ASTORY presents · A Desmond Denton Story

SPELONK

A World Undone

Welcome to a world undone.
Cape Town 2044. Water is the new currency.

Winner AMAA · Achievement in Make-upWinner Best Director & Best Costume Design · MiSciFi15+ international festival selections

Watch the Trailer Where to Watch

2024Steampunk · Sci-Fi · Action90 minFilmed in English & Afrikaans

Cape Military Frontier · 33.92° S 18.42° E Year 2044 Fresh water reserves ■ depleted Day Zero, 2018 · 50 litres per person per day Currency · water Bounty active ■ Dante Cape Rebels · sighted near the city bowl Winner · AMAA 2025 Achievement in Make-up Winner · MiSciFi 2025 Best Director Cape Military Frontier · 33.92° S 18.42° E Year 2044 Fresh water reserves ■ depleted Day Zero, 2018 · 50 litres per person per day Currency · water Bounty active ■ Dante Cape Rebels · sighted near the city bowl Winner · AMAA 2025 Achievement in Make-up Winner · MiSciFi 2025 Best Director

Winner

Winner · 2025Achievement in Make-upAfrica Movie Academy Awards

Winner · 2025Best DirectorMiami Int’l Sci-Fi Film Festival

Winner · 2025Best Costume DesignMiami Int’l Sci-Fi Film Festival

Winner · 2025Best ExperimentalRussian Film Festival South Africa International

Official Selections

Africa Movie Academy Awards2025

DC Independent Film Festival2025 · N. American premiere

Austin International Film Festival2025

Toronto Fantasy / Sci-Fi Film & Screenplay2025

Miami Int’l Science Fiction (MiSciFi)2025

South African HorrorFest2025 · Labia Theatre

Durban International Film Festival2026 · Protea

Hollywood African Cinema ConnectionHACC · 2025

African Diaspora Cinema Festival2025

The African Film Festival · TAFF2025

Washington DC Int’l Cinema Festival2025

The NOVA FestN. Virginia Int’l Film & Music · 2025

Pittsburgh Moving Picture FestivalThriller Picture Show · 2025

Maryland International Film Festival2025

Columbia Maryland Film Festival2025

Moscow Indie Film Festival2025

HALO International Film FestivalHIFF · 2025

Dumbo Film Festival2024

WILDsound FestivalToronto · 2025

Cape Town PremiereDesmond & Leah Tutu Foundation

Supported by the Film Cape Town Film Fund. From director Desmond Denton, Berlinale Talents alumnus, with 70+ international festival selections across his films.

The Story

Water is the last currency

In 2044, Cape Town has become a harsh desert. Clean water is the most precious commodity and everything is for sale.

Dante, a former military commander turned bounty hunter, is marked for death by his own side. When his path crosses an elderly man whose son is in grave danger, Dante is forced to confront the secrets of the military labs, the Cape Rebels, and the choices that destroyed the world he once knew.

Spelonk is a post-apocalyptic action story about survival, faith, and finding light in dark places.

“Our apocalypse is not caused by the what-ifs. It’s caused by the what-if-we-don’ts.”Desmond Denton, writer & director

Cape Military FrontierHolds the water, holds the city

Cape RebelsFight for every drop

MetalistsGuard what still runs

SabotageA tribe that answers to no one

Film still: Ophelia in a layered grey hood against a hazy sky

Ophelia · Cape Rebel leader

Official Trailer

Enter the Wasteland

Runtime 2:37 · Vimeo

REC · CAPE TOWN 2044 Spelonk · TrailerPlay ▸

Trailer II, music video, fashion show & behind the scenes in the video vault ↓

Why Spelonk

Rooted in South African soil

A gritty steampunk sci-fi thriller, filmed in English and Afrikaans: two complete post-production teams, one unforgettable world.

EN · AF

Dual-language production

Filmed in both English and Afrikaans with two completely separate post-production teams, distinct scoring and language-specific editing.

Day Zero → 2044

Cape Town as never seen

The first major steampunk, post-apocalyptic vision of Cape Town, inspired by the real Day Zero water crisis.

Hand-made

Built for real

Hand-crafted original costumes, custom weapons, practical fight choreography and rich African cultural textures. The Spelonk Military Knives sold out in one week.

Transmedia

A world beyond the film

Feature film, novel, audiobook, survival guide, fashion shows and limited merchandise.

Craft awards

Recognised craft

Winner, AMAA Achievement in Make-up. Winner, Best Costume Design and Best Director at MiSciFi.

Cast & Characters

Survivors of 2044

An ensemble of South African and international talent, with credits spanning Homeland, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Raised by Wolves, Wednesday and Lord of War.

Bounty · Wanted Eric Uys as Dante, hooded

as Dante

Eric Uys

Former Frontier commander turned bounty hunter. Known for Lord of War, Hum and Pop, Lock ’n Roll.

Cape Rebel · Leader Christine Tesco as Ophelia, in a grey hood

as Ophelia

Christine Tesco

The rebel leader whose secret could change the world. Known for Krotoa and the series Suidooster.

Civilian · Father Abduragman Adams as Zahir, dust on his face

as Zahir

Abduragman Adams

A father with nothing left to trade but the truth. Known for Suidooster, Indemnity, Blood & Water and Barakat.

as Commander Jenkins

Greg Kriek

FOX’s Deep State, Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Samson.

as Dr Smith

Scot Cooper

Season 4 of the Emmy-winning Homeland; BBC’s Jamillah and Aladdin.

as Sabotage

Jenny Umbhau

Warrior, Raised by Wolves, Wednesday.

as Mia, Cape Rebel

Daisy May

A fighter of the rebel underground.

Fight cast

Rico Hatting

EFC and MMA world title champion.

Cast

Paul Steyn

Actor and cinematographer; founder of the Paul Steyn Foundation for amputees.

Military

Bernadette Beyer

Frontier soldier.

Introducing

Stuart Laine

The boy at the heart of Dante’s mission.

Key Art

The Posters

Spelonk poster: hooded Dante above the cast, Table Mountain behind and a lone swordsman in a dusty street — Hooded one-sheet

Spelonk poster: Dante and Ophelia back to back above the ensemble — Festival one-sheet

Protea poster: Dante with sword raised, the cast and Table Mountain in dust and embers — Protea · Afrikaans

Spelonk theatrical poster with the full ensemble over a burning street — Theatrical one-sheet

Ensemble poster, five survivors in a cyan ruined city — Ensemble

Character poster: Eric Uys as Dante — Dante · Eric Uys

Character poster: Christine Tesco as Ophelia — Ophelia · Christine Tesco

Character poster: Abduragman Adams as Zahir — Zahir · Abduragman Adams

Collage poster featuring six characters — Character collage

Spelonk ensemble art on a building billboard — Campaign · Billboard

Spelonk one-sheet in a street poster case — Campaign · Street

Frames from 2044

Cape Town, undone

Ruined city blocks beneath Table Mountain — The city bowl

An android in the military lab — The military lab

A hooded figure walking down a ruined street toward Table Mountain — The wasteland

Unique Elements

A world built by hand

Spelonk draws on African patterns, colours, ancient weapons, diverse fighting styles and folk tales. Every costume and blade was designed for the film, and the world has grown beyond the screen into fashion shows, fan events, novels and limited-edition gear.

Costume sketches beside a fitting of a rebel in a red wrapped headdress

Original costume design

Hand-crafted for 2044

Designed from sketch to final fitting: leather, scrap and woven layers for every faction.

Models in Spelonk costume on a rooftop runway at dusk

Fedisa × Spelonk

The Spelonk fashion show

The costumes walked a Cape Town rooftop runway with Fedisa Fashion School.

Sold Out

Dunn Blades · Sniper Gear holster

The Spelonk military knife

All 10 limited-edition blades sold within a week of the announcement.

Film still: a Cape Town street of burnt-out cars

Visual effects

Post-apocalyptic South Africa

The first time a ruined Cape Town has been put on screen.

Fans in steampunk costume at the Spelonk dress-up party

Fan dress-up events

The steampunk launch party

Fans came dressed for the end of the world.

Cover of the Spelonk novel showing Dante and Ophelia

Story novels

A world lost

Survival guide

If it all fell tomorrow

Original Score

Music by Mr Mallum

“When I think of the world of Spelonk a few words come to mind: Epic, Dark, Adventure, Hopelessness & Hope.”
Mr Mallum, composer · Loyiso, Khumba, Danny K, Black Noise

Theme Song

Auriol Hays

Five albums in, with chart-toppers “Turn up the Volume” and “Take it Slow,” Auriol Hays sings the Spelonk theme. Additional music by Afrikaans Ruk. The score moves across every era of music, because in a world of daily survival no one is inventing new genres.

The Afrikaans Film

Protea

The same world, made again in Afrikaans. Protea was filmed separately in Afrikaans, with its own post-production team, its own score and its own edit.

Dante, a former military commander turned bounty hunter, moves through a desolate Cape Town where water is the ultimate currency. When a desperate father hires him to rescue his son, the mission uncovers hidden truths and tests every loyalty he has left.