by Thinus Ferreira
The South African actor Ian Roberts for the Wolflight film A Kind of Madness, as well as The Philipstown Wirecar Grand Prix from Giant Films in South Africa, have been nominated for 2026's 54th International Emmy Awards taking place on 23 November.
Ian Roberts scored a nomination in the category for Best performance by an actor for A Kind of Madness, while The Philipstown Wirecar Grand Prix film has been nominated in the category Best sports documentary.
Besides South Africa, nominees for the 54th International Emmy Awards come from 22 countries, including Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom.
There are 64 nominees across 16 categories and spanning 22 countries.
The Philipstown Wirecar Grand Prix, about a group of teenagers who race their handmade wirecars in the desert, is currently available on Amazon Prime Video.
A Kind of Madness, from Wolflight Films, also stars Sandra Prinsloo, with Christiaan Olwagen as director who co-wrote the film with Wessel Pretorius.
A Kind of Madness, is a drama and road movie about a 70-year old man named Dan, who abducts his dementia-suffering wife, Elna, from her residential care home.
Driven by desperation and love, Dan goes on the run with Elna to escape both the police and their three adult children, who are actively pursuing them. They eventually make their way back to the ocean where they first met.
A Kind of Madness was a major winner earlier this year at the 19th South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) walking away with four Golden Horn trophies.
Ian Roberts won at the Saftas for Best actor in a feature film, Sandra Prinsloo won for Best actress in a feature film, Christiaan Olwagen and Wessel Pretorius won Best achievement in scriptwriting for a feature film, and A Kind of Madness also won a trophy for Best achievement in original music/score for a feature film.
"The International Emmy Awards are as competitive as ever, with an outstanding range of entries from around the world vying for a coveted nomination," says Bruce L. Paisner, International Academy President & CEO, in a statement announcing the list of nominees.
"We look forward to bringing the global television community together to celebrate these exceptional programs and performances."
