“Just Now Jeffrey” is an edgy local film, yet will leave viewers in stitches. The film stars Julian Robinson and Dino Vavatzanidis as leads of the film, with industry legend, Rob van Vuuren. Picture: Just Now Jeffrey (Instagram).
If you want to tickle your funny bone, laugh until your face is drenched in tears and simply want to relax after a long week of work and school, "Just Now Jeffrey" movie is a must watch.
Screening of the film took place at Rosebank on April 25 and finally hit the big screens across parts of the country on May 03.
This local film boasts an all South African crew and entourage of thespians, including newcomers and protagonists, Julian Robinson and Dino Vavatzanidis; and industry legend, Rob van Vuuren.
Set in the 1980s, during a dark era in the country, this film follows the bromance of two coming of age teenage boys, who embark on a journey of puberty, sex, lust, love entanglements and their ultimate goal, breaking their virginities. "Just Now Jeffrey" tells quite a gritty, yet nostalgic story of the ordinary South African teenager.
The film is a testimonial for a lifelong friendship of two best friends, Hylton Tannenbaum and Brett Morris. The men have been friends since they were 12-years-old and after working in the advertising industry for over two decades, they decided to fulfil their dream of making a movie.
The entire process of making the film took four years to complete. It was filmed on location last year in Cape Town.
One of the directors, Morris, explained that it was important to retell and represent the stories of teenagers during apartheid. "It was our intention to create a unique coming of age comedy that represents and normalises our youth as teens growing up in the 1980s.
“We have always wanted to give a voice to a generation that grew up in South Africa towards the end of apartheid. We found that South Africans were generally painted with the same brush, and we wanted to show all of the complexity and nuances across the political spectrum during that time," said Morris.
Morris further told “Rosebank Killarney Gazette” that making the film was a challenge, since it is an independent film.
"Making an independent film has been a four-year marathon; the four year journey will be showcased in the two-hour-long movie," he said.
"Just Now Jeffrey" was featured in three international film festivals being Toronto, Beverly Hills and Poland, because of its exceptional world-class production, beautiful cinematography, art direction and a rich soundtrack from the 1980s.
Stuart Hands, a director at Toronto Film Festival, sang praise of the film. "People always ask ‘what is it that festivals look for in a film?’, and we say something we have never seen before.
“And, 'Just Now Jeffrey' is just that. We have never seen a coming of age film set in South Africa in the 1980s, with world class production values," said Hands.
The Star
hope.mafu@inl.co.za
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