Show off your superlative word skills by entering M-Net’s Spellbound!

ou can’t sing – not even in the shower. Your carefully planned delectable dishes end up being despicable disasters. You simply don’t have the stamina to survive on a deserted island. And your budding entrepreneurial skills won’t turn you into the next big business mogul. But, the day spelling talent was handed out, you were in front of the queue, just behind the Oxford dictionary. Finally, it’s your time to shine on M-Net!

This October, pioneering television network M-Net is celebrated 30 years of timeless magic. It was also the month during which M-Net’s premium channel, M-Net 101, toured the country to hold auditions for the next season of The Voice SA as well as the month thatthe channel introduced the highly entertaining new local reality show Shark Tank South Africa. But there’s more up the M-Net 101 sleeve: The channel is producing a brand-new, family-friendly game show called Spellbound, based on the concept of a spelling bee, and is looking for word whizzes who could become the country’s English spelling and grammar champions.

Spellbound will test contestants’ word skills in a fun and interactive way and will include super spellers from different age groups. There will be a round for primary school learners between the ages of 10 and 13, a round for high school learners between the ages of 14 and 18, and one for adults of all ages, as long as they’re over 18 and are South African citizens or permanent residents. The learners must currently be attending school in South Africa and must have the permission of their parents or legal guardians to take part in the show.

Apart from the exhilarating thrill that comes from knowing that you’re the country’s number one letter-master in your age group, winners – and their schools – will walk away with cash prizes.

“Spellbound is a wonderful local addition to our M-Net 101 schedule,” says Jan du Plessis, Director: M-Net Channels. “Spelling bees have become all the rage across the world and while the contestants will be giving it a go on television, the entire family at home can test their own skills and brush up on their grammar. It’s education wrapped in great fun.”

Two celebrities who M-Net audiences will fondly remember are back on the channel as the new hosts of Spellbound, M-Net’s latest game show format which is due to start on Sunday, 20 November at 17:00. Jason Greer and Vanessa Marawa are joining forces to challenge South African learners and adults alike to battle it out to see who is the greatest word whizz of them all.

Vanessa Marawa was the first winner of Survivor South Africa and after spearheading the reality show The Loot on M-Net’s youth channel GO, Jason became one of the presenters of the glitzy M-Net magazine show, All Access.

While Vanessa takes on the role of quiz master in Spellbound, firing the difficult questions in the contestants’ direction, Jason introduces the contestants, the games and ensures that the show runs smoothly.

It’s been exactly a decade since Vanessa Marawa survived the harsh conditions on a desolate island in Panama and she says that being a host on Spellbound is like coming home: “I can’t believe that it was a whole ten years ago since I was on M-Net, but how fitting for me to come full circle again in the year that the channel is turning 30,” Vanessa says. Jason, who has loads of experience under his belt as he’s enjoyed years of being a presenter, host, actor and MC in the entertainment industry, is equally delighted to join the M-Net family again. “Incidentally, Homebrew Films, the production company responsible for Spellbound, also produced All Access. So in a sense, I’m coming full circle too,” he says.

Spellbound will test contestants’ word skills in a fun and interactive way and will include super spellers from different age groups. There will be a round for primary school learners between the ages of 10 and 13, a round for high school learners between the ages of 14 and 18, and one for adults of all ages. Apart from the exhilarating thrill that comes from knowing that you’re the country’s number one letter-master in your age group, winners – and their schools – will walk away with some great prizes.

To find out more about this fun game show, visit www.mnet.tv/spellbound or follow the conversation about the show on @MNet’s Twitter account with the hashtag #MNetSpellbound. The series will also be available on DStv Catch Up and streamed live on DStv Now.

Spellbound is produced for M-Net by Homebrew Films and will be screened on M-Net 101 on Sundays at 17:00 from 20 November 2016.

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Competition this year for the coveted nomination to represent South Africa was intense. This is a remarkable achievement for Daryne Joshua’s first feature film. The Producers, David Max Brown and Moshidi Motshegwa and their partners who supported the financing of the film at the NFVF, kykNET, Mnet and the distributor Ster Kinekor Entertainment, are absolutely thrilled with this news and are proud that the film deserved the accolade and confident that it will earn the Academy’s further nomination.

To date the film has been seen by over 32 000 people in South Africa.  “Noem My Skollie’s  great Box Office performance has now been crowned with the nomination as South Africa’s entry into the Oscars, we are extremely proud to have been part of getting this amazing film on to SA screens and are excited about the continued potential in our market and on the global stage”, says Mario Dos Santos, Chief Executive Officer –  Ster Kinekor Entertainment.

“Noem My Skollie has been a project close to our hearts and M-Net and kykNET are incredibly proud of every single person who has brought this authentic South African story to life,” says Jan du Plessis, Director: M-Net Channels. “What makes it even more special, is that this moving film is the work of a first time director and that the story is rooted in the true-life experiences of the screenwriter. It’s a film the world needs to see.”

The film tells the story of a young man in 1960’s Cape Town who ends up in jail and barters his skills as a storyteller in order to avoid being forced into the number gangs. It is based on the life of the scriptwriter John W. Fredericks who is now 70 years old. This is a heart-lifting story of redemption that sends the audience on an action filled roller coaster with a massive emotional impact. It is a film that delves with great authenticity into the culture of the coloured people of the Western Cape but it is a film for all South Africans to enjoy regardless of colour, creed or language.

“I dreamed the impossible dream. Deep inside my heart I knew that Skollie is going to make an impact! When I was 70 years old I was blessed with a replica of the OSCAR which takes centre stage on my desk. I manifested this!”  John W Fredericks (Writer).

Stage and Screen wishes Noem My Skollie nothing but the best for the Oscars.

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As deel van Huisgenoot se eeufeesviering vanjaar het die tydskrif, in samewerking met kykNET Films, die romantiese drama Vir die Voëls vervaardig.

Henriëtte Loubser, Huisgenoot se redakteur, vertel hoe dié reis begin het: “Toe ons twee jaar gelede begin dink aan maniere om Huisgenoot se 100ste verjaardag te vier, het ons besluit dit sal lekker wees om ’n romantiese fliek te maak. Dit was ’n logiese keuse om kykNET Films, dié kenners van Afrikaanse rolprente, te betrek. Daarna is voorgestel ons hou ’n wedstryd waarin ons lesers vra om hul eie, ware liefdesverhale in te stuur. Die wenverhaal sou as inspirasie vir die draaiboek dien. Irma de Klerk van Newcastle se vertelling van haar en haar man, Sampie, se hobbelrige liefdespad tot by die kansel het gewen.

“Nadat ons hulle leer ken het, het ons agtergekom ’n mens kon kwalik vir twee waardiger wenners gevra het: Hulle is geswore Huisgenoot-lesers en het ons die kreatiewe vryheid gegun om hul verhaal te omskep in ’n storie met genoeg kinkels en draaie om ’n lekker draaiboek daarvan te maak. Hoewel die basiese intrige dus op hul verhaal gegrond is, is daar ook gebeure en karakters wat nuut geskep is om by te dra tot die opwinding.”

Vir die Voëls vertel die ware verhaal van Irma Humpel (Simoné Nortmann), ’n korrelkop-rabbedoe wat in ’n trourok voor die kansel beland langs die seun wat haar kleintyd onophoudelik geterg het. Tot kort tevore was haar kop op ’n blok dat onafhanklikheid die enigste vorm van vryheid is, maar intussen het Sampie de Klerk (Francois Jacobs) haar oortuigings op alle vlakke kom uitdaag.

Vir die Voëls speel in die laat 1970’s af en volgens Henriëtte gaan dit “die nostalgiese hartsnare roer”. Sy sê: “Dis ’n fliek oor ’n sterk vrou wat haar tyd vooruit was en ’n man met so ’n sterk identiteit dat hy ’n vrou kan respekteer en vir haar liefde veg. Dis ’n storie oor die stryd teen jouself en hoe om te keer dat eksterne omstandighede en emosionele bagasie jou kans op geluk verongeluk. Dit alles is temas waarby baie mense aanklank sal vind.”

As joernaliste was dit vir Henriëtte en haar span lekker om te sien hoe ’n fliek aanmekaargesit word – die draaiboekontwikkeling, besonderhede oor kostuums, dekor, kamerawerk, kleure, musiek en die redigering agterna. “In Danie Bester en Quentin Krog het ons die beste moontlike vervaardiger en regisseur vir die projek. Dis ook ’n voorreg om saam met Jan du Plessis, Karen Meiring en die res van die M-Net- en kykNET-span te werk,” sê Henriëtte. “Irma en Sampie voel boonop nou soos lede van die Huisgenoot-familie. Ons is bly ons kon hulle beter leer ken.”

Quentin Krog, regisseur van die rolprent, sê: “Ek het saam met ’n fenomenale span gewerk en die hele verfilming geniet. Die lekkerste tonele om die regie van te behartig, was die oomblikke tussen Irma en Sampie; dit het deurentyd vir drama, romanse en komedie gesorg.

“Ek is opgewonde oor die gehoor wat na dié film gaan kyk. Ek is ook opgewonde oor die idee om hulle terug te neem na ’n ander era; om hulle te laat lag, huil en verlief te maak. Om hulle te vermaak.”

Vir die Voëls is in samewerking met kykNET Films deur The Film Factory vervaardig en die rolverdeling sluit in Elize Cawood, Nicola Hanekom, Neels van Jaarsveld, Drikus Volschenk, Leandry Smith, Liam Bosman, Lara Kinnear, Candice Kruger en Bennie Fourie. Die rolprent word op 25 November 2016 uitgereik en word deur Ster Kinekor Entertainment versprei.

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Met sewe studente – almal mans – wat opdaag vir Clara se nuwe kookklas, is haar beste vriendin, Minette (Elzabé Zietsman) daarvan oortuig dat die heelal vir haar ’n boodskap stuur – dit is tyd vir ’n herlewing van haar liefdeslewe.

Clara durf dus – ná twee dekades van getroude lewe – die wêreld van dating aan. Clara deurleef die verskillende fases van haar herstelproses – woede, aanvaarding, hernieude bande met haar eksman, die deurlopende poging om haar kinders normaal groot te maak en die moontlikheid van ’n splinternuwe romanse – met (pogings tot) waardigheid, ’n sin vir humor en natuurlik heerlike kos.

Clara se storie is een van nuut begin, humor, hartseer en avontuur. Wraak is ’n dis wat op sy beste smaak as dit koud geëet word en as daar een ding is wat Clara beslis weet, is dit dat daar ’n resep vir enige geleentheid – of ramp – is.

Dis Koue Kos, Skat, word in Fliekteaters vrygestel, op 26 Augustus, 2016.

ROLVERDELING:

Clara – Anna-Mart van der Merwe

Bernard – Deon Lotz

Minette – Elzabé Zietsman

Ari – Frank Opperman

Anaïs – Angelique Gerber

Nicolas – Deànré Reiners

Paula – Zonika de Vries

Mike – Riaan Visman

FILMSPAN:

Uitvoerende vervaardigers: Marita van der Vyver, Deon Meyer en Diony Kempen

Direkteur M-NET Movies: Jan du Plessis

Direkteur M-NET Afrikaanse kanale: Karen Meiring

KykNET-toesigvervaardiger: Anneke Villet

Vervaardigers: Aimee Dherman, Wayne Kriel, Lida, Meyer en Diony Kempen

Medevervaardiger: Ricky Human

Times Media Films: Debbie McCrum en Johan Drotskie

Publisiteit en bemarking: Corlize Luttig, Caron Rypstra (Times Media Films), Etienne Fourie en Johan Prinsloo (Karoo Film Company)

Regisseur: Etienne Fourie

Draaiboek: Marita van der Vyver en Etienne Fourie

Kinematografie: William Collinson

Produksie-ontwerp: Luarnae Roos

Grimering en stilering: Mari Conradie

Kostuums: Azell Bartizal

Redigering: Johan Prinsloo

Visuele effekte: Johan Prinsloo

Klankontwerp: Hendré Jacobs

Musiek: Schalk Joubert

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