WHAT'S GONE DOWN AT LAST TUESDAYS
WHAT'S GONE DOWN AT LAST TUESDAYS
When Movie Mayhem Gripped the City of Gold
When Movie Mayhem Gripped the City of Gold
Attendees got to step back in time to a moment when Johannesburg was making its own bold play for global cinema dominance.
Long before Hollywood became the global capital of film, American millionaire Isidore “IW” Schlesinger set out to build the biggest movie studio in the world—right here in Killarney. From the top floor of the Carlton Hotel, he challenged a fledgling Hollywood, producing large-scale spectacles with elaborate sets, thousands of extras, and epic storylines. Behind the glamour, however, lay political intrigue, clashing egos, scandal, and ambition at full throttle.
In a gripping Q&A-style conversation, award-winning journalist Katy Katopodis sat down with Hollywood on the Veld author Ted Botha to unpack the rise and dramatic fall of Johannesburg’s forgotten film empire.
The session offered rare insight and a powerful reminder: Africa’s cinematic ambition didn’t start now—it’s always been here.
In 1916, just a year after Griffith’s Birth of a Nation and two years after the Italian epic Cabiria, American millionaire Isidore Schlesinger produced—and in part directed—two unprecedented film spectacles in his own “Hollywood” in Johannesburg. The above video shows rare crowd scenes from these productions. While the footage remains unrestored and retains a grainy quality, the magnitude is unmistakable—thousands of extras, expansive sets, and a level of ambition that positioned Johannesburg on the global cinematic map.
THE TAKEOUT
- Africa was in the game early
Johannesburg wasn’t following Hollywood—it was competing with it, producing ambitious, large-scale films as early as the 1910s. - Big vision builds industries
IW Schlesinger created a fully integrated film empire—proving that bold thinking and infrastructure can position a market globally. - Control the value chain
Owning production, distribution, and exhibition was the real power play—then and now. - External forces can make or break you
Politics, regulation, and global shifts shaped the rise—and fall—of the industry. - The opportunity now is to do it again—better
The talent and ambition have always been here. The focus now is sustainability, ownership, and global reach.
Behind the Scenes of 'Bad Influencer' - From Idea to Global Sensation
Behind the Scenes of 'Bad Influencer' - From Idea to Global Sensation
Attendees got a front-row seat to the creative chaos behind Bad Influencer—one of Netflix’s most talked-about South African drama series. It reached number three on Netflix's Global most watched shows. The conversation featured the people who made it happen, bringing together the producers, director, and key creative voices behind the show for an unfiltered look at how a local idea turned into global viewing. The Bad Influencer session pulled back the curtain on how a South African story scaled to a global Netflix hit—covering everything from creative decisions to on-set chaos and the real work behind making something travel. From story origins to production pivots, the conversation was honest, sharp, and exactly what the room came for.
- Nosipho Dumisa-Ngoasheng. Award-winning Director-Writer, Showrunner, Creative Producer and
Co-Founder, Gambit Films - Keitumetse Qhali. Award-winning Director: 'Bad Influencer', 'Blood & Water' and 'BEFORE JIVA'
- Kudi Maradzika. Award-winning Producer and Founder, Lincoln Green Media.
She created 'Bad Influencer'. - Waldemar Coetsee. Award-winning art director and production designer
- Hallie Haller. Film Director and Media Artist
THE TAKEOUT
- Strong stories travel—but only if the execution holds
- The right team is everything
- Chaos is part of the process—how you respond is what counts
- There’s no single path… but there is a standard
