by Thinus Ferreira
Directed by Marie-Elsa Sgualdo, the World War 2-era drama Silent
Rebellion received a Nguni Horn alongside winners from a range of selections at the awards show held at the Theatre on the Square.
Veteran producer Harriet Gavshon was presented with the lifetime achievement award for her contribution over decades to the South African TV and film industry.
Tim Mangwedi, founder and director of the Joburg Film Festival, said he "wanted to acknowledge the context we are all working in".
"The South African film and television industry has been under pressure for a while."
Addressing the South African government, Tim Mangwedi said the Joburg Film Festival will continue "in a way that sustainable, that is advocating for an industry environment that works. It means partnerships that work. It means that films are not a side project - it's an economy. It's a real business. It's a serious business."
His remarks came as South Africa's government still seems to do little about the shambolic state of the country's film rebate system, which sees international producers no longer opting to film here, costing jobs and large projects, while local producers are also starved in rebates they quality for.
The government department of trade, industry and competition (DTIC) owes the sector over R600 billion in unpaid film rebates which were approved and haven't done any new further adjudications for producers to qualify for funding since February 2024.
On Saturday night "Shirley Adonisi, channel director for local entertainment at Canal+'s MultiChoice, on stage said "African storytelling is one of the most exciting creative forces anywhere in the world".
Shirley Adonisi said that new MultiChoice owner Canal+ will continue to invest in African content and will remain a supporter of the Joburg Film Festival "because our missions are aligned".
"We want to see African and South African films take up more space - not quietly but boldly, the way we do it as Africans."
"We know that local content matters, local languages matter, authenticity matters, the presentation matters. Our audiences want to see themselves fully and truthfully on the screen and we are committed to delivering that across our channels and our broader entertainment platforms."
"We continue to invest in new productions, telenovelas, miniseries, films, documentaries and many more. These are not just shows - they are jobs, playing grounds, springboards and cultural stepping stones."
"We will continue to unearth new talent and emerging voices, and broadcast stories that shift perspectives and open possibilities."
Here are the 8th Joburg Film Festival category winners:
Best Feature Film - Silent
Rebellion
Best African Film - Variations
On A Theme
Best Cinematography - Silent
Rebellion
Best Edit - Broken Voices
Best Documentary - Let Them Be
Seen
Best Short Film - Stero
Best Student Film - The Silent
Inheritance
Young Voices Competition
Winner - Umxoxiso
Special Recognition - Harriet
Gavshon
