3 Afda films selected for the Cilect Prize 2023

The Cilect Prize is the first-ever award bestowed to a student film based on the review from the whole community of Cilect Full Member Schools. This community includes 180 institutions from 65 countries, of which Afda is a member.

Cilect, The International Association of Film and Television Schools (Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinéma et de Télévision), was founded in Cannes, France, in 1954. Cilect wholly supports creativity, diversity, cross-cultural thinking and sustainable development and is strongly committed to maintaining the highest possible standards of audiovisual education in its member schools.

The Cilect Prize was founded at the proposal of the (then) Vice-President Conferences and Festivals Prof. Dr Stanislav Semerdjiev in 2005. This prize was established as a result of his long-term research on world student festival activities and once a thorough survey had been conducted amongst all Cilect Full Member Schools on the eventual importance of such a competition. Presently, each Cilect Member School is permitted to submit one film in each category; fiction, documentary and animation.

The Afda films competing for the Cilect Prize 2023 are the Afda Durban honours live action film Winterslaap, directed by Leandros Brown and Daniel Howells, the Afda Johannesburg third year graduation animation film Clouded, directed by Molemo Moalosi and Nkosingiphile Ndelu and the Afda Johannesburg third year experimental documentary film 20 Something, directed by Thabiso Moholho, Gaoretelelo Mogokonyane and Tshegofatso Makwase.

"The news that Winterslaap has been selected to go to Cilect Prize is the best news we've heard all year! The cast and crew of this Durban Honours production pushed themselves and their team harder than anyone else, and the intense work paid off which is evidenced by the work on the screen. Winterslaap won the Critic's Award at the Afda Graduation Festival. The black and white film, in Afrikaans, made its presence felt immediately with its focus and dedication to the art of film. Writers/directors Lee Brown and Daniel Howells, were unstinting in their efforts to achieve exactly what they had envisaged for this film, even travelling to the heart of the Drakensberg in the coldest and rainiest spring we've ever had. It's wonderful to see their efforts pay off. Well done to the whole cast and crew! Afda Durban is very proud of you." says Afda Durban dean, Janet van Eeden.

"We are delighted that Clouded has been selected by Afda for the Cilect Prize. The film grips the viewer and takes them on a heartfelt character-driven journey about suffering and healing. This delightful and perfectly paced piece of animated storytelling won both the Critics' Award and Best Animation at Afda Johannesburg's Graduation Festival." says Afda Johannesburg head of Film School Jane-Anne Raath.

"We are very proud of this documentary as a reflection of the anxieties of young people worldwide. 20 Something holds up a mirror to the expectations of young adults and the reality of, and perhaps anti-climax, of coming of age. Youth worldwide have similar aspirations of adulthood, and the documentary reflects those expectations as a worldwide unifier of the youth experience of coming of age." says Zenobia Simelane, Afda Johannesburg head of Television School.