Afda students and alumni scoop 13 awards at the Saftas

The Afda Johannesburg 2022 honours graduation film "Shumba", directed by Nigel Wurayayi, won the Best Student Film Award adding up the tally to 9 Best Student Film Awards by Afda since the inauguration of the Saftas.

Afda alumnus Mandla Ngcongwane from Black Brain Pictures was in on the act once again adding two more Golden Horns to his trophy cabinet.

Afda alumni editors Melanie Golden and Richard Starkey also added to their Golden Horn collections together with cinematographer alumni Willie Nel who has made the Saftas his home.

Afda alumnus Rethabile Ramaphakela, co-founder of Burnt Onion Productions, which produced the third season of the Netflix series "How to Ruin Christmas", won in five categories as a South African comedy series, including Best TV Comedy.

The in-person Saftas were a reset in more ways than one, with the awards show relocating back to Gallagher Estate in Midrand, Johannesburg, where the Saftas had taken place several years before it jumped to Sun City and the Sandton Convention Centre.

The champagne-filled Saftas and its sprawling red carpet was once again a two-night event with technical awards handed out on Friday night in Gallagher's Hall 3. It was followed by the main awards show on Saturday night and televised on SABC3 and Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) as a simulcast production with former Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi and Lawrence Maleka as the co-hosts.

Congratulations to all the Safta winners. Please see full list of Afda winners below:

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING - TV COMEDY
- How to Ruin Christmas Season 3 Practitioners: Melanie Golden

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SCRIPTWRITING -TV COMEDY
- Tali's Joburg Diary Practitioners: Gilli Apter

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY -TV COMEDY
- Hotel Season 5 Practitioner Dino Benedetti

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY - TV DRAMA
- Blood Psalms Practitioner: Willem Nel

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING -TV SOAP/TELENOVELA
- Diepe Waters Practitioner: Marthinus van Rhyn

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN ORIGINAL MUSIC/SCORE - TELENOVELA
- The Blackdoor Season 1 Practitioner: Mandla Ngcongwane

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION - TV SOAP/TELENOVELA
- Legacy Practitioner: Amanda Scholtz

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SCRIPTWRITING - TELENOVELA
- DiepCity Season 2 Practitioner: Mandla Ngcongwane

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SCRIPTWRITING - TV SOAP
- SCANDAL! Practitioner, Themba Mahlangu

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING - FEATURE FILM
- Silverton Siege Practitioners: Richard Starkey

BEST STUDENT FILM
- Shumba Production House: AFDA

BEST TV COMEDY
- How to Ruin Christmas Season 3 Production House: Burnt Onion Productions

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY _ TELENOVELA
- The Black Door Season 1: Lavhelani Mudau