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Some of the local celebrities who were made brand ambassadors pose for a photograph with Ster Kinekor officials

Tafadzwa Zimoyo: Arts Reporter

Ster Kinekor theatres at Sam Levy Village were a hive of activity last weekend as a number of local celebrities thronged the venue for the “Brand Ambassadors Launch.” The movie house selected celebrities and artistes from various genres as ambassadors.Some of the brand ambassadors include radio personalities Ruvheneko Parirenyatwa, Napoleon Nyanhi, film and television producer Nico Abote, musicians Ammara Brown, Cynthia Mare, Mudiwahood, Adiona Maboreke-Chidzonga, dancer John Cole, model Irvine Javangwe, hip-hop promoter Plot Mhako, actor Munyaradzi Chidzonga, disc jockeys Dollar Bill and Elroy among others.

The event saw the selected ambassadors watching the première of the “Magnificent Seven” movie at the prestige area after the red carpet moments. In an interview assistant manager for Borrowdale Ster Kinekor theatres Dexter Nyikayaramba said it was a good thing to unite some of the local top celebrities under one roof.

He said they chose a large number of celebrities so as to cater for different industries as they will be the voice of the voiceless.

“Brand ambassadors are the people to represent our brand. We have selected about 30 personalities who have great following or sphere of influence in their chosen careers.

“These are the same people whom we invite, not as guest of honours at our prestigious events, but when we do our premières they are the face of events, hosting, entertaining, creating hype for us and help in organising the events,” he said.

Nyikaramba said the chosen ambassadors will have a special treatment each time they and spouses visit the cinemas.

“We have given them the VIP pass cards so that each time they visit they are easily recognised and get the VIP treatment. If they want to use the VIP prestige theatres, what they only need to do is to book early,” he said.

He said the VIP pass cards are meant for those listed and can’t be transferred to other person and it will be a crime if caught on the wrong side.

“It is a serious offence if you pass your VIP card to someone who is not listed and if caught, your card will be confiscated,” he said.

Meanwhile the movie “Magnificent Seven” is an immensely entertaining and heartfelt action-western experience. After her husband is killed by ruthless gold magnate, Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), who wrested control of the Rose Creek farming community to pillage a nearby mine, Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett) enlists the aid of a virtuous bounty hunter, Chisolm (Denzel Washington), in the hope of driving the villainous tycoon out of town.

It is an adaptation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 Japanese film “Seven Samurai”, which was later re-imagined as an American western from director John Sturges in 1960, Antoine Fuqua’s (Training Day and The Equalizer) 2016 film is a successful blend of the two prior iterations — utilising Sturges’ post-Civil War setting while pulling thematic through-lines and character dynamics from Kurosawa’s original for a modern retelling with big screen spectacle.

However, film goers will be pleasantly surprised by the amount of nuanced humour the director and writers have managed to include. Simply put: “The Magnificent Seven” is packed with emotional punch and crowd-pleasing moments throughout — producing a solid mix of character, comedy, and action for movie-goers of all ages and film tastes.