Fans of hit Afrikaans movies, such as
Poena is Koning;
Bakgat; and
Karate Kallie, can now enjoy these films on DVD with the launch of Ster-Kinekor Entertainment’s new Afrikaans DVD brand, Ster-Kinekor Flieke.
Aimed directly at the Afrikaans movie-loving public, the new DVD brand is a first for the country and an extension of Ster-Kinekor’s ongoing commitment to the local film industry.
“We’ve always supported and encouraged the growth of quality local content, including Afrikaans films. In the past this has included getting involved as early as script development stage, and then of course through the extensive marketing of the releases,” explains Thobashan Govindarajulu, DVD Marketing Manager for Ster-Kinekor Entertainment. “With so many of the Afrikaans theatrical releases performing well, we identified a gap in the market for these movies to also be made available to DVD audiences.”
Afrikaans films have certainly found a place in the local market, with attendances for the theatrical releases numbering anything from 20 000 to 50 000 people. Govindarajulu adds that this support is set to grow even further as more quality Afrikaans films make their way to the big screen.
“While the Afrikaans DVD market, compared to the mainstream market, is still quite niched at this stage, there’s definitely a need for these products and room for growth. We’re seeing good quality films coming through from a pool of talented filmmakers, and significant improvements in this quality year on year. The Afrikaans community actively supports the films, which are indigenous to South Africa, so why not have a DVD brand that they can identify with too?” he says.
Ster-Kinekor Flieke will be an instantly recognisable brand, with all point of sale and marketing material clearly distinguishing it from other DVD brands in the market and making it highly visible in retail spaces. And to ensure it remains relevant to its core target market, all promotional material will be in Afrikaans.
Ster-Kinekor Flieke will launch with six well-known Afrikaans titles on DVD, including
Poena is Koning;
Vaatjie Sien Sy Gat;
Hond Se Dinges;
Karate Kallie;
Bakgat; and
Orkney Snork Nie. The films are all popular, recent releases with a variety of celebrated directors and cast members behind them. Fans can also enjoy
Orkney Snork Nie Series - season 2, and the ever favourite
Lipstiek Dipstiek on DVD.
Govindarajulu says Ster-Kinekor Flieke will first be established as a brand within the primary market with the five launch DVD titles, with a view to rolling out new titles every few months from next year.
“We’d like to look at releasing between five and eight Ster-Kinekor Flieke titles annually, but this will obviously depend on the number and quality of movies coming through. The Afrikaans community is a loyal market, so we expect a positive response to the new brand,” he concludes.
Ster-Kinekor Flieke DVDs will be available from all leading retail stores across the country from end March 2010.