03 Jul 2023

Botswana’s international model, Kaone Kario is excited about her nominations for international acting awards for her role in the locally produced movie Partly Cloudy and Hot (PCH).

Speaking to BOPA recently, the model-cum-actress revealed that despite the accolades she was receiving for her film debut, she had no acting qualification. “I did not go to acting school, but I do take acting classes with different theatre studios in New York and South Africa,” she said, adding that her qualification was the experience she had accumulated.

Kario was drawn to acting by the desire to tell stories.

“Part of modelling is an act, so all film did was give me words and a completely different medium of expression,” she remarked.

 The model has been nominated for a Best Actress award in Canada for her role in PCH. She is the sole African nominee at the Canadian awards and needs to beat nine other international actresses in order to bring home the International Black and Diversity Film Festival (IBDFF) Best Actress award.

“The reality of being nominated internationally for my debut is so affirming; it’s a wonderful feeling, and I am happy about it,” she said. “I am happy that Donald (Molosi) trusted us with this, and even happier that the trust is proving worthwhile, so I am deeply thankful,” she said.

In the film, she plays a woman faced with a problem that society is trying to sweep under the rug; male infertility. She appears alongside lead actor, Zenzo Ngqobe, an award winning actor whom she describes working with as initially intimidating.

“He has done this so many times, he has more experience than I do. But one thing I will say is that he was such a fantastic actor to work with because he is so good. He gives and you give right back,” she said.

An international nomination on her debut is a pretty big deal. Kario said it was challenging to exercise a new muscle in a new space. “This was a challenge for me, especially if you factor in the vulnerability that’s required.

You need to be emotionally exposed to act, and that vulnerability was a challenge as well,” she said.

The film’s executive producer, Donald Molosi said they were grateful for the local fans’ encouragement on social media as they awaited the IBDFF Awards Ceremony to be held this month.

Kario said working with Molosi was another dream come true for her. “He had so much trust in us and he believed in us. I am very happy for that,” she said.  

PCH will tour Italy in July. The film will have its red carpet screening in the picturesque city of Florence in South Italy. The Italian premiere follows its world opening in the United States on June 25.

Filmed in Botswana, PCH features Tebogo Mokoto, Poloko Gladys Morobolo, Tulani Theo Tau and Special Ramatudung as the supporting cast. ENDS