Bona Manzi
Starring Sipho Menyeni, Martin Potgieter, John Mtsali and Sithembiso Fusa, this 70 minute action film was shot in 1989. It was produced by Oubaas Olivier and directed by Tonie vd Merwe.
TAGLINE
A game ranger and his chief ranger set out on a daring rescue mission when his two nephews are kidnapped by dangerous poachers deep in the African bush.
SYNOPSIS
Two young brothers travel out to the countryside to visit with their game ranger uncle during their school holidays.
It is here on the ranch, under their uncle’s teachings, that they learn about the beauties of the African bush and the wildlife living there.
One morning the two boys head out alone into the wilderness to go explore and accidentally stumble across a group of poachers. The boys are kidnapped and it is left to the uncle and the Chief Ranger to set out on a daring and dangerous rescue mission to save the children and apprehend the poachers.
Joe Bullet
Made in 1971, this action film directed by Louis de Wit and produced by Tonie vd Merwe was shot on 16mm in Johannesburg. Banned in South Africa by the government when it originally came out, it stars Ken Gampu, Abigail Kubeka, Jimmy Sabie and Joe Lopez.
TAGLINE
In the criminal underworld of soccer, one man will have to save the championship!
SYNOPSIS
When local soccer team The Eagles fall prey to a series of onslaughts from a mysterious gangster only a week before the championship final, the team turns to the one man that can help save their chances at victory – Joe Bullet (Ken Gampu).
Joe will have to battle against villainous henchmen, escape booby-trap bombs and bring his martial arts expertise to the fore in order to survive an attack from a deadly assassin.
In the end he will have to infiltrate the mysterious gangster’s hide-out in a dangerous cat-and-mouse rescue mission to save not only The Eagles’ two kidnapped star players, but that of his beautiful love interest, Beauty (Abigail Kubeka).
The odds will be stacked against him, but he’s the man that fights crime, the man that no one can tie down! Joe Bullet!
Film Schedule for Mayibuye Film Festival
A screengrab from the first film of the fest – “Ambushed”
The following is the film schedule for the Mayibue Film Festival on SABC:
13 April 2014
a. Ambushed
b. Ezintandaneni
a. Ambushed
b. Ezintandaneni
20 April 2014
a. Joe Bullet
b. Bona Manzi
a. Joe Bullet
b. Bona Manzi
27 April 2014
a. Treasure Hunters
b. Isiboshwa
a. Treasure Hunters
b. Isiboshwa
Screen grab from “Bonamanzi”
Ezintandaneni
Produced in 1987, this 70 minute drama was directed by Tonie vd Merwe and produced by Oubaas Olivier. The cast includes Sizwe Dlamini, Popo Gumede & Gugu Mhlanga. Be sure to watch it this Sunday night on SABC1!
TAGLINE
A moving tale involving two orphans, a widower and a beautiful social worker, and how their lives all come together at the end.
SYNOPSIS
A touching story of two families – one poor, and the other rich. A young boy and his sister, raised by their cruel and vicious stepmother, live poor and difficult lives. Beaten and starved by their stepmom, the two children only have one another for comfort
and support. Meanwhile a prominent business man, and single father, has brought his mother to stay with him to help care for his ailing daughter. A beautiful Social Worker enters the scene and befriends the two abused children, and when the wealthy business man’s daughter sadly passes away, a series of events begin to unfold, entwining these people’s fates and bringing all them all together at the end.
Ambushed
Filmed in 1988 on 16mm, this 70 minute action film will keep you on your toes! Directed by Tonie vd Merwe and produced by Oubaas Olivier, the cast includes Hector Mathanda, Popo Gumede, Kay Magubane & Ngebo Zungo. Catch it on Sunday night at 8:30pm on SABC1
TAGLINE:
A young Game Ranger will have to track a dangerous group of army deserters in a desperate attempt to rescue his kidnapped wife and son.
SYNOPSIS:
A young Game Ranger lives with his wife and son a large game farm bordering a neighbouring country.
Early one morning, only a few kilometres away, a gang of army deserters cross the border to loot, steal and poach whatever they can find. As the Ranger bids his family farewell and heads out on patrol, his son leaves for school.
While on his way, the young boy has a run-in with one of the deserters. He manages to escape, or so he thinks, and flees back home. The boy informs his mother of the events, and together they try to reach the Ranger via radio. But the deserters have followed the boy home.
Mother and son are kidnapped and the gang of deserters head back across the border. The father, calling in his Assistant Ranger, tracks the gang through the treacherous landscape back to their hidden base. The odds are stacked against him, but it is here that he launches a desperate attack on the hide-out in an effort to defeat the gang and rescue his wife and son.
We Bring You The Mayibuye Film Festival, Launching on SABC Sunday 13th
The Mayibuye Film Festival launches on SABC 1 in South Africa this weekend on Sunday! Running for 3 weeks from April 13-27, watch two never-before-seen South African films every Sunday night on SABC1. Films that were lost for 20 years have now been restored by Gravel Road Entertainment in Cape Town. Working out of the Waterfront Film Studios, we are digitally restoring these magical films from the 70’s & 80’s. In partnership with Wabona, one of Africa’s premiere video streaming services, the public will also be able to stream the films through Wabona’s online website (http://wabona.com/) or through their cellphones via applications such as Mxit, thanks to Cinemo (Wabona’s mobile service). The films will also be running on TV screens in mini bus taxis via “Commuter TV”.
Retro Afrika Bioscope 