Cape Town - Skeem, the much-anticipated second feature film from acclaimed South African director Tim Greene, has walked away with the Audience Choice Award at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival.

Greene is best known as the filmmaker who convinced 1 000 people to each invest R1 000 in his first feature film, Boy Called Twist. Twist was released to critical acclaim in 2003 and went on to screen at Cannes and festivals around the world.
 
Skeem was selected to compete in the Showcase section of the festival, putting it in competition with films by such legendary directors as Martin Scorsese, Wim Wenders, George Clooney, Steven Soderbergh, Werner Hertzog and Terry Gilliam.

'Dream come true'
 
"It was such a great honour just to be included," says producer Zaheer Goodman-Bhyat.

"To actually win the audience award is a dream come true. To think that our local comedy film can travel and can be relevant to a global audience and compete successfully with the best films in the world gives me hope for the future of South African films," he added.
 
"If you look at the cast lists of the films we were competing against, they’re all A-list Hollywood celebs!" enthused director Tim Greene.

"It just makes me feel so proud of our local talent. To be recognised and honoured in this way is so humbling. I set out to make a film that people would want to see, and so to know that they enjoyed it is immensely gratifying."

Skeem is a slapstick comedy about a motley collection of small-time crooks and greedy holidaymakers at a rundown resort plotting against each other to get their hands on a cardboard box full of cash.

The film features an all-star South African cast, including Grant Swanby, Kenneth Nkosi, Rapulana Seiphemo, Casey B Dolan, Terence Bridgett, Zikhona Sodlaka, David Isaacs and Kurt Schoonraad.
 
Skeem will be released in South African cinemas on October 28.