The 18th Annual South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs18) Nominees Announced.

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A Celebration of Excellence in South African Film and Television

The SAFTAs continue to honour the outstanding quality, talent, and excellence within South Africa’s dynamic film and television industry under the custodianship of the NFVF. This year, 347 entries were received, showcasing the rich diversity and creativity of our local talent. The judging process, which began in June 2024 and concluded in August 2024, was once again conducted with utmost fairness, thanks to the invaluable contributions of 197 esteemed industry experts who served as jury members.

Exciting New Additions and Recognitions

This year marks a significant milestone as we introduce five new categories to recognise the evolving landscape of our industry better:

Best Achievement in Visual Effects (VFX) – TV or Film
Best Achievement in Special Effects (SFX) in Hair and Make-Up – TV or Film
Original Song – Telenovela
Original Song – TV Drama
Original Song – Feature Film

After not having enough animation entries since 2013, this year the Animation category comes back with a significant number of entries, which enables the SAFTAs to honour excellence in this field. This is an indication of growth in the South African animation space.

Nominee Highlights

shedza Pictures leads the leads the pack for achievements by production houses with 29 nominations for productions such as Outlaws and The River which scored 11 nominations each and Gqeberha – The Empire which received 3 nominations, to name a few.
Burnt Onion Productions (Burnt Onion) follows with 22 nominations for projects such as Miseducation which received 10 nominations and Entangled which received 3, to name a few. Five of Burnt Onion’s nominations are shared with Seriti Films for the telenovela Redemption.
The Bomb Shelter Film Company received 20 nominations, 17 of which were for Shaka ilembe, including Best Actress in a TV Drama for Nomzamo Mbatha, Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for Wiseman Mncube and Senzokuhle Radebe.
Ochre Media also scored big with 19 nominations for productions such as Lioness, Fatal Seduction and SCANDAL!
In the Feature Film categories, Quizzical Pictures scored with 13 nominations for iNumber Number: Jozi Gold.
Idea Candy also achieved an impressive 12 nominations across the documentary, reality tv and short film categories for productions such as Rosemary’s Hitlist and Convict Conman.
BBZEE Films achieved 10 nominations for Yoh! Christmas, while Peu achieved 8 nominations, 7 of which were for Skeem Saam and Hela Media received 6 nominations for the soap/telenovela 1802 – Love Defies Time.
Orange Films and Star Films’ Rise: The Siya Kolisi Story received three nominations, Rose and Oaks Media achieved 2 nominations for The Masked Singer as did Rey Music’s Baking with The Reys, while Weil Entertainment’s Crown Chasers, and SABC’s Sport@10 both received a nomination each.
Thembinkosi Mthembu stands out with four nominations, for Best Actor in a Drama for both Shaka iLembe and Adulting, and then for Best Actor in a Telenovela for Outlaws, and then for Best Supporting Actor for The River
The late Mpho Sebeng received two nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a Telenovela and Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy while Sindi Dlathu’s two nominations for The River make her a nominee across all six seasons of the telenovela, The River.

Public Participation

The SAFTAs are not just about celebrating industry excellence, they also offer the public an opportunity to engage. Voting for the Best TV Presenter and Most Popular Telenovela or Soap categories will be open to the public. Voting codes will be available on all SAFTAs social media platforms and the NFVF website from 9 September 2024, with voting closing on 21 October 2024.

Broadcast and Streaming Details

The SAFTA’s Craft show will be streamed live on the SAFTAs YouTube page and across social media platforms on 25 October 2024, allowing fans to join the celebration of behind- the-scenes artistry. The main awards show will be broadcast live on Mzansi Magic (Channel 161) and S3 on 26 October 2024.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE NOMINEES!

#SAFTAs

Stay connected with the SAFTA’s:

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About SAFTAs

The South African Film & Television Awards (SAFTAs) were established by industry representatives and the National Film & Video Foundation (NFVF), as an event that honours, celebrates, and promotes the creativity, quality & excellence of the South African film & television talent. They also serve to encourage the development of new talent, fostering a generation of filmmakers united in the collective mission of telling authentic South African stories.

About NFVF

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is an agency of the Department Sport, Arts and Culture that was created to ensure the equitable growth of South Africa’s film and video industry. The NFVF does this by providing funding for the development, production, marketing and distribution of films and also the training and development of filmmakers. In addition, the NFVF commissions research and produces industry statistics that provide both the public and stakeholders with valuable insights into the South African film industry.