AFDA is proud to announce that the AFDA Durban 2023 undergraduate third year graduation film “Warm”, written and directed by Lindo Mthimkhulu and produced by Ndili Stamper and Neo Dube won the Best Student Production Award at the 11th African Emerging Filmmakers Awards, less than a month after premiering at the annual AFDA Graduation Festival, which took place at the end of November 2023. “Warm” also received a nomination at the awards in the Best Original Music category.
“The cast and crew of third year Graduation Film, Warm, are an exceptional group of students. They have worked extremely hard throughout their years at AFDA Durban and their work has always been of the highest calibre. When they won the Emerging African Filmmaker Best Student Award this past December, just a week after their film had screened at our Graduation Festival at Suncoast CInecentre, we were so pleased but not surprised. Warm is an exceptional piece of work focussing on the patriarchy which has caused our terrifying GBV stats in this country. It’s disturbing and moving in equal parts. We are so proud of these young filmmakers who have pushed the boundaries of narrative film with their experimental and challenging project. As the dean of AFDA Durban, I’m delighted that at least some of them are coming back to do their Honours this coming year. I expect wonderful things from their Honours film too.” says AFDA Durban dean Dr Janet van Eeden.
On the films production company Instagram page, kuzazi.productions, the cast and crew of “Warm” celebrate their win saying; “We have bagged our first (of many) awards! We truly appreciate this honour but most importantly we are appreciative of the recognition we’re getting as people who are up and coming. This really inspires us to create more magic and we can only go forward from here.”
The African Emerging Filmmakers Awards are hosted by the Ethekwini Filmmakers Association, with the assistance of the Durban Film Office, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, and KZN EDTEA.
