David is an actor best known for his starring role as Sol Grootboom on the SABC 1 television drama series Soul City (1997-2010) and Soul Buddyz, from 2000-2003. He also played the recurring character of Sew Sew Tukarrs in 10 episodes of the science fiction series Charlie Jade in 2005.

Other television series he has appeared in include Sterk Skemer, Rhodes, Colossus of Africa (for BBC One), Behind the Badge, Isidingo, Justice For All (seasons 1 and 3), It Rained Last Night and Thetha Msawawa. He was also a guest on 7de Laan in 2009, played Dr Balthazar in Rhythm City in 2010 and guest starred on 90 Plein Street in 2011.

His feature film credits include Red Dust (2004), Coup! directed by Simon-Cellan Jones, King Kong in 2005,  10,000 B.C. directed by Roland Emmerich (2008), and notably his role of Mr. Isaacs in Disgrace, in which he played opposite John Malkovich. In 2009, David received a SAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Feature Film in 2009, for his portrayal of Jacob in the film The World Unseen, based on the novel by Shamim Sarif.

Awards in theatre and musical theatre include five prestigious Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards, four for Shakespearean roles in Twelfth Night, The Taming of the Shrew, The Merry Wives of Windsor and Two Gentlemen of Verona.  He has also received two Vita Awards - one for his role as Frank in Frank ‘n Stein, and the other for his role in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  Other awards include a Dalro Award for Riff Raff as well as awards for his performances in The Ride Across Lake Constance, Loot and the musical adaptation of Far from the Madding Crowd.

In 2010, David appeared in the National Arts Festival co-production of Richard III, which also played at the Artscape and Market Theatres in 2011.  This was followed by the sell-out season of the Theatre On The Square production of The Pirates Of Penzance, which earned David the Naledi Award for Best Comedy performance and for Most Cutting Edge production.  He also starred in the world premiere of Ariel Dorman’s Delirium at the Market Theatre in 2012.

Dr Temara Prem is an academic and filmmaker based in Durban, South Africa, specialising in postcolonial film theory and filmmaking. She holds a PhD in Film and Television from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Her doctoral research examines identity representation in post-apartheid South African cinema, contributing to global discussions on cultural specificity and representation in film. She also earned an MFA in Film and Television from AFDA Cape Town, where her thesis explored Baroque aesthetics and their influence on post-war expressionist cinema. This combination of theoretical and technical expertise informs her teaching and creative work.

Dr Prem also has extensive experience in the film and media industries, having worked on productions in the capacities of cinematographer and director, including directing projects for BET Africa and SABC 1. In addition to her academic and professional roles, Dr Prem is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within the film industry and educational institutions. She serves on the Standing Committee on Ethics, Diversity, and Inclusion (SCEDI) for CILECT (The International Association of Film and Television Schools). She is also a member of SWIFT (Sisters Working in Film and Television).

Mark has worked in various capacities in the South African film industry since the nineteen-eighties. As a production designer, he has worked on domestic productions for SABC and MWEB, as well as for foreign television productions BBC, Channel4, and Canal+.  He has also been involved in the production design of  numerous local and international feature films such as Krakatoa, Red Dust, and Mandela’s Gun. He has twice received the MNET-VITA Award for production design.

As a director, two of his early drama films Astor Mansions and Half-an-Hour were award-winners on the Weekly Mail Film Festival. His relocation to the Karoo in the mid-nineties prompted his pursuit of documentary film as a medium for social and environmental change.

Amidst these occupations, Mark has also practiced consistently as a conceptual artist. He has a personal research interest in the expanding potential for hybrid forms of storytelling that embrace multiple media platforms. Solo and collaborative projects emerging from this practice have been exhibited locally and abroad.

Mark spearheads the vision of the AFDA campus in Gqeberha – that of establishing itself as the cornerstone of a burgeoning industry in the Eastern Cape.

Diaan Lawrenson may be better known in South African households as ‘Paula’, for her role in the TV soapie 7de Laan, but she has also very successfully mined her multiple skillset in the entertainment industry, working across all genres as an actor, producer, director and scriptwriter on a host of television shows, short films, feature films, theatre productions and music videos. Diaan started lecturing at AFDA in 2016 and was appointed as Dean of the Cape Town campus in early 2019. She is also the co-founder of the award-winning production company, Jester Productions.

Diaan has played the lead role of Ingrid in the film Raaiselkind, for which she was nominated at the SAFTA’s in 2019.  She acted in the box-office hit Susters, directed by fellow AFDA alumnus Corne van Rooyen, portrayed the role of Megan in the film Table Manners and starred in the multi-award winning film Sink, directed by AFDA alumnus Brett Michael Innes.

Over the last 12 years her production company, Jester Productions, has been responsible for productions in theatre, corporate and industrial theatre, DVD production, film and television. Jester Productions has won various awards, including SAFTAS, ATKV Veertjie, YOU Spectacular, Tempo, Fleur du Cap and Naledi Awards.

As the Dean of the AFDA Cape Town campus, Diaan hopes to share her experiences as an actor, producer, director and scriptwriter with our future industry leaders. “When I started lecturing at AFDA Cape Town campus I discovered another passion - I realized that I am a student at heart, that I adore being a mentor and so bridging young, dedicated practitioners into the industry.” says Diaan.