The Kalil Brothers début short film, 24Seven, will be screened on the 3 December 2010 at the Labia on Orange as part of ACT Cape Town’s annual showcase.

This is the first time Matt and Paul Kalil have collaborated since their Vuka Award finalist PSA animation, See Jack, which was screened nationally.

24Seven is an understated film about sex, death, betrayal, forgiveness, regret and religion. It is designed to showcase the seven ACT Cape Town advanced class actors. The script was work-shopped on the studio floor, with characters and scenarios developing out of the actor’s (and the director’s) actual life experiences. The result is a fresh and understated original story.

“I didn’t want the actors to play anything that was too unreal for them. No suicides, or abortions or patricides or shootouts. But still, we went deep. There are too many ‘easy’ scripts around. To get to the real meat of a story you have to bleed for it,” says Matthew.

24Seven was shot on the Red One, sponsored in part by Zootee Productions, and tells the story of 24hours in seven young people’s lives. A radio station that they all listen to ties all their stories together. In the workshop it came out that many of the students were Christian and they wanted to tell a Christian story. The Kalil Brothers aren’t Christian (although Matt was almost a priest) and so the story that comes out is an interesting hybrid of belief structures. “I wanted to tell a story about people who just happen to be Christian,” says Matt.

“Their problems are explored by talking and not just praying,” says Paul. It’s a unique angle on faith in the 2010s.

From the opening seven locked-off shots, through the shooting range clash, the old age home and the suburban sexually frustrated couple to the lonely radio DJ, the audience's attention is held on both an emotional and narrative level so that the 18 minutes pass by almost unnoticed.

The narrative structure is inspired by films like Amores Perros. The film contains four languages: English, Afrikaans, Xhosa and Portuguese. Its first screening happens on 3 December 2010 at The Labia.

Issued by Kalil Brothers Film