* Auditions concluded: Maphanyane joins cast

* Tamara Astor stars in the film

* MOITOBO will film in Gaborone and London this June

* Donald Molosi will Executive-Produce

A new feature film starring award-winning English actor Tamara Astor will film in Botswana this June. 

The film, called MOITOBO, conducted a talent search this past December for a Motswana actor to perform alongside Astor.

Other cast members include Trinidadian actor Clive Ganess and Motswana drag superstar Diamond Phil.

MOITOBO is the Ngwato spelling of the Setswana word for slough, the skin that a snake sheds.

Molibi Maphanyane is the actor who beat the competition to land a role in the international film. The film will be produced by CattlePost Films and executive-produced by Donald Molosi.

Maphanyane, 38, has toured the world performing theatre, eventually graduating from Amherst College in the United States.

Maphanyane, who is also a professional rugby player, spent his teens performing theatre in festivals and at school. 

In 2018, Maphanyane starred opposite Kelesitse Mokgatlhe in a staged reading of “Dear Zibanani” by Folk Tale Theatre Company in Gaborone.

The Executive Producer on the project, Donald Molosi of CattlePost Films says, “Molibi is a versatile performer and we are happy to have him on-board.”

Tamara Astor is an award-winning English actor and singer. She trained at Ecole Philippe Gaulier in France and Cambridge University in the UK.

Currently she is lead on the West End’s musical, “The Boyz”.

The Director of Photography for the film is award-winning Polish cinematographer Lilia Strojec. 

Last year, CattlePost Films produced “Partly Cloudy & Hot”, an award-winning short film starring Kaone Kario and Zenzo Ngqobe.

The short film garnered many international awards and was certified Oscar-Qualifying at the BronzeLens Film Festival in the US.

“We are looking forward to filming MOITOBO in both London and Gaborone in June. Molibi’s talent was the missing puzzle,” says Associate Producer Ravi Ganess.