Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema's filmmakers initially sought to distribute the film in theaters through the South African cinema chain Ster-Kinekor, but because the filmmakers sought to hold onto rights for release on DVD and TV, the chain chose not to back them. Instead, the filmmakers found backing from Metro FM and the Gauteng Film Commission, which helped them with publicity, including a premiere in Berlin.[1] Jerusalema premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival on 11 February 2008. The film was commercially released in South Africa on 29 August 2008, and the film was well received by critics and audiences.