Vehicle 19 - a great sign for the future of local filmmaking

The film centres on an unsuspecting traveller (Walker) who picks up the wrong rental car when he arrives in South Africa and soon finds himself tangled in a web of corruption. It also stars Naima Mclean (Generations; Wild At Heart) and Gys de Villiers (Binnelanders).

Vehicle 19 was directed and written by South Africa's Mukunda Michael Dewil, (one of Picture Tree's directors) whose success with the action thriller has already resulted in his next project being picked up by Koch Media for Germany through a deal with worldwide sales company, K5 International.

The R34-million film was funded internationally as well as locally by the IDC, the DTI rebate and by Gary King of Picture Tree. Ryan Haidarian of Forefront Media and Peter Safran from US-based The Peter Safran Company produced the film.

Into profit

Picture Tree's executive producer, Gary King, reports that the success of Vehicle 19 globally has had the film move into a profit phase. King also served as Vehicle 19's line producer and executive producer.

"The positive reception to Vehicle 19 in markets as diverse as Japan and Russia is a significant boost to the South African film industry," commented King.

"It shows that we are able to access international and local funding and attract a strong lead actor to a South African film that is internationally marketable. This is a real step in the right direction for taking local filmmaking to a new and exciting level."

Alongside director and writer Dewil, Vehicle 19 - which was shot entirely in Johannesburg - features a predominantly South African cast and production team including director of photographer, Miles Goodall.

With a score by James Matthes and Daniel Matthee of Pressure Cooker Studios, a powerful feature of Vehicle 19 is the inclusion of several original songs by high-profile South African artists. Teargas' This Year opens up the action as Walker drives into Johannesburg from the airport and the kwaito outfit's Go Away is also featured alongside Perfecto's Stand Up and Die Antwoord's Liewe Maatjies.

Dewil is again working with Picture Tree on Drop, his in-development action thriller.

According to reports, Koch Media bought the project off Dewil's screenplay, which is set on Table Mountain. This time, Dewil's script revolves around the kidnapping of the US Vice-President by terrorists who trap him in Table Mountain's cable car before demanding the delivery of the Cullinan Diamond. Expert base jumper and special ops officer James Conner is the only one who can prevent the death of the VP.

"The fact that Koch Media has already taken Drop is yet further confirmation of their belief that another South African film has the ability to be marketed internationally - and that's a great sign for the future of local filmmaking," said King.