By Annette Havenga
During the 2025 Silwerskerm Festival, the Showmax Original film, Finding Optel premiered and was well received by audiences.
First-time writer and director Mikayla Brown wrote the script of Finding Optel and directed it in collaboration with her brother Jesse, saying she was nervous to direct her first film.
“I wanted Jesse to do it,” says Mikayla, “but he encouraged me to do it with him.” She continues to say that they worked well as a team and is glad she did it. “Who better?” says Jessie, “as writer she knows the story better than anyone else.”
FINDING OPTEL PORTRAYS A BROKEN FAMILY
The Abrahams family has experienced profound loss. There challenging history is filled with strict rules, an overprotective parent, and a lingering sense of guilt.
Motivated by her own feelings of loss, 16-year-old Claire Abrahams dedicates herself to helping others locating their missing belongings.
However, when this budding detective embarks on a mission to find a lost dog, she inadvertently reopens old wounds and uncovers clues related to her older brother’s mysterious disappearance. In her quest to recover lost items, Claire discovers a glimmer of the hope she so desperately clings to.
Mikayla explains, “The more lost items she finds gives her a false sense of hope. It is a painful she needs to go through, and she needs to see that there is acceptance through her pain.”
Claire’s brother’s disappearance spiraled her father’s sadness into a deep loneliness and left Claire with more questions than answers.
Claire believes her brother will return; her father refuses to talk about the circumstances surrounding his disappearance, transforming the once lively and musical home into a place of quiet stillness. As the father-daughter duo slowly loses touch with each other, Claire finds herself exploring the community in search of clues to unravel the cases she has taken on herself.
A TOUCH OF MAGIC
Young Claire is a witty, energetic young girl with a determined spirit. Her unwavering courage injects a sense of hope in the narrative. The character endears herself, much like the community demonstrates their compassion and affection for the local detective.
Finding Optel is funny while offering an authentic and emotional perspective on life, tinged with a sadness. However, the uplifting support from the community and the viral role of hope are central themes woven through out the storyline.
STELLAR CAST
The veteran cast line-up list includes Quinita Adams, Maurice Carpede, Zenobia Klopper and Mikayla Brown as Claire. Mikayla’s role as the protagonist in the story is a pleasure to watch on screen. She brings a special charm to her character and her connection to the part she plays is evident in the production.
The cast was a blessing, says Jesse. After giving their wish list to the production house Blended Films, most of their first choices ended up in the production. “They just wanted to be on the project, and it was such an amazing thing to see how open everyone was to collaborate on the project.”
On the question if she is a bit of a detective off screen as well Jesse teases his sister, “Mikayla loses a lot of items.”
SIBLING TEAM
Director and co-director team, Mikayla and Jessie Brown are not only brother and sister but has now proven themselves as a powerful production team.
Mikayla admits that she is very family driven, saying her family is always very involved in her life. “It is always a big theme in my stories; there is always a centre around family as it is a very strong value for me.”
IN CONCLUSION
Finding Optel is a must watch. It is beautiful story bringing the positive side of communities, despite the hard realties shown in the production. It is adventurous, silly and heart-felt.
The film will be available on Showmax to stream from 20 October 2025.
Jessie adds that they both have some scripts waiting to be produced and, “depending on funding, we would like to show them to the world.”
In conclusion Mickayla says, “I believe that we weren’t made to do life alone. We need people to get us through the tough times and to celebrate the good times with us. Just as it takes a village to raise a kid, it still takes a village to live as an adult. That’s Claire’s coming-of-age journey. I want people to realise the importance of community and to feel hopeful when watching the film.”
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