“Daryn’s Gym”, a funny mockumentary film, has captivated an international audience and will be featured at the 51st Edition of IFFR.
South Africa (10 January 2022) – Daryn’s Gym, a mockumentary comedy from writer/ director, Brett Michael Innes, introduces newcomer Clifford Joshua Young to local audiences. He is flanked by local favourites Hlubi Mboya, Siv Ngesi, Natasha Sutherland and Deon Coetzee.
Set in a family gym in Randburg, the film is a David and Goliath narrative that sees the lovable Daryn JNR (Young) pitted against Funi (Mboya), the ruthless owner of a multi-national fitness centre. The film first played at the South African Independent Film Festival on 25 November 2021, before its nationwide release on eVOD, a local streaming service, in December 2021.
The film has been selected to be part of the 51st Edition of IFFR (International Film Festival Rotterdam), where it will have its international premiere as part of the Big Screen Competition section of the program.
The Big Screen Competition is the result of a long-lived collaboration between IFFR and VPRO, bridging the gap between popular, classic and art house cinema by showcasing sixteen feature films from across the globe to an audience jury.
“I was completely blown away,” says Innes when asked about the selection. “It is notoriously difficult for comedies to find a place at festivals, as the genre is often passed over for more ‘prestigious’ content. In addition to this, South African films that have festival traction almost exclusively focuses on our pain and trauma, so to have one that celebrates our shared humanity through the lens of comedy is a huge honour.”
The festival’s Official Selection includes more than 570 feature, mid-length, and short films from almost 90 countries. The 51st edition of IFFR will take place from 26 January until 6 February 2022.
This is excellent news for the local film. Take a look at the trailer below. The film is available nationwide on eVOD (https://watch.evod.co.za) for everyone to enjoy.
by 