Nominations galore for Afda staff, students and alumni at Saftas 2023

Afda is proud to announce that Afda students, staff and alumni have received over 50 nominations in the various categories.

The Afda Johannesburg 2022 honours graduation film Shumba, directed by Nigel Wurayayi, was nominated in the Best Student Film category making it 17 years in a row for Afda student films.

In the Feature Film category, the film Wild is the Wind, written and directed by Afda alumnus Fabian Medea picked up four nominations, including Best Achievement in Directing, Best Achievement in Scriptwriting and the big one, Best Feature Film. Afda alumna Marne van der Burgh received the Best Achievement in Costume Design nomination for her work on the film Stiekyt, directed by fellow alumnus Etienne Fourie. Afda alumni editors were a cut above the rest picking up three nominations in the Best Achievement in Editing a Feature Film category: Simon Beesley for Indemnity, Richard Starkey for Silverton Siege and Alastair Orr for Wild is the Wind. Best Achievement in Cinematography went to Justus De Jager for Amandla and Zenn van Zyl for Indemnity and to round up, Afda Cape Town Live Performance lecturer Abduragmaan Adams received the nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Film for his role in Indemnity.

Afda alumnus Richard Gregory was nominated in the documentary category for Best Achievement in Directing and Best Documentary for the doccie Steinheist.

Afda alumni cinematographers made a clean sweep in the Telenovela category taking four nominations; Darren Dressels for Diepe Waters, Lekau Mamabolo for House of Zwide, Lavhelani Mudau for The Blackdoor, and Ntobeko Dlamini for The River.

Afda alumni and staff telenovela scriptwriters are also in on the act clearing the room with six nominations in the Telenovela category. Phathutshedzo Makwarela picked up three of these for Giani - Land of Blood, Legacy and The River, Mandla Ngcongwane got one for Diep City and Tristram Atkins and Afda lecturer Margaret Goldsmid were nominated for Diepe Waters.

After winning a Safta for Best Documentary Film last year, Afda alumnus Jordy Sank is also in the running, this time for his award winning short film Leemtes en Leegheid in the Best Short Film category.

The Craft and Main awards ceremonies are happening in Joziburg on 29 and 30 September, and will air live on YouTube and TV.

The Craft awards will stream on YouTube on Friday 29 September, with a rebroadcast on one of the SABC channels at an unconfirmed date. You know the SABC mos.

The Main awards will air live on S3 and Mzansi Magic at 7pm on Saturday 30 September, and both ceremonies will be themed round the tagline: Our stories flow together.

Congratulations to all the Afda students, staff and alumni on their nominations. Here is the full list:

Best Achievement in Directing – Documentary