Project Mukorob premiere met with mixed reactions

The premiere celebration of Project Mukorob, a collection of 13 highly anticipated local film projects organised by MultiChoice Namibia, has sparked mixed reactions within Namibia’s artistic community.

While the evening was originally envisioned as a grand showcase of local talent, it has left many filmmakers, actors, crew members and directors feeling excluded and disheartened.

Jenny Kandenge, an acclaimed theatre practitioner, filmmaker, author, scriptwriter and director, questioned the decision to exclude certain actors, writers, directors and entire crew members, pointing out that filmmaking involves a diverse team of individuals, from actors to writers and crew members.

“Why exclude the people who came up with the ideas for those films? And I have every right to question this because I not only wrote two of these films but also worked on three of them,” Kandenge said.

Kandenge said everyone who contributed to these 13 films, in any capacity, had a right to be part of the celebration and their exclusion appeared to favour certain individuals.

This sentiment is widely shared within the industry, with many believing that every individual who played a role, whether in front of or behind the camera, should have been included in the premiere celebration.

In response, MultiChoice managing director Roger Gertze acknowledged the challenge of accommodating all members of the 13 productions due to resource limitations.

“Following the premiere celebration event of the 13 local film projects known as Project Mukorob, MultiChoice Namibia would like to clarify that while we made efforts to include as many cast and crew members as possible, we were unable to accommodate everyone involved in the 13 productions. Like any event, we had to make concessions due to resource constraints and could only invite a select number of individuals,” Gertze said.

MultiChoice Namibia reiterated its commitment to the local film and television industry, pledging increased investment in local productions through its hyper-localisation strategy.

“MultiChoice Namibia remains devoted to nurturing the Namibian film and television industry, benefiting both our industry and all the cast and crew involved in our projects and productions,” Gertze said.

MultiChoice Namibia’s collaboration with the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) has enabled 13 local film production houses to showcase top-quality and unique Namibian stories.

The partnership aims not only to provide Namibian filmmakers with a platform but also to contribute to the local content creation industry and launch new talent into the field, a goal that some believe has not been fully achieved.

The 13 films are now available on platforms such as DStv, GOtv and Showmax, ensuring diverse access for viewers.

Additionally, five of the 13 films, produced in Afrikaans and other Namibian vernaculars, will be featured on KykNET & Kie, airing on Sundays at 20h00.

The broadcast of these films on NBC is scheduled to begin in December and continue until May 2025. – unWrap.online