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A New Pop Up Channel for M-Net Movies

News
19 May 2016
M-Net Movies Blackout shines the spotlight on Hollywood’s biggest African-American stars.
blackout

This winter, M-Net Channels are putting an exciting, positive spin on the word "blackout". Instead of reaching for a torch, or lighting some candles, the word will inspire Multichoice’s DStv Premium customers to check-in at channel 109, the month-long home of a limited edition pop-up channel that will blackout any dreary, cold winter’s evening by providing outstanding movie entertainment. 

On Friday 3 June, Multichoice and M-Net Channels will launch M-Net Movies Blackout, an urban movie channel celebrating the immense contribution of African American stars to the magic of Hollywood. While the spotlight will fall on a long list of well-known international Black talent, this pop-up channel will also feature a variety of popular films that will appeal to a diverse cross-section of viewers. 

Coinciding with the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), an annual international event in Miami dedicated to showcasing entertainment content made by and about people of African descent to a worldwide audience, M-Net Movies Blackout will be available on DStv Premium across Africa. The slate of more than 170 films will be screened on channel 109 for 18 hours a day – from Friday, 3 June at 06:00 until Thursday, 30 June at 23:59. 

Among the stars who will come out to play on M-Net Movies Blackout are Will Smith, Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Hart, Tyler Perry, Wesley Snipes, Viola Davis, Morris Chesnut, Martin Lawrence, Mia Long, Vivica A. Fox and Zoe Saldanha.  

Some of the big titles that viewers can look forward to are Wild Wild West, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Bad Boys 2, Madea’s Witness Protection, Get Hard, Fast & Furious 7, Bad Boys II, The Wedding Ringer, Diary of a Mad Black Woman and Ride Along. Viewers will also see the movie Chocolate City for the very first time. It tells the story of a struggling student who turns to the life of an exotic dancer to make ends meet. Chocolate City is scheduled for broadcast on Sunday, 19 June at 20:30. 

Jan du Plessis, Director: M-Net Channels, says M-Net Movies Blackout builds on the massive success of previous movie pop-up channels on DStv such as last year’s Star Wars extravaganza and kykNET’s Afrikaans language holiday treats, fliekNET. “Pop-up channels are currently all the rage worldwide and by creating these channels, it grants us an opportunity to curate available content for the enjoyment of viewers with different tastes. While movies with phenomenal African-American talent are often scattered across our various channels, this will be the first time you’ll find them all on one channel.”

Even though M-Net Movies Blackout will focus on Hollywood fare, there will be an exception on Thursday, 16 June (Youth Day) when the line-up will comprise of local films such as Jerusalema, Black Nativity, City of Violence, Jozi,  the comedy special Trevor Noah It’s My Culture and a never-seen-on television stand-up comedy feature called #VernacAttack. 

The full schedule for M-Net Movies Blackout will be available on dstv.com as well as on the DStv Electronic Programme Guide from Monday, 23 May.  A selected number of these movies will also be available on the Dstv Catch Up service.