African Couch Potato

Firstly, a massive congratulations to Bafana Bafana, SA's national team for qualifying for the Round of 32 at the FIFA World Cup, alas, that is as far as it goes. 
With the football done, it's an episode of reviews, kicking off with what has become a global sensation, The Polygamist. The South African hit telenovela follows Jonasi Gomora, a self-made CEO and banker, whose carefully curated empire begins to unravel as his wife, secret second wife, mistress, and girlfriend fight for his life and wealth. 
Sandwiched between The Polygamist and the latest Avatar, Gino does some catching up by diving into The Bear, although he's only managed Season 1 as yet. 
From food to fantasy, and Gino gets over himself to sit through the entire 3 hours 17 minutes of the ongoing happenings of the Blue people.
And finally, back home again, as we head to this afternoon's film critics screening of the fresh new look at the legendary Drum magazine's agony aunt Dear Sis Dolly.
Plus a reminder of our new crowdfunding campaign to help us bring you ACP in glorious video, so you can watch as well as listen. There's a stack of rewards, depending on your donations. Check that out at  Thundafund - African Couch Potato. Every little bit helps.  
So, who's gonna make it past the last 16?
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Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
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gino.arlechino@gmail.com
WhatsApp Channel: Mzansi Film News, Views and Reviews 
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https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato 
Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay
CHqjHqS2RAMkVSeydGo7

© SANTE MEDIA 2026

Something different this week. Among the nearly 60 titles on offer at the recent Encounters documentary festival was Miguel Eek's Amilcar. Amílcar Cabral (1924-1973) was a thinker and an African leader. He led the anticolonial armed struggle in Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde against Portugal but was assassinated 8 months before those countries became independent. 
Miguel Eek was born in Madrid in 1982. Raised between Mallorca, Stockholm and Barcelona, where he graduated in Documentary Filmmaking at the Cinema and Audiovisual School of Catalonia (ESCAC). He completed his training at the Arcada University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki.
Amilcar is a decade long project, drawing on letters to his wives, which seeks to move beyond iconography and return Amílcar Cabral to the realm of the human, the fragile, and the unfinished.
ACP managed to grab a fascinating few minutes with the filmmaker, between him delivering a Live Masterclass to an enthusiastic audience at the Goethe-Institut in Johannesburg on the complexities of running a 10 year movie project, and having to rush off to a sponsor's lunch. 
And a reminder of our new crowdfunding campaign to help us bring you ACP in glorious video, so you can watch as well as listen. There's a whole bunch of rewards depending on your donations. Check that out at  Thundafund - African Couch Potato. Every little bit helps. 
Yes? No? Send us a text
Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
instagram.com/africancouchpotato
x.com/africancouchpot
gino.arlechino@gmail.com
WhatsApp Channel: Mzansi Film News, Views and Reviews 
YouTube; African Couch Potato - YouTube 
https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato 
Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay
CHqjHqS2RAMkVSeydGo7

© SANTE MEDIA 2026

Toy Story 5 comes out this week. And, it features our very own Tyla, so you can hear from her and also catch Gino's take on the latest version. Plus, it's Youth Day.
It's an all Disney ep as Gino also attended the Disney+ 2026 content showcase and he shares some of what went down and what to look out for this month.
Not Suitable For Work - follows the lives of 5 workaholics as they navigate big city life and relationships in Manhattan.
Hoppers -an environmentalist girl devotes her energy fighting the city mayor instead of concentrating on school work.
Will Trent S4 - a Special Agent who takes on gripping new cases. Inspired by Karin Slaughter’s novels.
Alice & Steve - a Hulu Original series from the UK.
Best of the World with Antoni Porowski - explores some of the world's most extraordinary destinations.
The Bear S5 -  A young chef from the fine dining world returns to Chicago to run his family's sandwich shop.
Avatar: Fire and Ash - Jake and Neytiri's family grapples with grief, encountering a new, aggressive Na'vi tribe, the Ash People, who are led by the fiery Varang, as the conflict on Pandora escalates and a new moral focus emerges.
ESPN - catch all the latest sporting action. 
We give you a head's up on the launch of Disney+ Quiz Nights across the country from the 24th of June, and Gino gives the lowdown on our new crowdfunding campaign to help us bring you ACP in glorious video so you can watch as well as listen. There's a whole bunch of rewards depending on your donations. Check that out at  Thundafund - African Couch Potato. Every little bit helps. Dankie!
And finally, it being football season, a quick look at just how Messi got discovered in Messi: The Forgotten Tape, also on Disney+.   
Have a fabulous Youth Day!
Yes? No? Send us a text
Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
instagram.com/africancouchpotato
x.com/africancouchpot
gino.arlechino@gmail.com
WhatsApp Channel: Mzansi Film News, Views and Reviews 
YouTube; African Couch Potato - YouTube 
https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato 
Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay
CHqjHqS2RAMkVSeydGo7

© SANTE MEDIA 2026

“Encounters is an opportunity to slow down and look behind the headlines to better understand our world.” - so says Mandisa Zitha, Festival Director of the annual Encounters South African International Documentary Festival. The 28th edition of this festival is in full flow in Cape Town, Johannesburg, as well as a small run in Pretoria and will continue until June 14.
This year’s line-up includes a host of South African films alongside storytelling from around the world. In total 58 films from 33 countries have been selected. There will be world premieres as well as several international documentaries getting their first screening on the African continent.
Gino managed to grab a slot with the busy Mandisa to dig deeper into her love of documentaries, what got her involved with Encounters, and how she manages all three cities at the same time, as well as the host of both national and international filmmakers. Mandisa is not called the "ambassador for the SA film industry" for nothing.
To get the full picture of what's happening and to get your festival tickets, check out encounters.co.za 
Yes? No? Send us a text
Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
instagram.com/africancouchpotato
x.com/africancouchpot
gino.arlechino@gmail.com
WhatsApp Channel: Mzansi Film News, Views and Reviews 
YouTube; African Couch Potato - YouTube 
https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato 
Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay
CHqjHqS2RAMkVSeydGo7

© SANTE MEDIA 2026

Welcome to the latest News, Views and Reviews with ACP, still the number 1 film and television podcast to listen to in S.A. according to Feedspot.com.
Kicking off the week with a bunch of stuff to check out on Netflix:
Season 4 of Perfect Match 
Season 2 of Murder Mindfully
A new three part documentary on Kylie plus her "live-in-concert" 
The sports documentary series Untold hits the UK and first in the spotlight is footballer Jamie Vardy
Sacha Baron Cohen returns to the screen with the comedy Ladies First
and coming very soon is the South African produced biblical story of David. You can check out the soundtrack here       
Next up is Gino's review of Rafa, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at Rafael Nadal, his personal life, unseen archives, and his journey to return to competitive play in 2024 after overcoming injuries in 2023.
Exclusive Books answered Gino's prayers and sent us Jet Li’s Beyond Life and Death, so our next Movie Book Club will go there. From Kung Fu to comedy. In our second review, Sacha Baron Cohen returns with Ladies First, where a male chauvinist is transported to a matriarchal society, facing challenges from a formidable female version of himself.
And finally, the documentary festival, Encounters, is about to kick off, but more on that to come. For tickets and more info, head to the Encounters site. 
And a final final, Gino won a game of Baccarat at the new Jade Casino - move over Mr Bond!
 
Yes? No? Send us a text
Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
instagram.com/africancouchpotato
x.com/africancouchpot
gino.arlechino@gmail.com
WhatsApp Channel: Mzansi Film News, Views and Reviews 
YouTube; African Couch Potato - YouTube 
https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato 
Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay
CHqjHqS2RAMkVSeydGo7

© SANTE MEDIA 2026