Angela Matemotja Debuts New Feature Film Thriller ELEVATE At 2018 DTLA Film Festival

Filmmaker and actress Angela Matemotja will make her feature film debut with the World Premiere of ELEVATE at the 10th annual DTLA Film Festival on October 20, 2018 in Los Angeles.

Written and directed by Matemotja, ELEVATE delivers a drama of intertwining stories about people who must fight to overcome their struggles with homophobia, food addiction and racism. The film stars Brianna Brown (CW'S Dynasty), Kit Williamson (creator/star of award-winning and Emmy nominated LGBTQ series Eastsiders), Alexis Carra(Latina star of ABC's Mixology) and Matemotja (Tyler Perry's Single Mom's Club).

ELEVATE follows the story of Trina, an overweight elevator switchboard operator who desperately tries to accomplish just one day of healthy eating. Overwhelmed by her abusive boss and by the trapped elevator occupants that reach out to her for help, her fitness guru provides the inspiration and escape that she craves - or does she? Ultimately, all of the occupants in this trapped world find themselves caught face-to-face with their inner demons.

To co-produce the project, Matemotja turned to Brown and proven producer/actress Dele Ogundiran. One of the main storylines in this socially conscious film deals with post-apartheid South Africa, which was important for Ogundiran, who is Nigerian, and Matemotja, whose South African father makes his acting debut in the film.

Leading up to its premiere, ELEVATE has already earned an award of Merit for Best Feature Film and Best Actress in a Leading Role (Angela Matemotja) from the Accolade Global Film Competition.

Matemotja is excited to unveil the film, sharing "My mission has been to explore the social, sub cultural and international aspects of our nation, one story at a time. Our world is in crisis and I believe that art can heal and given the divisive temperature of our current society I do believe that this film is timely and needed."

As an actress, Angela Matemotja has appeared on screens big and small. Her notable feature film credits include the role of 'Christina' in Tyler Perry's The Single Mom's Club and alongside Kevin Hart in the indie comedy film Something Like A Business. Her television roles include appearances on the CBS mega-hit comedy How I Met Your Mother, Amazon's top cop-drama Bosch, ABC's long-running series Castle and edgy sitcom Don't TRUST The B..., and Ryan Murphy's modern laugher THE NEW NORMAL on NBC.

Behind the camera, Matemotja earned an NAACP Award nomination for directing the stage play Sunshine For a Midnight Weary. Her first short film as writer/director, The Encounter, screened at over 30 international film festivals, earning the Grand Jury Award at the White Sands Int'l FF, Honorable Mention at Toronto CommFFest and nominations for Best Short Film at SoCal FF, SOHO FF and Long Island Int'l Film Expo. Her second short, The Untimely Concurrence, won Best LGBTQ Film at AOF FF, San Francisco Black FF and San Diego Black FF, and the Silver Screen Award for Best Short Film at the Nevada Int'l FF. In addition, her screenplay Drunk Book was awarded Best Comedy Short for the written word competition at AOF FF.

Founded in 2008, DTLA Film Festival has become the single largest single film event in the historic center of Los Angeles. Over the past decade the festival has presented more than a thousand features and shorts, including narrative, documentary, experimental films and most recently, web series. The 10th anniversary marks a five-day event, scheduled from October 17-21, 2018 at the Regal L.A. LIVE and various other venues throughout downtown Los Angeles. http://www.dtlaff.com

ELEVATE - World Premiere at DTLA Film Festival
Date: Saturday, October 20, 2018
Time: 3:40pm
Location: Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Theater 13 (1000 W. Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015)
Tickets/Info: https://www.dtlaff.com
For more about ELEVATE visit: ElevateFilm.com

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