MultiChoice Studios: Taking premium African content to the world in 2022
New and exciting titles cover the breadth and depth of the African experience
MultiChoice Studio
Johannesburg, March 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — JOHANNESBURG, 1 MARCH 2022: MultiChoice Studios, the content sales and distribution arm of the MultiChoice Group, will be taking a new selection of premium African content to the world in 2022. The MultiChoice Group is home to one of Africa’s largest digital satellite television services, which includes the DStv and GOtv bouquets of channels as well as Showmax. A wide selection of content produced and commissioned by MultiChoice stars the very best talent from across the continent and delivers consistently superior production value, making it highly sought-after in both the Group’s core African markets and in diverse international markets.
Established in 2013, MultiChoice Studios offers over 65 000 hours of content in a range of different formats and genres, showcasing African stories to the world. And further top-drawer content will be added throughout 2022.
“MultiChoice Group is the largest producer of original television content on the continent,” says Mauro Black, director of content sales and distribution for MultiChoice Studios, “and our extensive catalogue features titles that appeal to a wide range of audiences.
“All of our co-produced and commissioned titles are in high demand and, in 2021, we saw incredible growth in that demand. We licensed seven times more series and movies than we did during the previous year, placing us firmly on the world stage as a leading television content provider.”
With its continuing focus on and investment in African storytelling and talent, the Group has recently launched The Wife, a true African original, which is based on characters from the critically acclaimed series of novels by leading author, Dudu Busani-Dube. This title has proven to be immensely popular in both South Africa and the SADC region. Filmed in isiZulu, the telenovela is due to be dubbed into French for distribution to intercontinental and international markets through Canal+, a premium French-language television channel.
MultiChoice has a long history of licensing titles to Canal+ and demand for its content in the markets the channel serves is growing. The licensing of The Wife also highlights a developing trend among many buyers, who are requesting bundled packages that contain both evergreen dramas and new releases. This is testament to the quality of the productions on offer and also to the fact that they meet all technical requirements for dubbing into other languages.
Additional titles in the MultiChoice’s world-class catalogue of series include the romantic comedy-drama, Entangled; the gripping human drama, Lioness; the haunting crime series Reyka; and the exciting political drama, The Republic, which showcases the very best scriptwriting, acting and production talent the continent has to offer.
The line-up of movies is just as broad, with Glasshouse being an outstanding recent example. The paranormal drama, produced in 2020, received glowing reviews at several festivals around the world, including at Fantasia in Canada and at the New Zealand Film Festival. Kelsey Egan’s dystopian take on family, secrets and survival was released in the UK on Sky, iTunes, Amazon, Google X Box and Virgin Media, followed by releases in Australia and New Zealand. The interest in and demand for this film is well earned, and it has led to even more buyers taking an interest in MultiChoice’s catalogue of movies, many of which have global appeal.
“Just one of the many defining features of the authenticity of our content is that we produce many shows in African languages,” says Black. “The hugely entertaining Afrikaans comedy, Troukoors, which tells the story of a wedding planner and her friends as they navigate life and love, is just one example.”
In the docuseries genre, the gripping series, Devilsdorp has proven to be equally popular, weaving the chilling tale of a religious cult’s murderous spree.
“As a leading and credible source of the African narrative, MultiChoice is not only showcasing and advancing filmmaking in Africa,” says Black, “it is also showcasing African talent on the global stage.
“MultiChoice Studios offers access to this vast treasure trove of storytelling and is the destination of choice for content buyers from around the world. It is the best place for the international film and television industry to find quality, award-winning African content.”
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CONTACT: Elizabeth Fourie MultiChoice Group Ltd 0834825241 elizabeth.fourie@multichoice.co.za
