Summerside Boards Sales On South African Apartheid Era TIFF Breakout ‘Laundry’ – AFM

EXCLUSIVE:  Summerside Media has acquired world sales rights for South African director Zamo Mkhwanazi’s apartheid era drama Laundry and is launching the title at the AFM.

The film, which world premiered to acclaim in the Discovery section at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September, draws on the experiences of Mkhwanazi’s family under the racist system of segregation imposed by South Africa’s government all-white from 1948 to 1994.

Set in 1968, it stars Ntobeko Sishi as teenager Khuthala who is dismissive of his family’s laundry business, dreaming instead of making his living through music.

But as the apartheid government cracks down on Black business ownership, he finds himself torn between chasing his dreams and fighting the injustice that threatens the business and his family’s well-being.

“From the very first screening, we were deeply moved by Zamo’s vision,” said Francesca Manno, managing director and co-founder at Summerside Media: “Her direction is powerful and poetic. We believe she is an exceptionally promising filmmaker, and Laundry is an extraordinary and visually stunning work.”

The feature is a Switzerland and South African production from Akka Films and Kude Media, in Co-Production with RTS – Radio Télévision Suisse and Mojo Entertainment.

The producers include Philippe Coeytaux, Zamo Mkhwanazi, Jim Stark, Nicolas Wadimoff, and Co-Producer Marco Orsini.

Rome and Lecce-based Summerside Media is a boutique international sales and production company with a strong focus on auteur-driven cinema.