SA director to helm US rom-com

Acclaimed South African director, Jahmil XT Qubeka, whose controversial film, Of Good Report was initially banned by South African censors, is to direct US romantic comedy, Heaven Hath No Fury.

The film was written by Leon Chills and Chad Sanders, for New York-based D Street Media Group.

This will be Qubeka’s US debut and his first film to be distributed in the US since his controversial film, ‘Of Good Report’ received critical acclaim in 2013.

Of Good Report, which tells the story of a teacher who embarks on an affair with his pupil, was banned from opening the Durban International Film Festival last year due to a refusal of classification by the South African Film and Publications Board.

Since then, the film has received international attention and won the LA BAFTA for Best Feature at the 2014 Pan African Film Festival in February.

Heaven Hath No Fury follows a New York playboy whose decision to break the wrong woman’s heart knocks the world out of kilter as men start to see the world through the eyes of women.

Qubeka told Screen Daily: "What attracted me to the project was the producers’ vision and approach to the material."

"We certainly share the same ambitions for the picture. Film is a collaborative creative process and it’s very important for me to work with a team that exudes that ethos. I wanted to tackle material that had a wider audience appeal yet at the same time has the scope to be elevated beyond the conventions of its set genre," he added.

The feature is currently being packaged and filmmakers plan to add it to their current slate at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.