Showmax Original sci-fi The Fix to open MIPAfrica
The adrenaline-fueled Showmax Original The Fix will have its African premiere in Cape Town on Monday, 2 September 2024 as the opening night film at MIPAfrica, part of FAME Week Africa.
Written and directed by Kelsey Egan, The Fix had its world premiere in June as the closing night screening at Chattanooga Film Festival in Tennessee, named one of MovieMaker’s 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World.
Set in a dystopian future with toxic air, The Fix follows a model (Grace van Dien, aka Chrissy Cunningham in Stranger Things S4) who takes a new designer drug at a party and suffers a shocking transformation. Pursued by forces with competing interests in the drug’s effects, she discovers that her mutations could save the human race.
The cast includes Daniel Sharman (Fear The Walking Dead), Clancy Brown (John Wick 4), and Nicole Fortuin from Heart of the Hunter, the first African film to top the global English-language films charts on Netflix.
Kelsey made her feature film debut with the Showmax Original Glasshouse, which earned rave reviews globally after its debut at Fantasia; went on to screen on the likes of Apple TV, Prime Video, and Tubi internationally; and was the most awarded film at the 2022 South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs).
As Jennie Kermode wrote on Eye For Film,
“As a film critic focused on independent cinema, I see a lot of first features, and I’m always looking out for new talent, but in over 30 years of doing this job I’ve only seen a handful of débuts as fully realised and impeccably crafted as 2021’s Glasshouse.”
In The Fix, also look out for the likes of Africa Movie Academy Awards and SAFTA nominee Keenan Arrison (Shirley Adams), Fleur du Cap winner Tafara Nyatsanza (Beast, Blood & Water), Young Artist Award winner Caleb Payne (The Kissing Booth, Warrior, Donkerbos), Tina Redman (Ludik, Savage Beauty) and Robyn Rossouw (Swartwater).
Judy Goddard, FAME’s head of partnerships says:
“We are thrilled that The Fix will have its African premiere at FAME Week Africa 2024, showcasing the brilliance of African storytelling on an international stage. Set in a future Cape Town, The Fix not only captivates with its stunning visuals and compelling narrative but also highlights the creativity and dynamism inherent in African cinema. This premiere underscores the power of African filmmakers to tell powerful stories that resonate globally.”
Nicola van Niekerk, Acting Head of Content, Showmax, says:
“You’ve never seen a South African sci-fi/action/body horror/superhero origin story like The Fix. Showmax has opened the floodgates to new types of stories here, and you can see the fun our filmmakers are having, making the types of projects they never imagined being possible on local TV.”
The Fix will debut on Showmax on Thursday, 31 October 2024 as its Halloween highlight. The Exchange is handling international sales.
Egan serves as a producer alongside Allison Friedman (Fantasia Audience Award winner The Mortuary Collection) and Greig Buckle, who co-produced the Oscar-shortlisted Life, Above All and line produced the #1 US box office hit Chronicle, among other high-profile service jobs in South Africa.
This is the third year in a row that a Showmax Original has opened MIPAfrica. Last year’s opening night screening, Spinners, recently beat the Emmy-winning final season of Succession to be named Best Foreign TV Series at the 29th Shanghai TV Festival’s Magnolia Awards.
