Echo Chamber - 290 - Part Two (Runs In The Family)
You can hear ‘Part One’ of this week’s episode HERE!!!
It's time for 'Part TWO, of this week's @EchoChamberFP which has an international flair to it!!!
We have a South African adventure, comedy to look at, thanks to Fae Pictures, Giant Films & Indigenous Film Distribution. THEN, we sit down with the director, and one of the stars, to talk bringing this very personal story to life!
'Runs In The Family' is directed by Ian Gabriel and written by Gabe Gabriel. A reformed con artist, Varun (Ace Bhatti), and his transmasculine son, River (Gabe Gabriel), roadtrip across South Africa to break River’s estranged mother (Diaan Lawrenson) out of rehab. When injury befalls River’s drag partner (Cleo Wesley), his mother propels father and son to partner up for a drag competition that could win River his gender affirming surgery.
Watch the conversation: HERE!
In 'Part Two' we have:
Runs In The Family - Poster
Runs In The Family
Watch Review: Here.
Inside Out Toronto 2SLGBT+ Film Festival: 1st June 2023
Digital Release Date: 30th November 2023
Director: Ian Gabriel
Cast: Ace Bhatti, Gabe Gabriel, Cleo Wesley, Rob van Vuuren, Diaan Lawrenson, Loren Loubser, Earl Gregory, Kathleen Stephens, Paul Snodgrass, Khadija Heeger, Manila Von Teez, Faniswa Yisa, Mamello Makhetha, Tankiso Mamabolo
Credit: Fae Pictures, Giant Films, Indigenous Film Distribution
Genre: Adventure, Comedy
Running Time: 107 min
Cert: 12a
Trailer: Here.
Watch via Netflix: Here.
Website: Here.
Watch the conversation: HERE!
Ian Gabriel
Ian Gabriel
Director, Writer, Producer
Ian Gabriel is a South African director of colour whose extensive experience in film and theatre performance began at Dorkay House, Johannesburg’s famous anti apartheid theatre venue, where he worked with many of South Africa’s legendary jazz and theatre greats. His feature film, Four Corners, was the South African Official Submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards, was awarded Best International Feature and Best Feature (USA) at the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival, won 6 Golden Horn South African Film and Television Awards including Best Actor, awarded to the youngest nominee to date in that category, first time child actor, Jezriel Skei. Ian’s film also received the Best Picture Award.
Ian has directed the Netflix family crime series Ludik, released in the spring of 2022. This project saw Ian direct actor Arnold Vosloo, reprising the director – actor relationship the two established when Ian directed Forgiveness, which won the Best South African Film Award and the Best African Film Award, was a Golden Leopard nominee at the 2004 Locarno Film Festival, and won the Locarno Youth Jury Best Film Award.
Ian’s work with celebrity talent has seen him directing personalities as diverse as human rights icon and activist Nelson Mandela and Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Hudson River aviation hero Chelsey Sullenberger, and many film, fashion and sport personalities such as Charlize Theron, Cristiano Ronaldo, Alex Wek, Haile Gebrselassie, etc.
In 2023 Ian directed Death Of a Whistleblower – a true events thriller about the funding for profit of biological warfare in Africa and the Middle East, and will follow this outing with a director collaboration with Gabe Gabriel focusing on an apartheid era disco resistance heroine Granny Lee, based on a true story.
Ian is a development partner with 2018 Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Joslyn Barnes (Strong Island) on the historic TV Series, Sabela Gold. He is a director in good standing at the DGA, is a participant in the DGA Diversity program, and is represented in USA by Paul Canterna (Seven Summits Film) and Justin Silvera (Silvera Management).
Follow Ian via:
IMDb: Here.
Linkedin: Here.
Facebook: Here.
Instagram: @giant_ian_gabriel
Giant Films
Website: Here.
Instagram: @giantfilmsza
Vimeo: Here.
Ace Bhatti
Ace Bhatti
Actor, Producer
Ace trained at London Academy of Music and Dramatic art and has a long and well established television career. His standout performances have been in East Enders, The Good Karma Hospital and NCS; Manhunt. Cinema goers will remember Ace as Bomi Bulsara, the screen father of Freddie Mercury, in Bohemian Rhapsody.
On working on the film, Ace says: I was amazed by the many varied locations just in and around Cape Town. Scenery was stunning. On such a tight budget, I was blown away by the commitment of the cast and crew to the story, we all had to work incredibly long hours. On playing the father of a transgender child, Ace says: Although imagination plays a huge part in performance, experience does help in the shorthand. And being lucky enough to be a father definitely helped in the portrayal of Varun. As your child matures into adulthood there are a whole new set of challenges, these are exponentially increased if your child is transgender. The fear of the prejudice they may receive, hoping you’ve made them strong enough to face that prejudice. Being there when they fall, loving them and their community no matter what. All felt very real within the story.
And on finding and playing Varun: The biggest clue to finding any character is in the subtleties of the writing and the relationship between Varun and River spoke from the page. Varun had a colourful past as a forger/fraudster, but he gave up that life to find a new career as a tailor to raise a child as a single parent. The love, commitment and dedication to River were all there for me to encompass in my performance. Unconditional love of a parent for his child is at the heart of Varun. However it wasn’t all on the page, I did need help with my dance moves and needlework! The dance moves were way out of my comfort zone and I have to give special thanks to my dance teachers, drag mother and drag aunty who were welcoming and so supportive of me.
Follow Ace via:
IMDb: Here.
Linkedin: Here.
Instagram: @acebhatti
Watch Ace's films via Apple TV+: Here.
Watch Ace's films via Prime Video: Here.
Watch Ace's films via Prime Video UK: Here.
You can hear ‘Part One’ of this week’s episode HERE!!!
*(Music)
'The Big Payback' (Instrumental) by EPMD - 2020