What did it mean to you personally for Finding Optel to be selected for LFF, and to have the festival host you in London?
Jesse: It’s an incredible privilege to be selected. This is one of the world’s top film festivals and a place we hadn’t imagined seeing so early on in our film careers.
The LFF team has been incredibly hospitable and made it clear that our film has a special place in this year’s festival. It’s surreal and beautiful, and a testament to the phenomenal storytelling work of our cast and crew.
We really felt supported and sent by family and friends. The film touches on the importance of community and we were so happy to be living out those themes on our travels. I appreciated the video calls and encouraging messages.
Who did you see at the festival that you were already a fan of?
Mikayla Joy: Channing Tatum! Jesse and I watched the premiere of his new film, Roofman. I didn’t get to meet him personally but it was so cool listening to the director, Derek Cianfrance, and the cast, which included Kirsten Dunst, in person.
Who did you meet at the festival that you were a fan of?
Jesse: I was overjoyed to have met Italian filmmaker Carolina Cavalli, who showcased her second feature film, The Kidnapping of Arabella – my favourite film experience at the festival. I snapped up the chance to watch it twice and then got to tell her in person that it held up so well on a second viewing. She was very gracious to have a quick chat and she was actually excited to watch Finding Optel in turn.
Tell us about your screening.
Jesse: We screened our film at the BFI Southbank venue, which seats just over 100 people. The screening had people attending of all ages, which we really appreciated. There were also a number of South Africans, who were grateful to hear some local phrases in a film! We had a lovely Q&A time with host Justin Johnson. The audience were also engaged and had some wonderful questions to ask about the Cape Flats and our use of Afrikaaps.
What was the nicest thing anyone said about your film after the screening?
Mikayla Joy: One of the audience members is studying film in the UK and she told me that Finding Optel is the type of film that she wants to make one day. I was so touched that the film inspired her. That was one of my hopes: that the film would encourage people to create uplifting, whimsical stories. I was even more touched when she asked for my autograph! She and her friends made an “Optel Found” sign and asked me to sign it. It was very sweet.
How are you feeling about Finding Optel being released on Showmax?
Jesse: I am so excited to see our film finally finding its home on Showmax. We made this film for families to enjoy together, and now everyone will be able to stream it when it suits them.
Why should people here watch Finding Optel on Friday?
Mikayla Joy: It’s a family-friendly film that children, young adults and adults will find entertaining. If you want to start off your weekend with a lekker laugh and a mystery that’ll warm your heart, give Finding Optel a watch!
BONUS QUESTIONS
What were your favourite films at the festival?
Jesse: I tried to watch as many films as possible. My favourite film experience this year was The Kidnapping of Arabella. Roofman was also great fun. On the more serious side, The Voice of Hind Rajab was a devastating and important film. It’s a cry for humanity in these polarising times.
Mikayla Joy: My festival favourite would be Roofman and The Memory of Princess Mumbi. Roofman was a fun watch with brilliant performance. The Memory of Princess Mumbi was so
interesting because it was an African narrative that commented on AI whilst using AI in such a creative way.
Did you get to be a tourist?
Jesse: I walked around the city a lot to get a feeling of its rhythm.
I also watched Manchester United pull off an unlikely win against Liverpool in a British pub. I had a decent fried noodles and beef meal in Chinatown. There were also great burgers for sale at a night market near the London Eye.
I will be checking out some art galleries now that the festival is over. There are some paintings from British artists such as Sir John Everitt Millais that I’ve admired and look forward to seeing in person.
Mikayla Joy: I really enjoyed walking everywhere. We got to explore Waterloo and Soho and find all these quirky places. Near one of the stations, there’s the most beautiful Paddington Bear wall mural.
My favourite meal would probably be this Mediterranean dish with chicken, veggies and lots of hummus. I didn’t think I’d be so healthy on this trip but that dish was too good!
London is also a funny place. On the bus, I’d carry around my journal and write down the interesting interactions I’d see between people. I remember I was walking through Trafalgar Square and in the same space, there was a man having a heavy argument with an authority figure, a man preaching the gospel and another man fabulously doing karaoke. There’s definitely never a dull moment in London.
Jesse: And tea is cheap here! It’s worth stocking up on good tea if you ever get a chance to travel there.
Having attended Silwerskerm and then London, both for the first time, how do the two festivals compare?
Jesse: Silwerskermfees was a whirlwind of a festival: our premiere day had way more paparazzi and news coverage than I could’ve imagined! We had the best time watching the film with local audiences in a packed Camps Bay theatre.
In London, we were small fishes in a much bigger pond. Over 200 films screened and it’s impossible to watch everything that the festival has to offer.
It was so easy to connect with other filmmakers at this festival. Friendships were formed just by chatting with people while waiting in queues for films we wanted to watch. Being around so many passionate filmmakers also left me feeling quite inspired and excited for future projects – both home and abroad.
Mikayla Joy: Silwerskermfees showcased features, shorts films, documentaries and had industry discussions.
LFF was similar but branched out in more areas. There was also an IMAX gaming lounge, multiple screen talks with prominent filmmakers, and many networking events. Some of the networking events were like speed-dating where you would have five minutes to chat to someone in the industry. A bell would ring and you’d move to the next person. I appreciated these networking events because it created a space for emerging talents to connect with more established creatives.
I was surprised by the strong cinema culture in London. Towards the end of the festival, it was difficult to get tickets to films because there was so much public interest. People would wait in the standby queue two to three hours before a big film’s premiere.
In South Africa, it’s sad to see so many cinemas closing down. Festivals like Silwerskermfees are so necessary to keep cinema culture alive.
