Showmax Original sci-fi The Fix to open MIPAfrica

The adrenaline-fueled Showmax Original The Fix will have its African premiere in Cape Town on Monday, 2 September 2024 as the opening night film at MIPAfrica, part of FAME Week Africa. 

Written and directed by Kelsey Egan, The Fix had its world premiere in June as the closing night screening at Chattanooga Film Festival in Tennessee, named one of MovieMaker’s 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World. 

Set in a dystopian future with toxic air, The Fix follows a model (Grace van Dien, aka Chrissy Cunningham in Stranger Things S4) who takes a new designer drug at a party and suffers a shocking transformation. Pursued by forces with competing interests in the drug’s effects, she discovers that her mutations could save the human race.

The cast includes Daniel Sharman (Fear The Walking Dead), Clancy Brown (John Wick 4), and Nicole Fortuin from Heart of the Hunter, the first African film to top the global English-language films charts on Netflix. 

Kelsey made her feature film debut with the Showmax Original Glasshouse, which earned rave reviews globally after its debut at Fantasia; went on to screen on the likes of Apple TV, Prime Video, and Tubi internationally; and was the most awarded film at the 2022 South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs). 

As Jennie Kermode wrote on Eye For Film, “As a film critic focused on independent cinema, I see a lot of first features, and I’m always looking out for new talent, but in over 30 years of doing this job I’ve only seen a handful of débuts as fully realised and impeccably crafted as 2021’s Glasshouse.”

In The Fix, also look out for the likes of Africa Movie Academy Awards and SAFTA nominee Keenan Arrison (Shirley Adams), Fleur du Cap winner Tafara Nyatsanza (Beast, Blood & Water), Young Artist Award winner Caleb Payne (The Kissing Booth, Warrior), Tina Redman (Ludik, Savage Beauty) and Robyn Rossouw (Swartwater).

“We are thrilled that The Fix will have its African premiere at FAME Week Africa 2024, showcasing the brilliance of African storytelling on an international stage,” says Judy Goddard, FAME’s head of partnerships. “Set in a future Cape Town, The Fix not only captivates with its stunning visuals and compelling narrative but also highlights the creativity and dynamism inherent in African cinema. This premiere underscores the power of African filmmakers to tell powerful stories that resonate globally.”

“You’ve never seen a South African sci-fi/action/body horror/superhero origin story like The Fix,” says Nicola van Niekerk, Acting Head of Content, Showmax. “Showmax has opened the floodgates to new types of stories here, and you can see the fun our filmmakers are having, making the types of projects they never imagined being possible on local TV.” 

The Fix will debut on Showmax on Thursday, 31 October 2024 as its Halloween highlight. The Exchange is handling international sales. 

Egan serves as a producer alongside Allison Friedman (Fantasia Audience Award winner The Mortuary Collection) and Greig Buckle, who co-produced the Oscar-shortlisted Life, Above All and line produced the #1 US box office hit Chronicle, among other high-profile service jobs in South Africa.

This is the third year in a row that a Showmax Original has opened MIPAfrica. Last year’s opening night screening, Spinners, recently beat the Emmy-winning final season of Succession to be named Best Foreign TV Series at the 29th Shanghai TV Festival’s Magnolia Awards. 

For more information on MIP Africa, visit https://www.mipafrica.com/. 

For more information on Showmax, visit https://www.showmax.com/eng/. 

What people are saying about The Fix

When you lay your eyes on South African filmmaker Kelsey Egan’s thrilling sci-fi/action/body horror concoction, The Fix, you’ll immediately understand why we knew this had to be our 2024 Closing Night Selection. We love this movie, from its killer lead performance by the wonderful Grace van Dien to its wild dystopian world and fantastic mutation effects. We can’t think of a better way to close out year eleven than sharing its world premiere with our loyal fans.

The Fix is an adrenaline-fueled, frenetically paced, ultra-stylish rollercoaster ride that combines body horror with sci-fi action thrills… The success of the film weighs heavily on the shoulders of Van Dien, and she is magnetic, displaying ample vulnerability and strength, imbuing the film with emotional depth while kicking ass with graceful action-hero panache, reminiscent of Milla Jovovich in Resident Evil and Fifth Element. The visuals are striking, with jaw-dropping effects and first-rate production values. Ella’s transformation is as strangely beautiful as it is grotesque. The Fix was a film a decade in the making and deserves a wide audience. It’s both breathtaking and horrifying— a gorgeously imagined, intensely thrilling sci-fi/body horror nightmare fantasy that’s relentlessly paced and riveting.

Kelsey Egan comes from a stunt background, having been a stunt performer in the likes of Mad Max: Fury Road and The Crown, so the fight choreography in The Fix is top notch… The Fix is a fun action romp that has just enough body horror to keep you on the edge of your seat.

The Fix is a gorgeous movie.  It is full of future technology swings that feel lived in… With a surprisingly deep narrative, a gorgeous aesthetic, and a find cast, The Fix is a quality science fiction/body horror/fairy tale film.