South Africa has selected Old Righteous Blues, directed by Muneera Sallies, as its official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards, according to the country’s National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF).
The film, which is among the last submissions to be announced for this category, joins over 80 other international contenders vying for a spot on the Oscars shortlist. With the submission deadline having closed on October 2, the NFVF expressed pride in Sallies’s work, emphasizing its potential to resonate globally.
Set against the backdrop of South Africa’s Western Cape province, Old Righteous Blues tells the story of a young man’s quest to mend a community fractured by a long-standing feud. His journey centres on reviving the Old Righteous Blues Christmas Choir Band, a once-revered group torn apart two decades prior by a bitter rivalry sparked by his own father.
This feud led to years of violent conflict between two factions within the community, deeply affecting relationships and testing loyalties as the groups clashed over the town’s traditional Kerskoor choir.
Lebogang Mogoera, NFVF’s acting CEO, lauded the film as a powerful showcase of South African storytelling talent, highlighting its exploration of themes such as redemption, community, and healing.
Old Righteous Blues, inspired by an original idea from writer-producer Carol Shore, premiered at South Africa’s Silwerskerm Film Festival in 2023 and has since been screened internationally at the Romford Film Festival in the UK and Panther City Film Festival in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2024.