New and exciting titles cover the breadth and depth of
the African experience
Johannesburg, March 04, 2022
(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — JOHANNESBURG, 1 MARCH 2022: MultiChoice
Studios, the content sales and distribution arm of the
MultiChoice Group, will be taking a new selection of premium
African content to the world in 2022. The MultiChoice Group
is home to one of Africa’s largest digital satellite
television services, which includes the DStv and GOtv
bouquets of channels as well as Showmax. A wide selection of
content produced and commissioned by MultiChoice stars the
very best talent from across the continent and delivers
consistently superior production value, making it highly
sought-after in both the Group’s core African markets and
in diverse international markets.
Established in 2013,
MultiChoice Studios offers over 65 000 hours of content in a
range of different formats and genres, showcasing African
stories to the world. And further top-drawer content will be
added throughout 2022.
“MultiChoice Group is the
largest producer of original television content on the
continent,” says Mauro Black, director of content sales
and distribution for MultiChoice Studios, “and our
extensive catalogue features titles that appeal to a wide
range of audiences.
“All of our co-produced and
commissioned titles are in high demand and, in 2021, we saw
incredible growth in that demand. We licensed seven times
more series and movies than we did during the previous year,
placing us firmly on the world stage as a leading television
content provider.”
With its continuing focus on and
investment in African storytelling and talent, the Group has
recently launched The
Wife, a true African original, which is based on
characters from the critically acclaimed series of novels by
leading author, Dudu Busani-Dube. This title has proven to
be immensely popular in both South Africa and the SADC
region. Filmed in isiZulu, the telenovela is due to be
dubbed into French for distribution to intercontinental and
international markets through Canal+, a premium
French-language television channel.
MultiChoice has a
long history of licensing titles to Canal+ and demand for
its content in the markets the channel serves is growing.
The licensing of The Wife also highlights a developing trend
among many buyers, who are requesting bundled packages that
contain both evergreen dramas and new releases. This is
testament to the quality of the productions on offer and
also to the fact that they meet all technical requirements
for dubbing into other languages.
Additional titles in
the MultiChoice’s world-class catalogue of series include
the romantic comedy-drama, Entangled;
the gripping human drama, Lioness;
the haunting crime series Reyka;
and the exciting political drama, The
Republic, which showcases the very best scriptwriting,
acting and production talent the continent has to
offer.
The line-up of movies is just as broad, with Glasshouse
being an outstanding recent example. The paranormal drama,
produced in 2020, received glowing reviews at several
festivals around the world, including at Fantasia in Canada
and at the New Zealand Film Festival. Kelsey Egan’s
dystopian take on family, secrets and survival was released
in the UK on Sky, iTunes, Amazon, Google X Box and Virgin
Media, followed by releases in Australia and New Zealand.
The interest in and demand for this film is well earned, and
it has led to even more buyers taking an interest in
MultiChoice’s catalogue of movies, many of which have
global appeal.
“Just one of the many defining
features of the authenticity of our content is that we
produce many shows in African languages,” says Black.
“The hugely entertaining Afrikaans comedy, Troukoors,
which tells the story of a wedding planner and her friends
as they navigate life and love, is just one
example.”
In the docuseries genre, the gripping
series, Devilsdorp
has proven to be equally popular, weaving the chilling tale
of a religious cult’s murderous spree.
“As a
leading and credible source of the African narrative,
MultiChoice is not only showcasing and advancing filmmaking
in Africa,” says Black, “it is also showcasing African
talent on the global stage.
“MultiChoice Studios
offers access to this vast treasure trove of storytelling
and is the destination of choice for content buyers from
around the world. It is the best place for the international
film and television industry to find quality, award-winning
African
content.”