André Scholtz

André Scholtz (1945-2024). Filmmaker.

Biography

He passed away peacefully at his home in Cape Town on 30 September, 2024, having battled cancer for a while. He is survived by his wife Riana, five children, Gertruida, Michael, Mara-lee, Dries and Kristo and seven grandchildren.

The prolific and veteran South African film and TV producer André Scholtz died on Monday morning after he lost his battle against cancer. He was 79.

André Scholtz worked for five decades in South Africa's film and TV industry and was a producer and co-producer of more than 29 full-length feature films, as well as seven drama and comedy series for the SABC, M-Net, as well as kykNET.

André Scholtz was the producer or co-producer since 1985 of multiple Leon Schuster films like You Must be Joking, You Must be Joking Too, Sweet 'n Short, Oh Shucks it's Schuster, Oh Shucks Here Comes Untag, Kwagga Strikes Back, Yankee Zulu, Zulu on my Stoep, The Millennium Menace, Panic Mechanic, Shucks Your Country Needs You, Oh Shucks I'm Gatvol, Shucks Pay Back the Money and 2014's Frank & Fearless.

In 2022 André Scholtz produced his final Leon Schuster film, Mr Bones 3: Son of Bones.

He produced 2016's Paw Paw vir my Darling and 2017's Meerkat Maantuig.

Before André Scholtz became a producer he was the financial and planning manager for Ster-Kinekor Films. He completed a masters degree in business leadership while he worked at Ster-Kinekor Films.

He was a production manager on the films Liefste Veertjie, Ter will van Christine, Vergeet my Nie, 'n Beeld vir Jeannie, 'n Sondag in September, as well as Kom tot Rus.

As an actor André Scholtz appeared in Die Eensame Vlug, Soweto Green, Panic Mechanic and in Babalas, and was also the screenwriter for Panic Mechanic.

André Scholtz was an associate producer on 1977's Dingetjie & Idi and also produced the films Diament en die Dief, Die Eensame Vlug, Hersfland, Skelms, April 1980, Jopie Fourie, Ek Joke Net, Ek Joke Net 2, Rainbow Skellums, Hond se Dinges, Running Riot, as well as 2012's Angus Buchan's Ordinary People.

He was also the producer of films like Die Wonderwerker, Babalas, Suurlemoen!, Fees van die Ongenooides, as well as Toorbos with his son Dries Scholtz.

For television André Scholtz produced the Amalia, Dryfsand and Pandjieswinkelstories TV series for kykNET, SABC2's Andries Plak and Die Uwe Pottie Potgieter. He was the owner of Krisan Productions.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Scholtz’s career in the entertainment industry spanned more than five decades, during which time he produced and co-produced 35 feature films including South African favourites such as 'n PawPaw vir My Darling, Meerkat Maantuig, two instalments of You Must Be Joking, Die Wonderwerker released in 2012 and Toorbos (2016) and all of the movies in the Oh Shucks franchise, where he worked with his long-time friend and award-winning film-maker, Leon Schuster. Panic Mechanic (1996), Rainbow Skellums (2009) and Ek Joke Net (2011), Angus Buchan's Ordinary People (2012) .

He had also produced numerous television series, including Dryfsand (Kyknet, 2007) and P.G. du Plessis's Feast of the Uninvited.

Sources

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0774652/

Thinus Ferreira. 2024. "Veteran producer André Scholtz dead at 79 after losing his battle against cancer", TV with Thinus[1] (posted Monday, September 30, 2024)

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