Actor and filmmaker Stelio Savante celebrates South Africa’s Supreme Court ruling on citizenship while starring in multiple film and TV projects, including the noir thriller ‘What Remains’ and Netflix’s biblical hit ‘The Chosen,’ maintaining a successful career spanning over three decades and accumulating numerous international credits.
New York, USA (07 July 2023) – New York-based actor, producer, filmmaker and former Capetonian – Stelio Savante – is now starring in noir thriller ‘What Remains’ on Starz opposite Anne Heche (her final performance on film), Kellan Lutz, and Cress Williams. He is also starring in Netflix’s biblical global hit ‘The Chosen’ as Moses, and guest starring on the Netflix animated series ‘Captain Fall’ which lands on July 28th.
Savante recently joined thousands of South Africans in celebrating the South African Supreme Court’s ruling on citizenship. As with countless others, Stelio – a former Camps Bay and Rondebosch resident– was blindsided by a law that was implemented in 1995, many years after he’d immigrated to the United States. He was personally notified that he had been excommunicated, stripped of his South African citizenship and immediately appealed to Home Affairs in South Africa and to South African consulates in the United States.
The court summary recently declared that it was constitutionally invalid for South Africans to lose their citizenship when acquiring those from other nations.
Despite his success as a character actor – in theatre, TV series and most prominently in internationally released independent and studio features that have accumulated almost $400million in worldwide box office proceeds, and leading roles in billion-dollar-grossing video game franchises – the American Movie Award winner and SAG Award nominee (SA’s first male nominee in this category), still holds South Africa close in his heart and visits and films in South Africa whenever he can.
Savante – who has 135 international credits to his name – is a longtime favourite of film critics, including Richard Propes and Jackie. K. Cooper; He has been enjoying a thriving career for over three decades.
His recent credits include ‘Running For Grace’ on Netflix with Matt Dillon and Jim Caviezel, the indie box office hit ‘Nefarious with Sean Patrick Flanery, action thriller ‘Infidel’ with Jim Caviezel and Claudia Karvan for MGM and the dark comedy ‘Angry Neighbors’ for Lionsgate with Frank Langella, Bobby Cannavale, Stockard Channing and Ashley Benson.
He also featured in lead and supporting roles for several films at this year’s Berlin, Cannes and Tribeca markets and festivals. Including Jennifer Esposito’s directorial debut, Fresh Kills opposite Domenick Lombardozzi, Annabella Sciorra, and Esposito. And in the human trafficking thriller, ‘Pursuit of Freedom’, best film winner at the Anatolia International film festival, the Switzerland International film festival, nominated for a human rights award as best film with the Political Film Society of America.
South Africans will also know him from the ‘Call Of Duty’ video game franchise, where he voices the leading specialist character ‘Ajax’. And from his role as Major Shawn Dixon, in the SAFTA winning ‘A Million Colours’ aka ‘Colors Of Heaven’ which was acquired by Netflix.
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