Nominations for the 2022 International Emmy Awards are out. South African actress Kim Engelbrecht is nominated for Best Actress, while ‘Reyka’ is up for Best Drama Series, competing with the likes of Lupin and Narcos: Mexico.
Kim Engelbrecht continues to shine
Engelbrecht is the fifth African actress to get nominated for an Emmy, following in the footsteps of another Hollywood success Thuso Mbedu. The Woman King star got nominated twice in 2017 and 2018 for Isithunzi. Mbedu has gone to star in The Underground Railroad and The Woman King, which is out in cinemas worldwide. Other African nominees over the years include Menna Shalabi who got nominated in 2021. Both Lerato Mvelase and Brenda Ngxoli got nominated for Home Affairs in 2010 and 2007, respectively.
This nomination means so much more than you could ever imagine.
– Kim Engelbrecht
Engelbrecht had roles in series like Raised by Wolves, The Flash, and Isidingo. She won her first SAFTA in 2010 portraying Lolly in Isidingo. At this year’s South African Film and Television Awards, she took home Best Actress for the role in ‘Reyka’. “This serves as validation to our entire Reyka team that hard work and commitment does not go unnoticed. Congratulations Team Reyka. I saw a quote this morning: ‘You can get to where you want to go from exactly where you are.’ Thank you to the International Emmys for the incredible nomination. Thank you for the opportunity to share our show with the world. South Africa has so many stories to tell.”, says Engelbrecht.
About Reyka
The series follows a criminal profiler who investigates a string of brutal murders in the sugar cane fields of KZN. The series is nominated for Best Drama and is the first African series to be nominated in more than a decade.
The opening night series at last year’s Monte-Carlo Television Festival. Reyka was sold by Fremantle to 147 territories, including BritBox, CANAL+, Channel4 in the UK, HBO LatAm, and Sky Italia. It was released as The Cane Field Killings in some territories.
“My fellow producer Serena Cullen called but I was in a meeting and couldn’t take her call. It was only much later when I saw the WhatsApps coming through that I heard the news. I couldn’t believe it. After speaking to Serena, who was on a train to Paris, I called Kim. There was load shedding so it was a terrible line. It took three calls for her to actually get the news.”, says Harriet Gavshon, executive producer at Quizzical Pictures.
“It is wonderful for South African talent to be recognised,” says Gavshon. “We are grateful for the investment that MultiChoice has made in local content in South Africa. Together with Fremantle, they have stayed with this project over many years and encouraged us every step of the way. ‘Reyka’ team was incredible and the shoot, although in the middle of a terrible wave of Covid, was extremely special. Everyone knew they were working on an exceptional production and worked with great care and passion. This is a testament to creator Rohan Dickson’s incredible scripts and to the really ambitious and imaginative work of the directors, production and creative team, who stretched themselves every day.”
“Reyka has now surpassed all our expectations,” says Cullen. “I couldn’t be more thrilled that it has been nominated for two International Emmys. It’s been a long journey but with MultiChoice and Fremantle’s investment and belief, we’ve made a truly South African story for South African audiences that also has a global reach. I couldn’t be happier!”
“This is a proud moment for Fremantle and MultiChoice,” says Julie Hodge, Vice President Editorial, Global Drama at Fremantle. “The series has been in development for many years, but we were confident from the off that this rich and compelling story would be one of our standout international dramas – we’re thrilled to see that being recognized with two nominations at the International Emmys.”
‘Reyka’ won four Golden Horns: Best Actress, Directing, Scriptwriting, and Cinematography. Iain Glen, Thando Thabethe and SAFTA winners Anna-Mart van der Merwe and Kenneth Nkosi also feature.
Watch the trailer:
Jointly produced by Cullen Productions in the UK and Emmy-nominated Quizzical Pictures in SA. The executive producers are Serena Cullen, Harriet Gavshon, and Rohan Dickson. Yolisa Phahle, Nkateko Mabaso, Allan Sperling, Jan du Plessis and Julie Hodge are also executive producers. Directed by Zee Ntuli and Catharine Cooke.
Reyka now streaming on Showmax is distributed globally by Fremantle and made with the support of the DTI.
