The Cannes Film Festival (and accompanying film market) gets into full swing today, and news of a flurry of deals filled my inbox when I woke up this morning.

Imagine my disappointment after going through all of them (many dozen+) to find so very few worth writing about here on S&A; specifically, so very few with people of African descent in them.

Here's one of those few…

Nelson Mandela’s grandson Kweku Mandela is at Cannes to show footage, and hopefully pre-sell international distribution rights (via Kaleidoscope Film Distribution) on a feature documentary he co-directed and produced (along with Kemal Akhtar) titled Mandela’s Children (a working title). 

The film will tell Nelson Mandela's from the POV of his family and the people who knew him best.

Included will be intimate family footage like Mandela speaking with and being interviewed by 21 of his grandchildren, for example.

And before you say, oh no, another Nelson Mandela-related project… co-director and co-producer, Kemal Akhtar says: "People ask me: ‘Is this just another documentary motion picture?’ Well, I say, it took 70 years to make this archive happen. The film took three years in development. It’s required a solid 18 months of pre-production, a further 8 months in the edit, and, we’re still not finished. The icing on the cake is the 94 years of Mr. Mandela’s story. So, considering all this: I ask you ‘Is this just another documentary?"

Well, is it? 🙂

Kaleidoscope will reportedly screen select scenes from the film to buyers at Cannes, with Kweku Mandela in attendance.

And in support of Akhtar's statement, Spencer Pollard, CEO of Kaleidoscope, added: "… This film is unique in its craft, outlook and story-telling from both Mr. Mandela and his grandchildren and the wealth of archive that the film will include. I cannot begin to tell you how honored we are to be working on such an important film and to launch it at the Cannes Market."

I'll be tracking it from here on.

And by the way, Idris Elba will soon begin shooting his Nelson Mandela scripted feature film (co-starring Naomie Harris as Winnie Mandela), titled The Long Walk Home.