South African has chosen Muneera Sallies’s drama Old Righteous Blues to represent it in the Best International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards, the country’s National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) has announced.
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It is one of the final entries to be publicly declared for the category, the submission deadline for which closed on October 2. Deadline has tracked some 83 submissions so far.
Set in South Africa’s Western Cape province, Old Righteous Blues follows a young man’s journey to unite a fractured community as he attempts to restore the once-glorious Old Righteous Blues Christmas Choir Band (Kerskoor) to its former stature.
This mission sees him confront the long-standing consequences of a bitter feud started by his father two decades earlier, which split the choir in two and devastated the community. For twenty years, street battles ensued, families were torn apart, and loyalties were tested as the two rival bands claimed ownership of the town’s Kerskoor with destructive and violent consequences.
“It is an intense glimpse into the life of a young man, a family, and a community. More than that it is an intense glimpse into a journey and into the heart of brotherhood, tapping into immense stores of pain, love, dreams, and courage,” said Sallies in a release announcing the film’s selection.
“I was drawn to this project from the very first moment I had first picked up the script. I was intrigued and captivated by the characters and their stories within this little community, so much so that I immediately decided to visit and experience the streets of Bo-Dorp Robertson.”
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The feature is based on an original idea by writer and producer Carol Shore who has wanted to make a film about the Kerskoor band ever since she discovered the Western Cape’s tradition of Christmas choirs and bands on moving to the province some 25 years ago.
The decision was made by the South African Academy Awards Selection Committee after an extensive judging process, which included scored reviews and in-depth deliberations.
“This film is a testament to the exceptional storytelling talent within South Africa. We are honoured to have Old Righteous Blues represent us on such a prestigious global platform, and we believe its universal themes of redemption, community, and overcoming the past will captivate audiences worldwide,” said NFVF’s acting CEO Lebogang Mogoera.
The film is distributed by Indigenous Film Distribution and was pre-sold to Afrikaans-language television KykNET. It is produced by KykNET Films in collaboration with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, the NFVF, Indigneous Film, Seashore Films and The Ergo Company.
The film world premiered at South Africa’s Silwerskerm Film Festival in 2023, and went on to screen at the Romford Film Festival in the UK and Panther City Film Festival in Forth Worth in 2024.
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