South Africa’s first-ever Oscar Nominated film, Yesterday will be released on DVD in South Africa on Friday, 21 October by Videovision Entertainment through Next Video. The film which was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category is produced by Anant Singh and Helena Spring, written and directed by Darrell James Roodt and which stars Leleti Khumalo.
Yesterday was released in cinemas in South Africa in September 2004 and triumphed at the boxoffice and it was re-released in January this year prior to the announcement of the Academy Award Nominations, Yesterday found unprecedented boxoffice success for a re-released film. Yesterday, which is the first commercial isiZulu feature film, illustrated that local films, made in indigenous languages can succeed at the South African boxoffice and can also find success abroad..
Yesterday will also be released in Australia on Thursday, 20 October though Madman Films in major cities across six Australian states, viz. New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. HBO Films will release Yesterday in North America on World AIDS Day, 1 December 2005.
Producer, Anant Singh commented, “We are thrilled that Yesterday, a unique South African film has found success both locally and abroad. The DVD release will make the film available to a wider audience who will benefit from the important social message of the film. We are also delighted that Yesterday will be released at cinemas in Australia. We are certain that Australian audiences and critics will respond to the film.”
John Samuel, Chief Executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation said: “For the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Yesterday is not just a movie to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS, it’s a catalyst to get us talking again about the human rights concepts and practices which make it possible to live with dignity in a world affected by HIV/AIDS (caring, compassion, equity, tolerance, respect for confidentiality, gender sensitivity). The Foundation is pleased that we are in a position to release Yesterday both on DVD and in mainstream cinemas in Australia.”
Yesterday is a Videovision Entertainment production in association with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, M-Net, The National Film And Video Foundation, Distant Horizon and was shot on location in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. The music was composed by Madala Kunene and it is executive produced by Sudhir Pragjee and Sanjeev Singh, produced by Anant Singh and Helena Spring and written and directed by Darrell James Roodt.
