Ten30 Pictures’ Head on Netflix Original Series ‘GO!’ and Plans to Turn Joburg Studio Into ‘A24 of Africa’ (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Christopher Vourlias South African producer Kutlwano Ditsele’s Ten30 Pictures is developing a slate of projects to follow on the heels of the Netflix original series “GO!,” which launches globally March 21.

Speaking to Variety in Johannesburg, where the streamer will host the show’s premiere on March 16, Ditsele said this is just the first step for his young production outfit, insisting he plans on turning Ten30 into “the A24 of Africa.” “The biggest thing is to have an identity that says these stories are different to what’s [already out there],” he said. “Now our job is scaling and looking around the country for filmmakers that are making interesting things and filmmakers that have an interesting voice.” “GO!” stars Thandolwethu Zondi as Siya “Bolt” Gumede, a young sprinter who’s given a life-changing scholarship to a prestigious school in Johannesburg, only to find that while it’s one thing to achieve success on the track, it’s much harder to outrun the past.

The six-part series was created by Ditsele and head writer Thuli Zuma, whose credits include the hit Showmax original “The Wife.” The show is directed by Tristan Holmes, who won an Academy Award in 2006 for his student film “Elalini.” The series marks the veteran producer’s return to TV after a brief hiatus, with Ditsele — whose credits include the hit MultiChoice dramas “Gomora” and “The Herd” — stressing his determination to “find a way to make the business work for me.” His previous work, which included a stint at top Johannesburg production house the Bomb Shelter, was almost entirely built on a commissioning model that’s become increasingly challenging in South Africa’s difficult economic climate.