AFDA has selected twenty two 3rd year undergraduate and 4th year postgraduate 2020 Graduation productions from our Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban campuses to represent AFDA at film festivals around the world in 2021, on the national and international film festival circuit.
The annual AFDA Graduation Festival 2020, once again proved to be a huge success; screening over 80 undergraduate and postgraduate films, documentaries, animation films and tv pilots.
The examinations were conducted online in a first for AFDA and to their credit it went exceptionally well,” says film critic Stephen ‘Spling’ Aspeling. He went on to explain that, “the year was dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected many people, companies and institutions. Yet, this didn’t stop AFDA from embracing the challenge of producing films under difficult lockdown conditions. While this provided some context in terms of strict shooting conditions, students still managed to deliver. Just completing their films was an accomplishment but there were a few films that stood out from the rest. Understandably the themes revolved around psychological duress, spiritual soul-searching and tended towards escapism, when in the past movies have had a much more political slant.”
Previous AFDA graduation productions have been hugely successful both locally and abroad on the film festival circuit. These include the film ‘Elalini’ which won the Best Foreign Student Film Oscar in 2006, ’Kanye Kanye’ which won over 20 best short film awards worldwide, and was a finalist for the Oscars and Cannes in 2012. Additionally ‘Die Windpomp’ and ‘Hollywood in my Huis’ were AFDA student films which were later developed into feature films. AFDA student films have also won eight SAFTA’s in the “Best Student Film” category.
A huge congratulations to the cast and crew of all 22 films listed below.
AFDA JHB UG – Cavity (Animation)
AFDA JHB UG – Beyond
AFDA JHB UG – The Professional
AFDA JHB UG – 11:11
AFDA JHB PG – Quiet on Set
AFDA JHB PG – Manyano
AFD JHB PG – The Extraordinary Super Now
AFDA CPT UG – The House my Grandfather Built
AFDA CPT UG – Passage
AFDA CPT UG – Tot die Son Opkom
AFDA CPT UG – Muffin Top
AFDA CPT PG – Four Walls and a Roof
AFDA CPT PG – a Bloom
AFDA DBN UG – Entanglement
AFDA DBN UG – I’d Like to Report a Suicide
AFDA DBN PG – All the Lost Things
AFDA DBN PG – Liminal (Documentary)
AFDA DBN UG – The Writings on the Wall
AFDA PE UG – Naartjie
AFDA PE UG – Men At War
AFDA PE UG – Stories to Remember
AFDA PE PG – Cold Embrace
