There is good news and bad news for fans who have been looking forward to director and producer Lineo Sekeleoane’s much anticipated rom-com, ZULU WEDDING.
It has been announced that the film, initially scheduled for release later this month, will now only premiere on 20 April 2018. But while moviegoers will have to hold out a little longer to see their favourite stars in action on the big screen, the team behind the film promises that the wait will be worth it.
“While we were extremely excited about the February release date, several new ideas started to take shape in recent months and we needed time to mobilize the right people to launch these initiatives. As such, we had no choice but to move the release date to April,” explains Lineo.
The first of these initiatives is that instead of only showing the film locally, ZULU WEDDING will be released simultaneously throughout Africa, with VIP screenings in several countries. “We are currently working on a surprise screening in Los Angeles, but our goal is to tour the African continent with ZULU WEDDING and premiere it in as many countries as possible,” she says.
“With the support of our funders, Tsoga Afrika Lifestyle, we will also be launching a pop-up cinema campaign to ensure that people in rural and low access township areas will be able to watch the film.” This, explains Lineo, is aimed at starting new township economies that will rebuild the ‘bioscope’ movie going culture that was so popular in the townships during the 1980s.
Furthermore, inspired by Casper Nyovest’s Fill up the Dome, the team behind ZULU WEDDING is hoping to sell 1 million tickets for the film – a goal that will be driven by the #1MillionTicketsSold for Zulu Wedding social media campaign.
All these initiatives will be supported by a star-studded soundtrack, curated by DJ Maphorisa and featuring Afrotainment’s Tira and Prince Bulo, Kelly Khumalo, Goapele, Shekhinah and JR, among others.
ZULU WEDDING is the first South African film to boast a black female producer and director.
The film is unashamedly romantic, glamorous and hilarious all at the same time and pays loving tribute to the richness of African culture. It acknowledges the, sometimes schizophrenic, reality of many urban South Africans who live sophisticated modern lives which are nonetheless shaped by their family cultures, traditions and expectations.
It tells the story of feisty choreographer, Lu “Lungile” (Nondumiso Tembe), who will do anything to avoid falling in love. Even more to avoid going home to South Africa, where she’s traditionally engaged to a king. However, when she meets her soulmate Tex (Darrin Dewitt Henson) she is forced to confront the tradition she’s been running away from and the stage is set for hilarity, hijinks and heartbreak.
With an effervescent screenplay by Julie Hall and stunning cinematography by award-winning Lance Gewer of Tsotsi fame, ZULU WEDDING promises a lush, playful, escapist experience which should appeal to fans of films like Happiness is a Four-letter Word and My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
The star-studded cast includes Nondumiso Tembe (True Blood, King Kong The Musical); Darrin Dewitt-Henson (Soul Food, Lincoln Heights, Stomp The Yard); Pallance Dladla (Tempy Pushas, Isibaya, Hard To Get); the hilarious Carl Payne (Martin, The Cosby Show); Bubu Mazibuko; Kelly Khumalo; Lorcia Cooper, S’thandiwe Kgoroge; Treasure Tshabalala; Kole Omotoso and Makgano Mamabolo, with cameo appearances from DJ Tira, Carolyn Steyn and many more of South Africa’s best-loved celebrities.
This Luju Pictures Film was produced in association with Brand Contact, the DTI, NFVF and Tsoga Afrika.
Watch the trailer here:
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
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Web: www.zuluweddingmovie.com
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