Canal+, Showmax’s Spinners at MipAfrica
South African action-drama series Spinners, coproduced by African streamer Showmax and France’s Canal+, will set the pace for the opening night at the MipAfrica conference and market this month.
The first episode of the eight-part drama series will be screened during the event, which will be held from September 4 to 6 as part of Fame Week Africa.
The show’s official launch will take place on Showmax in sub-Saharan Africa on November 8 and it will be available on Canal+ in Africa from November 13.
Spinners follows a 17-year-old driver working for a local gang. Needing to support his younger brother but increasingly disgusted with gang life, he discovers a possible way out via spinning, an extreme motorsport where he can put his driving skills to better use.
The cast includes South African Film & Television Award (SAFTA) winners Brendon Daniels and Dann Jaques Mouton, plus Arendsvlei’s Cantona James, Chelsea Thomas, Dillon Windvogel, Elton Landrew, SAFTA nominee David Isaacs and rising star Katlego Lebogang.
James said: “Spinning is making art with your car, going in a donut, making an eight, people hanging outside a car while it’s spinning, standing on top of a car – it’s just thrilling.”
“Spinning has always been a big part of culture in Cape Town, in the Cape Flats. I grew up in Kraaifontein and for all my childhood I would go to the pitch on a Sunday. That would be where all the cars gathered to spin, and I’ve only ever seen men spin,” added Chelsea. “So when I started the job on Spinners, only then did I learn that females are actually dominating the sport now.
“Spinners shows a different side to it, it shows the passion, the drive, the adrenaline. So I’m excited for the rest of the world to see what our people are all about.”
Martin Hiller, portfolio director of Fame Week Africa, said: “This groundbreaking series not only showcases the incredible talent within the African film industry but also highlights the diverse and captivating stories emerging from the continent. Spinners is a testament to the power of African storytelling and its ability to captivate audiences on a global scale.”
The show is directed by Jaco Bouwer, co-created by producer Joachim Landau and showrunner Benjamin Hoffman of Empreinte Digitale, coproduced by Ramadan Suleman (Zulu Love Letter, Fools) from Spinners’ local coproduction company Natives at Large.
International sales of Spinners, which was the first African series to be selected for competition at Canneseries, will be handled by StudioCanal.