caper; Erfsondes; and The Lab. Owen has extensive experience as a theatre actor as well. In 1993 he received the Vita Nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for Once on this Island, and in 1996 was nominated for a Vita Best Supporting Actor award for his role in Marabi. His theatrical repertoire includes Athol Fugard's Captain's Tiger, Wole Soyinka's Death and the King's Horseman, Prophets in the Sky, Daughter of Nebo and Marabi. Other theatre productions he has appeared in include Julius Caesar at the Windybrow Theatre, Nongogo at the Civic Theatre, Ipi Tombi I and II (both locally and abroad), The Knot at the Baxter theatre and Milestones (directed by Jerry
Mofokeng) at the State Theatre. Owen played the role of President Nkosi in the second season of the SABC2 drama series 90 Plein Street, in 2009. Also in 2009, he played the role of corrupt cop Tony Dlamini in the e.tv drama series eKasi: Our Stories, in the episode entitled "Chasing the Truth".
Biographies: Crew
Donovan Marsh (Writer, Director, Editor)
Donovan has worked in the film industry since 1992, writing and directing feature films, drama, television and commercials.
He has just completed iNumber Number (writer, director, editor), a stylish gangster film created for the winner of a TV show Donovan created called Class Act -‐ a nationwide search for new acting talent. Class Act Season I, was broadcast in 2010 and Class Act Season II was completed in 2011. iNumber Number is having it’s world premiere art the 2013 Toronto Film Festival.
At the end of 2012 he filmed Spud II, The Madness Continues (written & directed) staring John Cleese.
In 2010 he wrote and directed Spud, staring John Cleese, a feature film adaptation of South Africa’s best selling novel. The film was a box office hit in South Africa and was nominated for six South African Film awards including Best Film.
In 2005 Donovan completed his first full length feature film, Dollars and White Pipes (Wrote, Directed and Edited), produced by Anant Singh which had its world debut at the Montreal Film Festival and won Best Director, First Feature at the 2006 Pan-‐African Film Festival in Los Angeles and Best Director and Best Screenwriter at the 2006 South African Film Awards where it received 6 other nominations.
He directs commercials, most recently a campaign for First National Bank and a Brand Activation series of ten 3 minute commercial/dramas, which he also wrote, called Crossroads, which won a Silver Loerie at the 2007 Loerie Awards. Crossroads II, 2008, was nominated for 5 Safta Awards, including Best Drama and Crossroads III, 2009, won a Silver Apex award. Other commercial clients include Edgars, Standard Bank, Nashua Mobile and John Hopkins University.
In 2008 he conceptualized, wrote and directed Seduction 101 – 52 three minute comedies for cellphones and GO Channel, M-‐Net. It was nominated for Best Mobile Communication at MIPCOM 2008 in France. It received three nominations for the 2010 Saftas, including Best Comedy, Best Ensemble Cast and Best Director.
Donovan also directs television drama, most notably episodes for the award winning series Hard Copy and Tsha Tsha, as well as the television film The Good Fight, all for Quizzical Pictures.
In 2002 his short film Dead End (wrote, directed, edited), was produced by Anant Singh and won Best Short Film at the Durban International Film Festival and was
selected for the Mind Ignite short film series in Australia. Also in 2002, Donovan won Best Music Video Director at the South African Music Awards for his music video, Ghetto Scandalous for Zola.
From 1992-‐2002 he directed live multicamera shows including local versions of Gladiators and Who Wants to be a Millionaire. In partnership with other producers he directed and produced Gladiators locally and in Nigeria. He produced and directed the SABC motivational show Invent Your Self and directed many live shows, pageants, corporates and commercials.
Donovan received a Honours degree in Drama from the University of the Witwatersrand winning the class medal for media studies and the Edgar Bold Award for Best Film Student.
Harriet Gavshon (Producer)
Harriet Gavshon is one of South Africa’s most experienced television producers, but iNumber Number is her first feature film.
She was born and brought up in Pretoria and received a BA Dramatic Arts (Hons) from the University of the Witwatersrand and a MA degree in Cinema Studies from New York University.
She taught at UNISA and the University of the Witwatersrand before leaving to become one of the founders of Free Film Makers – a film co-‐operative made up of directors and actors. She then went on, together with a number of friends to start Weekly Mail Television which became Mail and Guardian Television, Curious Pictures and now Quizzical Pictures, which she heads.
Quizzical Pictures is one of South Africa’s most innovative film and television production companies, responsible for some of South Africa’s most admired work. Noted projects she has produced includes Ordinary People, Tobias’s Bodies, A Country Imagined, Hard Copy, The Lab, Soul City, Tsha Tsha, Heartlines, Hopeville, Intersexions, 4Play, Masterchef South Africa and Rhythm City.
Her work has been shown all around the world and has won numerous awards including most recently a Peabody Award for Intersexions, a Rose D’Or Award in Lucerne Switzerland for Best Drama series for Hopeville, Best Television Film at Fespaco for Hopeville, and the Africomnet best Mass media Campaign 2012 for Intersexions.
Harriet Gavshon has also received a Woman of Courage and Vision Crystal Award from Women in Film and a special award in 2010 from the Minister of Arts and Culture as one of South Africa’s premier women artists.
JP Potgieter (Producer)
JP’s career in Television started in 1999, with experience in Public Relations, Sales and Marketing he moved up the production ladder quickly and by 2001 he was both Production Manager and Floor Manager on a variety of music, magazine and live television shows.
After a hiatus in London, he returned to South Africa in 2003 and worked as a producer for music television shows and television commercials and gained experience in the (almost dying) art of shooting on 35mm film.
The commercial work quickly dominated his career and he joined Quizzical Pictures (then called Curious Pictures) in September 2007 as a freelance producer. The company soon recognized his contributions and offered him a permanent position as Head of the Commercials division. At Quizzical Pictures, JP expanded to produce a variety of genres for major brands and broadcasters including; Apex and Loeries Award winning mini-‐drama series campaign for Castle Lite, reality series for Amstel’s Class Act and Shoprite’s Perfect Sishebo, TV game show for Sunlight Liquid, commercials for Peroni, Pin Pop, Brothers for Life and Amstel in addition to documentaries and corporate videos. iNumber Number is the first Feature Film which he produced.
JP has always been dedicated to both the company and the projects which he manages. He is approachable and friendly, valued by clients and respected by his colleagues and peers. JP is a creative producer and problem solver, who does detailed planning and manages budgets with flair. These important project management skills have served him admirably and are of great value to any project which he lends his support to.
Mariki van der Walt (Producer)
Mariki van der Walt’s career in film and television started more than 20 years ago after she obtained an honours degree (cum laude) in dramatic art. She cut her production teeth as insert and studio director at Africa Growth Network. Since then she has worked all over South Africa and gained experience in almost every genre of South African television production before finding her niche as producer with Quizzical Pictures, one of South Africa’s most innovative and exciting production houses.
Mariki has produced various drama series, documentaries, branded content and reality shows for Quizzical Pictures, most notably the multi award winning Heartlines drama series of 8 films made for television and the mini series Hopeville (Rose d’ Or award recipient and International Emmy nominee). She also produced 4 Play: Sex Tips for Girls and two seasons of Intersexions (Peabody award recipient). Mariki was also series producer of the first series of MasterChef South Africa.
Currently head of productions at Quizzical Pictures, Mariki was executive producer on projects such as the documentary series A Country Imagined, daily soap Rhythm City. In 2010 Mariki produced her first feature film “Inside Story” for Discovery Channel, followed by “iNumber Number” and “Nothing for Mahala” in 2013.
Tom Marais (Director of Photography)
After thirteen years in the industry, Tom Marais, Director of Photography, still maintains a steady relationship with his first love: visual story telling. His latest mistress being his 11th box office release feature film, Stuur Groete Aan Mannetjies Roux. Tom is an indie filmmaker at heart. He was part of the revolutionary team that made Bakgat! and Bakgat! 2, which kick started commercially viable South African films again and he hasn’t stopped ever since. He also recently received an award for best Cinematography for the Afrikaans Boer War movie “Traitors” at the “Silwerakerm Fees” in Cape Town. Although Tom prefers the feature film format, his work also includes numerous award winning television dramas and he also enjoys shooting commercials and music videos. Tom loves a challenge and enjoys the process of collaborating with creative individuals on each and every project. He prides himself at being flexible and part of this creative process is finding the right look and feel for each narrative, working closely with the director every step of the way.
Chantel Carter (Production Designer)
Chantel Carter is one of South Africa's up and coming young designers. Her design career started off by designing the beautiful, highly textured sets for Avie Luthra's 2005 award-‐winning short-‐subject film version of LUCKY.
With 16 years’ experience in the Art Department and an Honours in Fine Arts, Chantel 's hands on approach to design is dedicated to a deep responsibility to the honesty and texture in all the layers involved in film making. As a purist, the visual language of each script and director’s brief, is of utmost importance. The challenge of marrying each element of the process to a cohesive visual narrative, gives each design process a life of its own. Chantel’s approach is not formulated and therefore she strives for an authentic look for each film.
Chantel draws inspiration from having worked with some extremely talented designers, Directors and DOP's. To mention a few: Donal Woods on TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH (2005) as well as DIAMONDS (2008), Anthony Dod Mantle on MY BLACK LITTLE HEART (2006), Maria Djurkovic on MAN TO MAN(2005), Lance Gewer on OTELO BURNING (2010), Donovan Marsh INUMBER NUMBER (2012), Kristian Levring on THE SALVATION (2013) and many more.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
www.quizzical.co.za Quizzical Pictures (PTY) Ltd
41A Frost Avenue Auckland Park, Johannesburg
2092 South Africa
Phone: +27 11 726 2828 Fax: +27 11 726 2832
E-‐mail: [email protected]
INTERNATIONAL SALES
www.fortissimofilms.com
HEAD OFFICE Van Diemenstraat 100 1013 CN Amsterdam The Netherlands
Phone: +31 20 627 3215 Fax: +31 20 626 1155
E-‐mail: [email protected]
ASIA OFFICE Unit A, 26/F., CKK Commercial Centre
289-‐295 Hennessy Road Wanchai, Hong Kong, S.A.R. Phone: (852) 2311 8081 Fax: (852) 2311 8023
E-‐mail: info@fortissimo-‐hk.com