
THE MENACE FROM ABOVE

Other movies

NIGHT OF THE ZOOPOCALYPSE
Director: Ricardo Curtis
When a meteor crashes into Colepepper Zoo, it releases a virus that turns infected animals into slavering zombies. The few remaining unaffected must band together to escape the virus, find a cure and - most importantly - defeat the Bunny King, a mad mutant beast who wants to spread the virus beyond the zoo to animals everywhere. Young wolf Gracie teams up with mountain lion Dan to find and warn her pack; Xavier, the movie-obsessed lemur; Frida, the fiery capybara; ostrich Ash and the untrustworthy monkey Felix make up the rest of the squabbling, motley crew. A colourful tale with echoes of the recent global pandemic, the Zoopocalypse is a treat for adult animation buffs as much as children.

K-POPS
Director: Anderson .Paak
Eight-time Grammy winner Anderson .Paak makes his film debut with the story of a washed-up drummer whose life turns around when he meets his teenage son for the first time. Paak himself plays the father BJ, who is still holding out in middle age for rock’n’roll stardom; his real-life son Soul Rasheed plays the fictional Tae Young, whose mother Yeji is Korean. When BJ gets an unexpected gig on a Korean talent show, he discovers Tae Young, a hotly-tipped contestant. Eager to make up for lost parenting time, BJ becomes the boy’s mentor – but the truth is that he needs help to grow up himself. Riffing off their real family relationships, .Paak’s comedy is an instant winner full of charm and K-Pop fandom.

SHAFIKA AND METWALI
Director: Ali Badrakhan
Chosen by festival Honoree guest Mona Zaki, who is fascinated by the iconic Egyptian actress Souad Hosni. Drawing on a folk tale about a young man who murders his wayward sister, Ali Badrakhan gave the traditional story a new timeframe and socio-political twist, creating a work of art in the process. Metwally is a villager forced by the authorities to work as a labourer on the Suez Canal project, leaving his sister Shafiqi (Souad Hosni) alone and destitute. When he eventually returns, he discovers that his sister has succumbed to the attentions of the district chief’s son, dishonoring the family, and kills her. The original story saw him as justified, but Badrakhan gives it another twist to show both brother and sister as victims of an oppressive social system. The film was an immediate success; it remains a beloved classic.