Gambit Films is an independent, multi award-winning film and television production company based in Cape Town. The company was co-founded by AFDA Cape Town alumni Nosipho Dumisa, Travis Taute, Daryne Joshua and Simon Beesley in 2009, a year after they graduated from AFDA.
Gambit has become a powerhouse production company and has to date produced over 1000 episodes of television which include the Netflix African Original series worldwide hit series “Blood and Water” and the Netflix crime series “Unseen”. The series received critical acclaim and were viewed in over 190 countries, both made it into the top ten on Netflix globally.
Nosipho, Travis and Daryne have also written and directed 4 award-winning feature films between them, namely “Noem My Skollie”, “Nommer 37”, “Ellen: Die Storie van Ellen Pakkies” and “Indemnity”. These films have premiered and competed at film festivals around the world including SXSW, Seattle International Film Festival, Fantasia International Film Festival and Rotterdam International Film Festival to name a few.
Nosipho Dumisa
Nosipho is a writer, director, producer and co-founder of Gambit Films Her focus is on producing original content that resonates with audiences around the world. In 2014 she co-wrote and co-directed the short film “Nommer 37” with Travis Taute which premiered at the Silwerskermfees where it won the best director and best script awards. It would later also win the Best Short Film award at the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA). The short was then turned into a feature by Nosipho and had its world premiere at SXSW in Texas in 2018, receiving rave reviews. Amongst her accolades is winning the Best Director at the Fantasia International Film Festival I 2018.
Nosipho then went on to create, write and direct the Netflix African original series “Blood & Water”. Since its premiere, “Blood & Water” has become a massive success, quickly becoming one of the most-watched African series on Netflix.
Nosipho is also an executive producer on the Netflix crime series “Unseen” and the kykNet daily soap drama “Suidooster.
Daryne Joshua
Daryne is a writer, director, producer and co-founder of Gambit Films. He is a natural storyteller and self-confessed cinephile.
In 2016, he directed his debut film “Noem My Skollie”. The film was selected as the South African entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards and won the RapidLion Awards for Best Screenplay and Best South African Film in 2017.
With the success of the film, he made his second feature film “Ellen: Die storie van Ellen Pakkies”. It was based on the true story of Ellen Pakkies. The film has its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2018 and received critical acclaim.
In 2018, he wrote the script of short film “Number 37” directed by Nosipho Dumisa. The script later won the SAFTA Golden Horn award.
Daryne is also a writer and director on Netflix African original hit series “Blood & Water” as well as the creator and executive producer on the Netflix crime series “Unseen”.
Travis Taute
Travis is a writer, director and producer and co-founder of Gambit Films. He is a wildly ambitious storyteller. In 2014 he co-wrote and co-directed the short film “Nommer 37” with Nosipho Dumisa which premiered at the Silwerskermfees where it won the best director and best script awards. It would later also win the Best Short Film award at the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA).
The last few years have seen Travis’ career sky rocket. In 2020 he wrote and directed the Netflix African original series “Blood & Water”. Since its premiere, “Blood & Water” has become a global success. The series is now in its third season.
In 2021 Travis’ debut film “Indemnity”, which Travis wrote and directed premiered in South Africa at the 10th annual kykNET Silwerskermfees, where the film received 12 nominations. “Indemnity” had its oversea2 premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Canada.
In March 2023 Travis’ latest work, the Netflix crime series, “Unseen” was released in over 190 countries. Travis and Daryne Joshua created the worldwide popular series with Travis also picking up the directing credit.
Simon Beesley
Simon is the co-founder of Gambit Films, chief editor, post-production superviser and an all-round tech guru. His most recent editing work was on the South African feature film, “Indemnity”, directed by Travis Taute and on the Netflix drama series “Unseen” also directed by Travis Taute.
In 2020 Simon edited the highly acclaimed second Netflix African Original series, “Blood and Water”, written and directed by Nosipho Dumisa, Daryne Joshua and Travis Taute.
Simon edited the sensational thriller “Nommer 37”, directed Nosipho Dumisa for which he won a Golden Horn award for Best Editing at the SAFTAs 2019.
He also edited the multi-award winning film, “Noem My Skollie”. The film was selected as the South African candidate film for the Oscars and earned Simon a SAFTA nomination for Best Editor.
His other editing credits include the short film “Nommer 37”, The A-List (SABC3), Wild Animal Orphans (Animal Planet), All Access (Mzanzi Magic) and the follow up to the critically acclaimed documentary series Shoreline (SABC).
Simon has not only sat behind the editing desk however, he has also found comfort in the director’s chair, directing the television series “Op Seer se Spoor” and the television series documentary “The Rise of Us”. “Op Seer se Spoor” was the 2020 winner of the SAFTA for Best Factual Entertainment.
