Youโve cried, youโve laughed and youโve seen someย โOscar-winningโย performances in M-Net Moviesโ unique The Greatest Movie Ever Made competition. Now, after a whopping 387 entries from across the continent, M-Net Movies and a panel of experts have narrowed down the entries toย just 17 contestants. Spearheaded by three reputable television and film production directors from Spitfire Films, the selection process was in the hands of experts like Akin Omotoso, AK, and Peter Heaney.
In this extraordinary casting competition, M-Net Movies invited aspiring actors to recreate scenes from movies on the different DStv channels in the hopes of starring opposite well-known local actors in a short M-Net Movies production and maybe win the big prizeย โย an all-expenses paid trip to Hollywood, sponsored by UIPSA.
Akin Omotoso, AK and Peter Heaney will also be the three directors of this short movie, which will hop between genres.
Nigerian-born Akin Omotoso has garnered several top-notch film awards over the years, and his highly acclaimed crime drama 2011 film Man On Ground travelled the international film circuit winning over critics and audiences alike. His most recent production Vaya, was also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month.
About judging the entries for The Greatest Movie Ever Made Akin said: โThe quest is always finding truth in the performance, but the talent that came forward was absolutely mind-blowing.โ
โPeople were so creative, or interesting, or just brilliant that it made our job selecting a final cast very difficult,โ fellow judge Peter Heaney agreed. โUltimately, the truth is that casting is about the combination of people, and how a group fits together. We could have cast so many of the people who submitted entries that I hope we get to do this again!โ
Heaney, who began his career in front of the camera, is a seasoned director, who recently won the Afrikaanse Taal en Kultuur Vereniging (ATKV) MediaVeertjies Award for Best Director for the award-winning drama, Erfsondes.
AK has thrived on strong conceptual ideas with striking graphic visuals, bursting with special effects innovation and cinematic magic. The talented director has overseen more than 260 commercials and picked up over 40 international awards. AK has also featured at the Global Association for Creative Advertising & Design Awards (D&AD) Awards in New York, the One Show Awards, the PromaxBDA Awards in both London and Los Angeles and the Cannes Advertising Awards.
In case you missed it, here are the Top 17 finalists they picked for The Greatest Movie Ever Made:
Andy Ella (27) from ย Centurion in Gauteng, South Africa
Angelo Johannes (37) from Cape Town in the Western Cape, South Africa
Daniel Molokwu ( 17) from ย Accra in Ghana)
Devon Wayne Saunders (33) from Cape Town in the Western Cape, South Africa
George Mnguni (22)from Vosloorus in Gauteng, South Africa
Jacqueline Angula (26) from Namibia
Jerome Galiao (32) from Randburg in Gauteng, South Africa
Julian Fouche (22) from Germiston in Gauteng, South Africa
Kelly Gossmann (24) from Randparkridge in Gauteng, South Africa
Kira Marie Tim (25) from Blairgowrie in Gauteng, South Africa
Lamar Bonhomme (27) Randparkridge in Gauteng, South Africa
Lauren Jenae Vankeirsbilck (25) Bryanston in Gauteng, South Africa
Letlotlo Mohlabeng(20) Randfontein in Gauteng, South Africa
Nompilo Hlongwa (25) Durban in Gauteng, South Africa
Percival Sibanda (22) Clearwater in Gauteng, South Africa
Sheena Deepnarain (29) Greenstone in Gauteng, South Africa
Tshegofatso Masenya (17) Limpopo in Gauteng, South Africa
The judging process was verified by auditing firm Deloitte. ย