This week, the kykNET Silwerskerm Festival lights up Camps Bay with some of the most anticipated new films and series in South Africa. Running from Wednesday to Saturday, the festival is once again showcasing Showmax as a powerhouse of local storytelling.
After producing the most awarded TV series at Silwerskerm two years in a row – Donkerbos in 2023 and Koek in 2024 – expectations for this year are sky-high. And Showmax is not holding back: they’re premiering two films and three TV pilots that promise to spark conversation.
Khaki Fever: The Wild Comedy Everyone’s Talking About
Before anyone had even seen it, Khaki Fever had nearly 3,000 Facebook comments. Now, it’s the most talked-about entry at this year’s Silwerskerm.
From two-time SAFTA Best Film winner Brett Michael Innes, this 18SNL comedy follows a group of game rangers who compete to see who can sleep with the most tourists in one season.
The film stars Christopher Jaftha (Top Billing), alongside Silwerskerm nominees Anja Taljaard, Trix Vivier, Liam Bosman, and Ilse Klink. Add in Abel Knobel, Francois Jacobs (aka Kaalgat Karel), Sean Brebnor, plus lions, giraffes, hyenas—and even a French bulldog named Chardonnay—and you’ve got a wild ride.
Watch the trailer HERE.
Screenings: 22 & 23 August (Camps Bay), streaming on Showmax from 5 September 2025
Finding Optel: A Whimsical Cape Flats Mystery
At just 25, Mikayla Joy Brown is the youngest director competing at Silwerskerm this year. With her brother Jesse Brown, she co-directed Finding Optel, a quirky detective story inspired by Amélie and Wes Anderson.
The film follows Claire Abrahams (played by Mikayla herself), a teen detective who helps her community find lost things. But when a missing dog case forces her to confront her brother’s disappearance, the mystery takes a deeply personal turn.
The star-studded cast includes Oscar Petersen, Zenobia Kloppers, Rodney Goliath, Sherman Pharo, Maurice Carpede, Euodia Samson, Elton Landrew, and Omar Adams.
Watch the trailer below:
Screenings: 21–23 August (Camps Bay & Retreat), streaming on Showmax from 24 October 2025
The Unspoken War: Breaking the Silence on Angola
Not all wars end when the guns go quiet. The Unspoken War revisits the secret conflict that raged in Angola and Namibia during apartheid—a story still shrouded in silence.
Through rare archival footage and interviews with soldiers, spies, and families, the five-part docuseries asks tough questions about what was never addressed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Directed by Nikki Comninos (Convict Conman, Tracking Thabo Bester) and produced by IdeaCandy (Devilsdorp, Steinheist), this promises to be one of Showmax’s most powerful documentaries yet.
Watch the trailer below:
Screening: 21 August, streaming on Showmax from 12 November 2025
Vaal Riviera: Reality TV with Afrikaans Heat
After the massive success of The Mommy Club: Van Die Hoofstad, creators POP24 are back with Vaal Riviera, a new Afrikaans reality series set in Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging.
The show follows four families—the Arangies, Snymans, Deysels, and Swarts—as they juggle love, loyalty, and legacy along the Vaal River. Expect flashy cars, cooler boxes, tube races, and plenty of drama beneath the surface.
Watch the trailer below:
Screening: 22 August, streaming on Showmax from 22 August 2025, with new episodes weekly
Ontwaak: A Chilling Thriller About Control
In Ontwaak, a psychiatrist discovers that her controlling ex-fiancé is running a so-called mindfulness retreat—where he’s brainwashing young men and women, including her daughter.
The thriller stars Cindy Swanepoel as Melissa and Mienke Marais as her daughter Adri, with a powerhouse supporting cast: Chris Chameleon, Deon Lotz, Carel Nel, and Sean Marco Vorster.
Directed by André Velts and produced by Sonvelt Media (winners of last year’s SAFTA for Best TV Movie), this promises to be one of the most unsettling stories to emerge from Silwerskerm.
Watch the trailer below:
Screening: 22 August, streaming on Showmax in 2026
Showmax’s Winning Streak Continues
From outrageous comedies and heartfelt mysteries to unflinching documentaries, reality TV fire, and gripping thrillers, Showmax is proving once again that South African stories deserve the spotlight.
Silwerskerm 2025 is just the beginning – soon, these titles will reach audiences across the country and beyond.
If you don’t have a Showmax subscription yet, sign up HERE.
Watch this space for updates in the Streaming category on Running Wolf’s Rant.
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