Local Soap Star's Film Bought By The Director of SELMA in the US

South African film Ayanda, which is produced by acclaimed actress Terry Pheto and stars etv soap Scandal's stars, has gotten another major boost on an international platform. Word is that the film has been picked up for distribution in the US by American director, screenwriter, film marketer, and film distributor Ava DuVernay.

DuVernay is an accomplished Hollywood player. She received accolades and centre stage after the release of the acclaimed biopic of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, which she wrote and directed. 

For Selma, DuVernay became the first female African American director to have a film nominated for the Academy award (Oscars) for Best Picture.

“Ava DuVernay has long been a promoter and distributor of black independent films,” said Pheto, who co-produced Ayanda. 

“DuVernay herself recognises this and is proving to be a force to help bring about needed change. She is not only a savvy film marketer and acclaimed director, but also a black woman entrepreneur who is deeply committed to increasing the representation of black people on the big screen.”

Ayanda, directed by Sara Blecher, stars etv Scandal stars Fulu Mugovhani and Nthati Moshesh as well as former Generations star Japhta Mamabolo. 

Mugovhani, known for playing Princess Anzani on the etv soap,  plays the lead role of Ayanda in the film - a single-minded 21-year-old Afro-hipster, who has a talent for taking neglected pieces of furniture and “bringing them back to love”. Eight years after her father’s death, his prized auto repair garage is in deep debt and in danger of being sold, but Ayanda does everything in her power to hold onto his legacy.

The film opens nationwide in local cinemas on 2 October 2015.