After 29 days of filming in Durban, local film production company Arclight, begins the next stage of their journey with the post-production on their surf-flick Deep End in the in the City.
Filmed in Durban on a fairly healthy budget of R4 million, with a completely local crew, Deep End is funded by the DTI and KZN Film Commission with production house investment as well.
The film is directed by well-known award-winning director, Eubulus Timothy who is chairperson of the Durban Filmmakers Guild, vice chairperson of Writer’s Guild Of South Africa, and a recipient of the prestigious Harley-Merrill Screenwriting Award (Hollywood). Jacintha Timothy of Arclight Distributors, an established Durban-based film and television production company, is producing the film.
“Deep End is essentially a coming of age, surf love story,” explains Jacintha. “It’s a warm, exciting, family movie that will resonate across the board with audiences.”
The film centres around a beautiful 20 year old Indian girl, Sunitha who comes from a traditional Durban family who defies her father, to become a competitive surfer. On the beaches she discovers a whole new world of inter- racial love, ethnic diversity, arranged marriages, conflict and friendship. Her father’s heart is eventually softened by her skill for the sport and near death experience. And in the end she wins her struggle for self-expression and self-fulfillment in a society that supports conformity, gains her father’s approval and the man of her dreams.
The film stars Cape Town based actor Greg Kriek as Cory, the main love interest, and Durban-born, Cape-Town based Carishma Basday as Sunitha. Kriek has over 40 screen acting credits to his name and will soon be seen in the next installment of Universal Studios' Tremors as "Dutch", in 20th Century Fox's Maize Runner: The Death Cure, Pureflix's Samson as one of the leads "Caleb" and also stars as Tony Sinclair in the upcoming biopic Serengeti Rules from Oscar winning production company Passion Pictures.
Well-known SA actress Carishma Basday, a presenter on the popular Mela magazine show on SABC3, has many film and commercial credits to her name. Equally at home on stage and screen Casrishma has featured in films 31 Million Reasons (directed by John Barker) and starred in her first leading role as the love interest of famed comedian Riaad Moosa in Material directed by the award-winning Craig Freimond.
“We are thrilled that Arclight managed to secure significant funding to be able to film this delightful uniquely Durban story,” said Toni Monty, Head of the Durban Film Office. “As the City’s industry development unit, we are constantly looking at ways in which we can encourage production houses to make use of the City as we offer such a wealth of locations and a myriad settings. Arclight has taken advantage of these, and we look forward to seeing the fruits of their love and labour on the big screen.”
Speaking on location on Durban Beachfront Jacintha, who also produced the second season of Durban Beach Rescue, says post-production will be done another Durban-based company - The Other Theatre Company.
“We have enough local talent to be able to make films in Durban,” enthused Jacintha, “but we need to give people a chance to gain the experience. So it has been fantastic to be able to do this in our home town.”
Issued by Nolwazi Magwaza / Sharlene Versfeld
For the Durban Film Office