Finding Optel – SA Siblings’ Debut Selected for BFI London Film Festival

South African siblings Mikayla Joy Brown (25) and her brother Jesse Brown (29) are making international waves with their debut feature film, Finding Optel, which has been officially selected for the BFI London Film Festival 2025, running from 8–19 October.

The whimsical detective story follows teenager Claire Abrahams, who runs a lost-and-found service in her community. When Optel, the local dog, goes missing, Claire must confront her brother’s painful disappearance in order to solve her biggest case yet. The BFI describes the film as “heartwarming… a quirky detective story that skilfully tackles childhood grief.”

Local Success Before International Recognition

Finding Optel premiered in South Africa at the kykNET Silwerskerm Festival in August, where it received a standing ovation. It went on to earn a nomination for Paul Guyeu’s cinematography and won Best Production Design for Sumaya Wicomb.

The film stars Mikayla as Claire, alongside a stellar South African cast including Oscar Petersen (Joe Barber), Zenobia Kloppers (Fiela se Kind), Rodney ‘Rotas’ Goliath and Sherman Pharo (Arendsvlei), Maurice Carpede and Euodia Samson (Summertide), Elton Landrew (Spinners, Carissa), and Omar Adams (Barakat, The Umbrella Men).

Produced by Quanita Adams and Dominique Jossie through Blended Films, the project builds on the production company’s award-winning success at Silwerskerm. For Jossie, making a family film rooted in South African stories was a personal mission:

“We need more family stories from South Africa, films rooted in our own communities and our own lives, so our children grow up not only seeing themselves on screen, but celebrating who they are.”

A Story Born from Sibling Collaboration

Finding Optel was originally written during Mikayla’s Creative Writing Honours at Stellenbosch University and later produced as part of Showmax’s first-time directors slate, in partnership with the Joburg Film Festival.

While Mikayla initially wanted Jesse to direct, he encouraged her to co-direct with him:

“We actually have a long history of collaboration. From making silly short films as kids to now co-directing our first feature, we’ve always shared a creative understanding.”

Jesse explains

Their childhood memories of Montevideo on the Cape Flats heavily inspired the story and visuals. Mikayla explains:

“A lot of films about the Cape Flats focus on gangsterism and violence. Though that reality exists, there’s also so much beauty. I wanted Finding Optel to portray a hopeful narrative, full of imagination and life.”

Visual Style and Influences

Balancing Mikayla’s love of quirky, light-hearted films with Jesse’s leaning toward arthouse cinema, the siblings drew inspiration from classics like Amélie and The Royal Tenenbaums. The result is a film that blends emotional depth with playful visuals, offering a refreshing take on the Cape Flats community.

Release Details

Rated 10–12 PG V, Finding Optel starts streaming on Showmax in Africa from 24 October 2025. MultiChoice Studios will handle international sales, further expanding the reach of this uniquely South African family story.

With its international premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, Finding Optel not only showcases the Brown siblings’ creative partnership but also signals the growing global recognition of South African cinema.