Films Icon to premiere first feature film

Film production company Films Icon will premiere its first feature film, ‘Omunahambo’, at the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair on Sunday.

The comedy thriller is inspired by the web series, ‘Omunahambo Wange’, which has gotten over 100 000 views per episode on Facebook.

Film director Jackson Nghinamhito believes fans enjoy the stories because they revolve around familiar cultures and traditions.

“The Oshikwanyama feature film is over an hour long and caters to the demand for longer films after the shorter episodes of the series,” he says.

The film stars Nghinamhito as Jacky Pop and Edward Shihepo as Silver Bantuan, alongside Jansen Kamhulu, Rosalia Nepela, and Ovok.

It tells the story of a cattle herder who is betrayed by his boss and seeks wealth from sangomas. The film highlights the conflict between the boss and his cattle herder, who live dramatically conflicting lifestyles.

The boss is bankrupt and decides to sell all his cattle, which relates back to the web series.

“When they sold the cattle together, the boss disappeared without paying his cattle herder a single penny. The rest is history,” says Nghinamhito.

“Omunahambo is a man who is very out of touch with modern life. His mistakes and disagreements with his difficult boss are hilarious, and that is what keeps this show interesting for the most part,” he adds.

“I have enjoyed and loved every aspect of the production of our new film. Film-making, like any other industry, has its challenges, but it requires courage and motivation,” says Shihepo.

Nghinamhito says they faced a challenge in creating realistic scenes on a limited budget, due to the absence of props and a green screen.

They had to use real life footage and creatively use their limited equipment, he adds.

This included only one camera mounted on a tripod and natural light to illuminate the scenes. In addition, they had to travel long distances through remote areas to find realistic locations that matched the film’s concept.

“The film is packed with entertainment, with 70% of the time spent on action rather than words. One of the film’s most memorable and dramatic scenes is when Omunahambo attempts to be initiated by the witch doctor in order to gain riches,” says Nghinamhito.

Various prizes will be up for grabs at a competition during the film’s premiere, says Nghinamhito.

“The goal of running this contest is to raise funds to expand our film production company and provide more local entertainment. This is an opportunity for our fans to provide financial support,” he says.

Despite the screening being free, Nghinamhito says it will only be shown at the trade fair and will not be shared online.

“The premiere will allow the cast, crew and others to reflect on their extraordinary achievement,” he says.

After the premiere, the ‘Omunahambo Tour’ will take the film to various towns across the country, he adds.