André Scholtz
André Scholtz (1945-2024) actor, screenwriter, producer and filmmaker.
Contents
Biography
He studied at the University of the Orange Free State in the 1960s, and initially entered the film industry as the financial and planning manager for Ster-Kinekor Films, completing a masters degree in business leadership in the same period. From there he moved on to become a major contributor to film and TV in South Africa, in a career that spanned more than five decades.
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.
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
Scholtz produced and co-produced 35 feature films and many TV production in the course of his prolific career, working for the SABC, MNet and kykNET, as well as his own company, Krisan Productions.
He started out his career in production as a production manager on the films Liefste Veertjie, Ter wille van Christine, Vergeet My Nie, 'n Beeld vir Jeannie, 'n Sondag in September, and Kom Tot Rus.
He occasionally acted in some films and TV series, including Die Eensame Vlug, Soweto Green, Panic Mechanic and Babalas,
As a screenwriter he wrote the scripts for Panic Mechanic, .
His films as associate producer or producer include South African favourites such as Dingetjie & Idi (1977), 'n PawPaw vir My Darling, Meerkat Maantuig, two instalments of You Must Be Joking, Die Wonderwerker released in 2012 and Toorbos (2016) Panic Mechanic (1996), Rainbow Skellums (2009) and Ek Joke Net (2011), Angus Buchan's Ordinary People (2012), Babalas, Suurlemoen!
He is particularly remembered for his contribution, since 1985, to most of the movies in what could be called the "Oh Shucks franchise", where he worked as producer or co-producer with his long-time friend and award-winning film-maker, Leon Schuster. Their large output includes 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 Op 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 Scholtz produced his final Leon Schuster film, Mr Bones 3: Son of Bones.
He had also produced a number of television series, including Amalia, Dryfsand (Kyknet, 2007), P.G. du Plessis's Feast of the Uninvited, Toorbos (with his son Dries Scholtz), Pandjieswinkelstories (kykNET), Andries Plak (SABC2) and Die Uwe Pottie Potgieter (SABC2).
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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