To celebrate Africa Day on Tuesday, 25th May, MultiChoice Group is launching M-Net Movies Afro-Cinema, a pop-up movie channel dedicated to celebrating and showcasing African films.
The pop-up channel will be available for viewing every day from around 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. the following morning from 21 to 30 May and will be available to all DStv customers. The M-Net Movies AfroCinema pop-up channel will also be available on DStv Now, and all films on the pop-up channel will be available on DStv Catch Up until Wednesday, 30 June 2021.
FAQs
- What is the M-Net Movies AfroCinema pop-up channel?
The M-Net Movies AfroCinema pop-up channel is yet another new exciting event-based channel. The pop-up channel is dedicated to celebrating African filmmakers in the run-up to Africa Day on Tuesday, May 25. It will provide DStv customers with 10 days of access to a curated selection of the best films from the African continent.
- Why did M-Net decide to create this channel?
At its essence, Africa Day is about celebrating African unity as well as acknowledging the successes and challenges that lie ahead. The pandemic has hit the film industry quite hard and African filmmakers were not spared. This Africa Day, we wanted to celebrate the talent and resilience of the continent’s film industry with the launch of this festival of African films where our audiences can enjoy AfroCinema from the comfort of their own homes or on the move through the DStv App.
- Why did you not just do a festival on one of your movie channels?
While the festivals on our movie channels remain to be very popular, we believe that the best way to commemorate Africa Day would be to create a 10-day pop-up channel where we could show the best films from the continent.
- Will there only be movies, or will there be documentaries and other programming as well?
There will be feature films, short films, and a six-part documentary.
- When will the M-Net Movies AfroCinema pop-up channel be available?
From Friday, 21 May 2021, at 10:00 until Monday, 31 May 2021, around 4:00, on channel 198.
- What channel number will AfroCinema be broadcast on?
The channel will be broadcast on channel 198.
- Is this a 24-hour channel?
No, the channel will be on air for approximately 17 hours per day.
- Who will have access to the channel?
This channel is dedicated to DStv Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Family, and Access viewers.
- How many movies will be on the channel?
More than 50 films.
- Which movies can viewers look forward to?
Here are movies from different regions:
1. SEW THE WINTER TO MY SKIN (South Africa) - Set in apartheid-era rural South Africa in the 1950s, a journalist recounts the epic tale of John Kepe, a Robin Hood figure who was subject of a massive hunt by the authorities.
2. BED OF THORNS (Uganda) - This film delves into the issues that women face every day in their relationships. Stella enters into marriage thinking that will bring her happiness, but it instead brings her pain and grief.
3. PAYBACK (Zambia) - this is a tale of betrayal and love gone wrong. It tells the story of a man who learns that his cousin's friend is about to marry the girl who jilted him, causing him to pursue the ultimate act of revenge
4. PROMISES (Kenya) - Promises is a moving story about a boda-boda driver who struggles to raise his children after the death of his wife during childbirth.
5. I AM NOT A WITCH (Zambia) – This film tells the story of Shula, a young girl from rural Zambia who is accused and convicted of witchcraft.
6. TRAIN OF SALT AND SUGAR (Moz/Angola) - this is a film set in Mozambique during a civil war where a single train connecting the country to Malawi sees passengers risking their lives to travel on the train to escape.
7. GHOST AND THE HOUSE OF TRUTH, THE (Nigeria) - Follows Bola Ogun, a single mother and a dedicated reconciliation counselor who grapples with what it means to forgive when her daughter goes missing.
8. ENSULO (Kenya) - In Ensulo, the king of an imaginary traditional kingdom becomes gravely ill, and his daughter is forced to lead the kingdom. But her ability to rule is put to the test when a water bottling company discovers the kingdom's sacred water supply
9. VAYA (South Africa)- Three people board the train bound for Johannesburg. Strangers, each on their own mission, with a simple task to complete and in search of a family to help them.
10. MOMS AT WAR (Nigeria) - The story revolves around two successful mothers who take things to the next level in order for their children to succeed.
11. AIR CONDITIONER (Moz/Angola) - A security guard and housemaid set out to retrieve their boss's ac after air-conditioners abruptly drop to the ground in the city of Luanda.
12. 94 TERROR (Uganda) - this is a Ugandan war drama set during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Keza, a Tutsi and Hutu genocide survivor, tells how she barely survived the massacre and riskily made it out of Rwanda to Uganda.
13. AUTOMEDIC (Kenya) - The short film portrays an inventive young man who builds a life-support system out of a truck to keep his sister alive. An adventure ensues after the makeshift system runs out of petrol.
14. BAHASHA (Tanzania) - The film tackles the issue of corruption in today's society. A public official faces the consequences of his actions and his struggle to redeem himself after he engages in corruption.
15. KUSHATA KWEMOYO (Zimbabwe) – This film sheds light on the long-term psychological effects of child abuse. It is about a woman who is forced to confront her dark past when her abusive stepsister pays an unexpected visit.
16. MIRAGES (Zimbabwe) - The plot of this film is set against the backdrop of the 2017 coup in Zimbabwe, which saw the late former President Robert Mugabe overthrown. It follows three women as they plot to break out of one of the prisons.
17. SAVANNAH SKIES (Southern Africa) - After being forced into marriage, an intelligent young woman must defy her conniving mother-in-law in order to pursue her education and reunite with her love. It is a story of love and betrayal.
18. PAINTING, THE (Southern Africa) - KALENGA (32), a pregnant abstract painter lives with her husband KULA (35) and their son NIZA (9). She struggles to sell her work because they are not ‘African’ enough.
19. HERITAGE AFRICA (Ghana) - This is a political drama set in 1955 during the violent run-up to Ghanaian independence. It follows Kwesi Atta Bosomefi, who has embraced English culture and has risen to the position of district commissioner, but he has done so to the detriment of his African heritage and everything that he holds dear.
20. SYLVIA (Nigeria) - It's about a man who is tormented by an imaginary girlfriend he's had since childhood. His troubles begin when he meets someone, and this someone is real.
Please check the M-Net and DStv websites, as well as the Electronic Programming Guide on your decoder, for more movies.
- Which African countries are the films from?
Our film collection represents a diverse range of cultures and countries on the African continent. Among the countries represented include Angola, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania, Ghana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Uganda.
- Will the same content be screened across Africa?
Yes, please check your EPG Guide and schedules on dstv.com.
- How will the movies be screened? How will I know when my favourite movie will be on air?
Please consult the EPG or online schedules on the DStv websites for specific times.
- Will the pop-up channel be in HD and SD?
The movies will be in HD and SD.
- Will the pop-up channel be streamed on DStv Now?
Yes.
- Where can I find the schedule for AfroCinema Pop-up Channel?
You can find it on mnet.tv as well as on the EPG (Electronic Programming Guide), and at DStv.com