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Local feature film, Angeliena, produced and shot in the Southern Peninsula during the second wave of the Covid-19 received the nod at this year’s African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) when it was nominated in seven categories.
The AMAA, which represents filmmakers from the African continent, was held in Lagos, Nigeria last month.
Nominated in categories such as; best director, best first-time fiction director, best film produced and best lead actress, the film won in the category best make-up design for Morag Steyn.
Produced by Fish Hoek based production company Towerkop Creations, which specialises in female driven heroine stories, the film depicts the story of a former homeless car guard with the dream of travelling the world, only to be diagnosed with an incurable disease which leads to Angeliena turning her dream into a reality.
Talking about her film, multi-award-winning director Uga Carlini, says the screenplay was inspired by an article she read.
“In 2011, I wrote the first draft after my husband at the time, gave me an article about a car guard that after many years of never missing a day’s work, one day didn’t show up.
“The first draft got me funding from the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) to develop it further.
“I then did other projects and in 2018 starting focusing on it full time again, refining the script with table reads and input, and then Netflix got involved which included me flying to Lost Angeles for a 10-minute meeting over an orange juice.”
The proudly South African film employed locals for the shoot that occurred mainly in Kommetjie and Ocean View.
“Shot during the second wave of Covid, when no one could work or shoot we did it.
“We had so many challenges and suddenly major line items for an already strained budget due to Covid protocols and all these new rules and masks. But not withstanding, cameras starting rolling December 2020 and we wrapped end of January 2021.
“Angeliena is my homage to South Africa, and more so to the Peninsula and her people whom I adore.”
Carlini adds that getting seven nominations at the AMAA’s was already a huge win.
“The honour is so big because the AMAA’s represent the cream of the African continent’s filmmakers. So even just to have had 7 nominations was already a gigantic win for me and my team.”
Angeliena is currently streaming on Netflix.
