Film and Television
AFDA alumni win 21 Golden Horns at SAFTAs 2022
After receiving a massive 64 nominations for the 16th annual Saftas (South African Film and Television Awards) AFDA alumni picked up 21 Golden Horns at the Safta awards held virtually on 2 & 3 September.
AFDA alumnus Mandla N reaps rewards at SAFTAs
AFDA alumnus and founder of Black Brain Pictures Mandla N’s contribution to the South African entertainment industry is paying off big time. Mzanzi Magic’s “DiepCity” produced by Black Brain Pictures and directed by Mandla N had a great run at the SAFTAs winning the Best achievement in directing telenovela award, Best Telenovela award, Most Popular Telenovela award as well as the Best Achievement in Make-Up & Hairstyling, TV Soap/Telenovela and Best Achievement in Art Direction, TV Soap/Telenovela.
AFDA staff, students and alumni bag 6 Simon Mabhunu Sabela Awards
Winners of the ninth Simon “Mabhunu” Sabela KZN Film and Television Awards were announced during the annual Durban International Film Festival on July 23 and AFDA staff, students and alumni walked off with 6 awards after being nominated for 16. AFDA Cape Town honours alumnus picked up the Best Feature Film Award for his horror film “Fried Barry” with AFDA Durban taking the other 5.
AFDA student film wins at Durban International Film Festival
The AFDA Cape Town 2021 honours graduation film, “Where is Mr Adams?”, directed by Cameron Murray and produced by Larise Krishnan continues its fantastic run on the national and international film festival circuit, this time walking off with the Best Student Film Award at the inaugural Isiphethu International Student Film Festival programme hosted by the Durban International Film Festival 2022.
AFDA alumnus King Shaft wins Best South African Feature Film award at Durban International Film Festival
The Durban International Film Festival (Diff), organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal recently announced its award winners. The Best South African Feature Film award went to the time-piece “1960”, directed by AFDA alumnus King Shaft.
AFDA alumni win big at Kyknet Silwerskerm Festival 2022
Congratulations to the young and talented creative crew behind the scenes of the short film “Leemtes en Leegheid”, which scooped up three major awards at the Kyknet Silwerskerm Festival 2022. The key crew on the film included a host of AFDA alumni. Jordy Sank – Director/Co-Writer, Sam Pelteret – Producer, Esther Badenhorst – Editor, Edward George King – Music Composer, Wikus Labuschagne – VFX, Saarah Harris – Hair and Make-up and Storm Thomson – Wardrobe. “Leemtes en Leegheid” walked off the red carpet with the Best Short Film award, the Audience Choice Award and the Best Screenplay award.
AFDA honours film “Delville Wood” wins at Loerie Awards
AFDA Johannesburg 2021 honours graduation film “Delville Wood” walked off with a Silver Loerie award in the Student Film category at the Loerie Awards 2022, the most prestigious creative festival across Africa and the Middle East.
AFDA students & alumni awarded top spots in 2021 Loeries Official Rankings
In the 2021 Loeries Official Rankings, released on the 31 January 2022, AFDA honours students dominate the Student category with seven students ranked in the top eleven places. James Matthew Yates is ranked in the number one spot followed by Chanile Hart in sixth, Jessica Teixeira in eighth and the eleventh position is shared by Mahlatse Nare, Kazanga Jonathan Lunga, Mark Buyskes and Matthew Aguirre.
AFDA alumni also keep up their traditional strong show in the rankings this year. In the Cinematographer Film category rankings Adam Bentel takes the first place for the third year running and Willie Nel and Trevor Caverley come in positions nine and ten.
AFDA’s first Artist in Residence Vusi Africa is king at 18th AMA Awards
AFDA is proud to announce that AFDA’s first Artist in Residence in their Masters (MFA) programme student, Vusi Africa, walked off with the Best Director Award for his work on the film ‘Surviving Gaza’ at the 18th Africa Movie Academy Awards held on Lagos, Nigeria, on the 30 October. The film also picked up the Best Achievement in Visual Effects and Best Achievement in Sound Awards.
AFDA alumni share Best Actor Award at International Pan African Film Festival in Cannes
AFDA Cape Town Live Performance alumni Luntu Masiza and Francois Immelman recently shared the Best Actor Dikalo Award for their performances in the short film Some Mothers’ Sons at the International Pan African Film Festival in Cannes, France. Luntu won for his role as Vusi Matebula and Francois for his role as Braam Visser in the film produced and directed by Luntu and fellow AFDA alumnus Alexandre Ortsheit.
AFDA 2021 graduation film “Where is Mr Adams?” gets global recognition
Where is Mr. Adams?” has received Official Selections at the Monthly Indie Shorts, First-Time Filmmaker Sessions by Lift-Off Global Network, and more recently the Inaugural Isiphethu International Student Film Festival. We have received a nomination for Best Trailer at The Monthly Film Festival based in Glasgow and 2 honorable mentions for Best Student Film at the New York International Film Awards as well as the Global Shorts Festival based in Los Angeles. Editor, Ronan Irish, scooped up not 1 but 2 awards for Best Short Film Editor at the Onyko Film Awards in Ukraine and at the Istanbul Film Festival.
AFDA alumnus Walter Mzengi wins Netflix X UNESCO ‘African Folktales, Reimagined’ Short Film Competition
After launching a ground-breaking competition to find some of Sub-Saharan Africa’s up-and-coming filmmakers, entitled ‘African Folktales, Reimagined’ Netflix and UNESCO announced the six winners. AFDA is proud to announce that AFDA Cape Town 2019 Motion Picture Medium graduate Walter Mzengi, from Tanzania is one of the six.
AFDA lecturer Abduragman Adams receives Ministerial Award
AFDA Cape Town Live Performance lecturer Abduragman Adams recently received a Ministerial Award at the Cultural Affairs Awards for 2022 at Artscape on Wednesday 12 October where he was recognized both as a ‘talented actor and for his outstanding contribution in mentoring emerging actors in theatre, television and film’.
Music
AFDA alumnus Shekhinah wins Best Pop Album award at SAMAs
It was business as usual for AFDA alumna Shekhinah at the South African Music Awards (SAMAs) held over the weekend at Sun City. After being nominated for two awards Shekhinah walked off with the Best Pop Album award for her second album, Trouble in Paradise, which was released on the 6 May 2021.
Theatre
AFDA JHB Honours Live Performance wins Standard Bank Ovation Award at NAF!
Whistleblowers, directed by Rob Murray and Quintijn Relouw, has recently won a Standard Bank Ovation Award at the 2022 National Arts Festival (NAF).
AFDA alumnus Thabo Malema wins at 17th Naledi Theatre Awards
AFDA is proud to announce that AFDA alumnus Thabo Malema won the Best Performance in a Play award for his role in “A Better Life” produced by the Market Theatre at the 17th Annual Naledi Theatre Awards held on the Mandela Stage at the Joburg Theatre on 16 May. Thabo shared the award with Andre Odendaal for his role in “Dop” produced by the Market Theatre.
AFDA alumnus Siya Mayola wins at 57th Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards
AFDA is extremely proud to announce that AFDA Cape Town live performance alumnus Siya Mayola won the Award for Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Play, Musical or Music Theatre, for his performance as Willie in Master Harold… and the Boys at the 57th Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards held on the 27 March 2022.
