EXCLUSIVE: The latest original from African streamer Showmax, sci-fi drama The Fix, will open MIP Africa.
This marks the third year in a row a Showmax original has opened the event, which is an offshoot of MIPCOM. Last year, Canal+ co-production Spinners took the slot. MIP Africa is part of FAME Week Africa, a Reed Exhibitions initiative focused on African creativity.
The Fix, written and directed by Kelsey Egan, is set in a dystopian future Cape Town in South Africa where the air is toxic. A model, played by Grace van Dien (Stranger Things), takes a new designer drug at a party and suffers a shocking shocking transformation. She is soon pursued by forces with competing interests in the drug’s effects, and discovers that her mutations could save the human race.
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. Keenan Arrison (Shirley Adams), Tafara Nyatsanza (Beast, Blood & Water), Caleb Payne (The Kissing Booth, Warrior), Tina Redman (Ludik, Savage Beauty) and Robyn Rossouw (Swartwater) will also appear.
Watch on Deadline
The film had its world premiere in June as the closing night screening at Chattanooga Film Festival in Tennessee. It’s the second feature from Egan, whose debut movie Glasshouse was also for Showmax and debuted at Fantasia.
It will debut on MultiChoice streamer Showmax on Thursday, October 31 and The Exchange is handling international sales.
“You’ve never seen a South African sci-fi/action/body horror/superhero origin story like The Fix,” said Nicola van Niekerk, Acting Head of Content, Showmax. “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.”
“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,” added Judy Goddard, FAME’s head of partnerships. “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.”
MIP Africa runs from September 2-4 in Cape Town.