CAST INCLUDES ANGELA SITHOLE AND ANGA MAKUBALO
FILM EXPLORES THE VAGARIES OF ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS IN MZANSI
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Johannesburg, South Africa – Zwo Farisani’s (Make-Up and Cigarettes), much anticipated romantic drama, Smart Casuals, will premiere on Netflix globally on Friday, 12 April 2024.
Written and produced by Zwo Farisani together with Ndamu Farisani of Farisani Creations, Smart Casuals marks Zwo’s feature film directorial debut. The film is one of 6 micro budget projects supported through a joint film-fund by Netflix and the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport Arts and Culture of South Africa. The fund aim was to alleviate the pressure filmmakers face to raise additional funding and boost recovery of the creative industry from the pandemic, whilst ensuring job creation.
The film stars Anga Makubalo (Jiva!, Broken Vows), Angela Sithole (Savage Beauty, The Queen), Terrence Ngwila (The Wife, Generations: The Legacy), Mandisa Constable, Nyaniso Dzedze (Black is King, Hear Me Move), Nomsa Twala (Savage Beauty) and Hip-Hop dance pioneer, Kudzai Mureriwa.
In Johannesburg, South Africa’s ‘City of Gold’, two couples travel equal and opposite paths in their search to find love. Taki, a photographer in his mid-thirties has sworn off serious relationships for the time being. He is happily playing the field, enjoying the thrills of casual relationships until he meets Tumi who unexpectedly rocks his world, leading to a change of heart.
Mahlatsi and Bheka are in a steady, 12-year long relationship. They have had to postpone getting married twice over the years owing to circumstances. We meet the couple as they make their third attempt at tying the knot. While Mahlatsi has always wanted to marry, a part of her feels that there is a reason why the wedding has never happened, however, she fears that it might be too late for her to leave and start over.
Smart Casuals is an honest exploration of romantic relationships and their many permutations, set against the backdrop of Africa’s most cosmopolitan city. “I have always preferred films that lean towards an authentic experience, over those that are fairytales,” says director Zwo Farisani. “With Smart Casuals, we have attempted to create an authentic experience by finding a sense of transparency and vulnerability within ourselves, which we hope has been infused into the film’s DNA.”
Shot entirely on location in Johannesburg, the film captures the various faces of this bustling economic hub, where the spirit and drive of the original gold diggers lives on, and where everything seems possible.
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About Farisani Creations
Farisani Creations is a Film and TV production company founded by siblings Zwo Farisani and Ndamu Farisani. Guided by the philosophy that art can give voice to emotions that are often not easily expressed, Farisani Creations aims to tell authentic stories that inspire and heal. With a mission to create worldclass television and film, that would help place not only South African, but African film on a global platform. Farisani Creations has produced several short films including ‘Make-Up & Cigarettes (2017), ‘Before Today’ (2021), a television series titled ‘Made in Africa: Inspirational Stories for SABC 2 (2018). Smart Casuals is the company’s first feature film.
About NFVF
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture that was created to ensure the equitable growth of South Africa’s film and video industry. The NFVF does this by providing funding for the development, production, marketing, and distribution of films, and the training and development of filmmakers. In addition, the NFVF commissions research and produces industry statistics that provide both the stakeholders with valuable insights into the South African film industry.
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About Netflix
Netflix is the world’s leading streaming entertainment service with 204 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries, and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause, and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.
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