South African film Ayanda, which was acquired for distribution in the US, is now available in the US and Canada from on-demand Internet streaming media company Netflix through Ava Duvernay’s ARRAY Distribution. This follows the film’s successful US release on the theatrical arthouse circuit in the last quarter of 2015.

Locally, the film premiered on DSTV Box Office until 25 January. The DVD will be released in South Africa in February.

“The Netflix release is great news,” says Sara Blecher, director of the film. “Array has done an excellent job of promoting Ayanda in the US and Canada.”

The film will play more than ten international festivals over the next few months, including the Göteborg Film Festival in Sweden, the Toronto International Film Festival’s Next Wave, the Toronto Black Film Festival, and the San Francisco Independent Film Festival (SF Indie).

Ayanda is a tale of love, friendship and growth in contemporary South Africa. The film tells the story of a single-minded 21-year-old Afro-hipster Ayanda (Fulu Mugovhani), who has a talent for taking neglected pieces of furniture and “bringing them back to love”. Eight years after her father’s death, his prized auto repair garage is in deep debt and in danger of being sold, but Ayanda does everything in her power to hold onto his legacy.

The film also stars Nigerian actor OC Ukeje – winner of the 2015 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Award for Best Actor, Jafta Mamabolo, Nthati Moshesh, Kenneth Nkosi, Sihle Xaba and Vanessa Cooke.

Ayanda was produced by Real Eyes Films and Terry Pheto’s Leading Lady Productions, with the support of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), Africa Magic and the South African Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).