Watch the film in English, Afrikaans and Zulu to celebrate Heritage Day!

The delightful and much-loved children’s TV series, Maya the Bee, has been made into a feature film for the big screen. In a South African first, the film – distributed by Black Sheep Films – will be released locally in three of the country’s official languages – in English as Maya the Bee Movie (also in 3D), in Afrikaans as Maya die By Movie and, in isiZulu as uMaya Inyosi iMovie. This 3D computer-animated comedy adventure opened on circuit in the three languages at select Ster-Kinekor cinemas countrywide on Friday, 18 September.

It is a significant step that the same film is released with three different language soundtracks, as opposed to the more common sub-titles. The film has been released just before South Africans celebrate their diverse cultures on National Heritage Day (24 September), making the movie accessible to a wider, multi-lingual audience. Children are encouraged to see the movie in their home language first and then a second time in one of the other languages, as a way to enhance their second language skills.

Maya the Bee Movie is based on the German children’s book of the same name by Waldemar Bonsels, written over a century ago in 1912.  It is directed by Alexs Stadermann, and features the voices of Coco Jack Gillies (as Maya), Kodi Smit-McPhee, Noah Taylor, Richard Roxburgh, Jacki Weaver and Miriam Margolyes.

The film is the big-screen adventure that follows Maya, a young bee who leaves the hive and embarks on a new adventure to discover the beauty and mysteries of nature. Freshly-hatched Maya is a little whirlwind of a bee who won’t follow the rules of the hive. One of these rules is not to trust the hornets that live beyond the meadow. When the Royal Jelly is stolen, the hornets are suspected and Maya is thought to be their accomplice. No one believes that she is the innocent victim and no one will stand by her, except for her good-natured best friend, Willy. After a long and eventful journey to the hornets’ hive, Maya and Willy soon discover the true culprit and set about bringing him to book.

The running time of the film is 1hr 29mins, and it carries no age restriction.

Watch the trailers for Maya the Bee Movie (English, Afrikaans, isiZulu) here :

http://www.sterkinekor.com/?cinemaID=11#/trailer/7512/3D%20-%20Maya%20the%20Bee/ (English)

Maya die By Movie

In hierdie grootskerm-avontuur is Maya ‘n jong by’tjie wat die korf verlaat om die geheime en wonder van die natuur te ontdek. Maar die pas-uitgebroeide Maya is ‘n loskop wat nie die korf se reëls wil volg nie. Een van hierdie reëls is om nie die perdebye wat buite die korf woon te vertrou nie. Wanneer die koningin se grootste skat gesteel word, word die perdebye dadelik verdink van die diefstal en almal is oortuig dat Maya ‘n medepligtige was. Met die uitsondering van haar beste vriend, Willy, wil niemand haar storie glo nie. Om Maja se onskuld te bewys, moet hulle ware skuldige vind en daarom onderneem hulle ‘n gevaarlike reis na die perdebye se blyplek toe.

http://www.sterkinekor.com/?cinemaID=11#/trailer/7514/Maya%20die%20By/ (Afrikaans)

Ster-Kinekor cinemas screening Maya die By Movie are:

Tygervalley and Somerset Wall in W. Cape; Riversquare in Vereeniging; Rustenburg; and Centurion City, Brooklyn and Kolonnade in Pretoria.

uMaya Inyosi iMovie

Kusuka indaba uma kuntshontswa uketshezi lwamakhekheba asebukhosini (Royal Jelly) kanti kusolwa iminyovu ngalesi senzo abanye baze bacabange ukuthi iminyovu ikwaze ukweba loluketshezi ihlanganyele no Maya. Akekho ke okholwa ukuthi uMaya umsulwa futhi akekho osohlangothini lwakhe ngaphandle kukamngani wakhe omkhulu futhi onomoya omuhle uWilly. UMaya no Willy bathatha uhambo olude belibangise esidlekeni seminyovu, nalapho befuna ukuthola okunguyena owebe ukutshezi lwamakhekheba ezinyosi lwasebukhosini (Royal Jelly) bese beyamdalula ukuze kucace ukuthi ngubani iqili.

http://www.sterkinekor.com/?cinemaID=11#/trailer/7516/uMaya%20Inyosi/ (isiZulu)

Ster-Kinekor cinemas screening uMaya Inyosi iMovie are:

Newtown Junction in Johannesburg; Sterland in Pretoria: Gateway in Durban; and Parow in Cape Town.

For more information about Maya the Bee Movie and to make bookings, download the Ster-Kinekor App on your smart-phone. To find out what other exciting promotions Ster-Kinekor has on offer, visit www.sterkinekor.com or sterkinekor.mobi, or follow @sterkinekor on Twitter or Facebook at Ster-Kinekor Theatres. For queries, call Ticketline on 0861 MOVIES (668 437) or you can book at the box office.