Spelonk is the tale of a world undone, where bounty hunter Dante fights to survive in an apocalyptic Cape. The film will be released as an Afrikaans feature and Desmond Denton, the film’s creator, already has big plans in the works for adapting it for television in English. Principal photography and the rough cut are complete, and the film’s post production is being finalised. It stars Greg Kriek, Eric Uys, Abduragman Adams, Scot Cooper, and Christine Tesco. As with many South African films, Spelonk has faced a roller coaster of highs and lows in its journey from script to screen. It was selected at Silwerskerm as one of the top scripts, and was also selected for Berlinale Talents. The concept was tested at the London Film Festival, developed with a Euroscript panel, represented SA at the New York Film Festival, and is now ready to be fine-tuned for festivals and markets

To this end, Desmond has created a unique funding model that allows anyone to become a stakeholder and investor in Spelonk. “Because of the nature of our project, post production is where we need the most support. Creative editing, colour grading, great sound design, and an amazing score all play a vital role in the production of a professional-looking film. We worked so hard to make sure that the images we filmed are great, and we want to honour that quality in our post production.” But this is no ordinary ‘crowd fund’ – in fact, it’s the furthest thing from it. Not only are people invited to be part of the Spelonk movement by investing, but their investments will be recouped from the first sales and paid out as a first drawdown on funds is received. Investors will also receive any revenue made from sales. 

Desmond has brought his commercial service savvy to the feature film realm, and as such, has even created subtle opportunities for advertisers. He invites people to showcase their companies within the film with integrated product placement, products or services linked with stars or characters. This is not only for the film itself, however, but sponsorships can take place behind the scenes, too. One company provided the cast with tablets from which to read their script – not only feeding into the sustainability of the production and the movement behind Spelonk, but creating a unique and memorable moment that’s sure to be talked about on many sets to come. He has also created a slew of limited edition perks which are released to fans as financial milestones are reached. Examples of these are the Spelonk Survival Novel, a leather wristband, the Spelonk audiobook, and more..