SA filmmaker in top 10 at the Colchester Film Festival in the UK

The film, 'Every 6 Months', an offbeat comedy drama about a woman who finds herself locked in a room full of taxidermy after a night she can't remember, competed against 600 international entries.

Open to all filmmakers

The 60 Hour Film Challenge is one of the biggest competitions of its type, is accessible to all filmmakers, because it is free to enter, and is open to filmmakers of all skill levels, whether they are shooting on a smartphone, DSLR or cinema camera. The challenge aims to nurture the next generation of filmmaking.

Botha, an independent scriptwriter and director who is breaking into the film industry after 13 years in advertising as a copywriter and conceptualiser, believes that as in other forms of communication and storytelling, the same applies in film - 'concept is king'. She also believes the strength of their story, along with good production values, got her team into the top 10.

"Even though we didn't win, just to be shortlisted is a major achievement. I think it is important for South African filmmakers to put themselves up on the global stage and not just aim locally. With the power of the internet, there really is no reason we cannot work from here, but market ourselves internationally and attract more business and co-productions. More and more international production companies are using our crews and creative talent for their productions, whether it is for film, TV series or TV commercial production. It is an exciting time in our industry."