Global Flicks: Pakistani Banned Film 'Javed Iqbal: The Untold Story Of A Serial Killer' debuting worldwide; Asghar Farhadi Indicted For Plagiarism; 'Mr. Bones 3: Son Of Bones' Releasing In April

Africa: Mr. Bones 3: Son Of Bones is set to be released in cinemas on April 15th. 14 years after Mr. Bones 2: Back From The Past, Leon Schuster reprises his role as the infamous Mr. Bones, a survivor of an aircraft crash that now acts as the sangoma for the Kuvuki tribe and passes on the wisdom of ‘The Great One’ by the art of throwing bones. As Mr. Bones attempts to guide his naïve son through life, oil diggers dare to attempt to steal prized treasures from Kuvikiland. Watch the trailer for the goofy, heartwarming ride here.  

Anele Geqiwe is making his directorial debut with his new film LIfe Happened. Set in Paarl, Cape Town, the film follows Vince Mafila, portrayed by veteran performer Anele Matoti (The Red Sea Diving Resort), who lives a peaceful gardener's life when he is suddenly diagnosed with cancer. As he grapples with his life coming to a sudden end, Vince revisits his past and what could’ve been with the help of his therapist played by Thaamir Moerat. The film will be released locally in Paarl on April 15th.  

Jialing Zhang - Michael Loccisano

Asia: Jialing Zhang is seeking gap funding for her next major documentary The Total Trust (working title). She is coming off the widespread success of her last documentary One Child Nation which won her and her co-director Nanfu Wang the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2019. The documentary will detail the social media control system in place in China that monitors and limits the public daily. The film is set to release in 2023.  

Pakistani banned film Javed Iqbal: The Untold Story Of A Serial Killer is getting its worldwide debut at the Uk Asian Film Festival. The film depicts the gruesome true story of Javed Iqbal, the serial killer from Lahore who abused and murdered over 100 young boys in a single year. Abu Aleeha is adapting the film from his own novel Kukri. It will star Yasir Hussain and Ayesha Omar. The film is set to premiere on May 4th in London.  

asghar farhadi - Monica Schipper / Stringer

Middle East: Afef Ben Mahmoud and Khalil Benkirane’s new film Backstage is nearing release. Shot amidst the pandemic in Morocco, the story follows the journey of an eccentric dance troupe after one of their members has a crippling injury that sends them on the hunt for a doctor. Along with co-directing, Ben Mahmoud will write, produce, and act as Aida, one of the dance teammates. Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui acted as choreographer for the many dance sequences and previously worked as Joe Wright’s choreographer in the 2021 film Cyrano. The team hopes to release the film early next year.  

Charges are proceeding against Asghar Farhadi and his film A Hero. The two-time Oscar winner has been indicted for stealing the concept of his most recent film from an older documentary titled All Winners All Losers. The documentary was made by a former student of Farhadi, Azadeh Masihzadeh. A Hero won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes in 2021. The similarities between the two stories follow a man that is deep in debt when he discovers a bag of gold and decides to return it to its owner. Farhadi countersued for defamation, but the Iranian court has determined that Masihzadeh is not guilty. If found guilty of plagiarism, Farhadi may be forced to hand over all proceeds from A Hero to his former student. The film has currently grossed 2.5 million USD.  

Nadir Monkneche - IMDB

Europe: Filming for Nadir Monknèche’s 6th feature film has begun. The current working title is Said, Hadjira Et Vincent, and follows Said and blah who are both far from in love yet forced into an arranged marriage by their families. The film details how the newlyweds attempt to free themselves from the confines put down by their parents. Youssouf Abi-Ayad will portray Said. He is well known for his theatre work in Le Ciel. Kenza Fortas will play Hadjira. She previously won Best Newcomer César in 2019 for her work in Shéhérazade. The filming will proceed for the next six weeks in Rennes.