Juliet’s comment: ‘A special mention must go to Kim Geldenhuys for KFC’s ‘Beyond the Sea’ commercial. Such a beautiful, interesting and fresh treatment for the comedy genre where we can tend to get a bit stuck in a certain look.’

Justine’s comment: ‘This is what directors mean when we write “cinematic” in our treatments. It is a beautifully crafted piece on all levels and Kim makes things that we all know are incredibly difficult look effortless.’

Justine’s comment: Production Design: William Boyes
‘The scale of this production is truly astounding. Scene after scene has big builds textured with gorgeous and gritty details that feel completely foreign, but always believable.’

Marcus’ comment: ‘Not a single piece of audible dialogue exchanged. Just a simple story told through a series of beautifully shot moments that made me invested in what was unfolding. The cast gave amazing emotionally charged performances. Each sequence and how it played out seemed well-considered. The choice of soundtrack helped stitch the narrative nicely together.’

Julie’s comment: ‘The ‘self-belief’ concept could have gone in so many different directions and Kim’s overall attention to detail as a director, definitely brought it to life in a beautifully emotive cinematic way. Everything from the choice of shots, gorgeous camera moves, editing and lighting, got this piece my craft mention. Talking about the gorgeous camera moves, snaps to Rick Joaquim for the cinematography on this work.’

Mzi’s comment: ‘Kim is definitely no stranger to this list. He delivers a rhythmic piece that has a raw energy to it. The way he captures movement and the surrounding textures are beautiful.’

Fran’s comment: “I’m going to admit, I always find judging this show quite difficult. My imposter syndrome comes right up, takes a seat next to me at the laptop, and goes, “SOOO whatchoo doing there? Judging film craft, eh? Interesting. Because can you even tell a prime lens from a prime rib?” Begone, Imposter Syndrome. I’m just going to be totally honest about my choices, and my reasons for making them, without trying to throw around words like “bokeh.” (Which I have probably spelled wrong.) For me, my favourite piece of direction was Liberty “Weird and Wonderful.” I mean, it’s basically a montage. But the creative choices elevate it way the hell out of montage land into something really relatable and intriguing. From the way the opening scene unfolds like the beginning of a movie, every scene has been carefully considered to bring the maximum amount of meaning and nuance to each line, and not in a “show and tell” way either. None of the choices are predictable or hackneyed: I like that the woman who’s taking ages to get ready isn’t found in a “Sex and the City” type glamourous walk-in-closet. I love that the scene about us not being able to hide our feelings is set in a sort of male beauty competition setting (yeah, I know they’re power lifters or something, but I love how it plays with the beauty queen trope.) I love that there’s a woman staring at a statue’s bum in the last scene. In a financial institution ad. I’m not absolutely sure why it’s there (apart from the fact that it links with the previous scene). But hell, I like that too. It doesn’t quite add up. It’s not entirely rational. There’s something very left-brained about the way the visuals and the copy work here which fits so sweetly with what the message of the ad is.”

Sibusiso’s comment: “This is a beautiful piece of film. It gently and empathetically tells the story of an individual being constantly harassed by internet trolls. The casting is authentic to the story, and the camera work brings us into the protagonist’s life in the most intimate way. Kim manages to tell a fairly prosaic journey, in quite a revealing, lonely and painful way. Each shot feels like a beautiful portrait, and enhances the rawness of the film without feeling too stylized. The subtly, nuance and honesty of this film, wrapped up in Jordan Rakei’s Midnight Mischief, makes for a moving film you could watch over and over again.”

Evy’s comment: “Many brands have embraced timely causes over the years, but very few have done it with the sensitivity of Kim Geldenhuys’s piece for Telekom. Kim focuses on creating empathy, putting us near-wordlessly in the shoes of the young man and juxtaposing his day to day life with the abuse he is subjected to over the internet. The elements all work in perfect concert, which brings me to the cinematography and the edit. Adam Bentel’s lush imagery lends the spot a sense of intimacy while Matthias Graatz’s editing brings it all together, telling the story at an engaging pace, free of any gimmickry. A thoughtful, beautifully executed piece of work.”

Judges Comment: “What a visual feast and an enticing voice over. You are drawn in by the epic cinematography and dynamic direction. Each shot is an art piece, perfectly framed and considered. The beautiful grade and powerful dynamic shots of human firsts flow effortlessly into impressive car shots. I could watch this over and over.”

Judges Comment: “Kim Geldenhuys has taken up residency here for sometime. After taking an extra fine-tooth comb to his latest work, it appears I will not be the one evicting him. There are a lot of good things happening here. The bespoke Iain Thomas take on his famous “Light That Shines At The End Of Everything” is a welcome twist to the preachy narrator driven ad genre. The breathtaking pictures stitch together beautifully. And the music says the right things at exactly the right time. You can stay.”

Judges Comment: “Damn it Kim! Can you stop for a bit and give other people a chance to be brilliant?? Seriously though, this film is proof. Proof of talent. I remember when Kim broke onto the scene when I was a (very) junior at Ogilvy. He directed a terrific film for SuperSport about rugby. It felt different from anything anyone else was shooting at the time. Because it was. That film let the industry know that a very special talent had arrived. And that special talent is still here. He’s shot plenty of amazing things for me over the years, and this spot for Glo is up to his usual exquisite standard. Bravo Kim.”

Judges Comment: “Kim does it again. Seemingly effortlessly. Yes we’ve seen boxers and boxing used countlessly in film and in so many different ways, and yes we’ve heard the inspo-alpha-male-pep-talk……and yes I had to remind myself that I’m not judging the idea…I’m looking at how the craft of direction carried the script and presented it to the viewer, and I just couldn’t fault Kim’s finely tuned eye for lighting and beautifully balanced symmetry throughout this piece. From the refined fluidity and seamlessness of the camera work, to the interplay between the action scenes and the solo performance one gets the sense of a very confident director totally at ease with the dance between subject matter and camera.”

Judges Comment: “This is a tough category in which to make work that is meaningful and moves you. “After Tears” is sensitively treated. It feels real, authentic and unaffected – never heavy handed. I loved the way the director captured the small, intimate, candid moments that take place during After Tears. Someone has to get the children ready, there’s always the ladies washing dishes, people gathering in the kitchen, and there’s that strange, quietness of grief amidst the activities that must go on. I’m also relieved at the choice of no subtitles. A really beautiful piece.”

Judges Comment: “This is not the Castle lager of old.  It’s a very bold take on being relevant using a refreshing piece that changes the brand narrative. It is important for brands to have a purpose and through this social commentary execution the brand really stands for something. The infectious track keeps pace of the story while the stellar casting is representative of the subject matter.”

Judges Comment: “It’s often tricky to talk about a project that you’re involved in, but I must say props should be given where props are due. Kim Geldenhuys of 0307 films teams up with The Nelson Mandela Foundation and Philips to honour an icon of this country, and he does so by applying finesse and his enormous talent to deliver an emotive piece of communication.”

Judges Comment: “In terms of craft, one piece stood head and shoulders above the rest. The ‘No Excuse’ spot for Carling Black Label is flawlessly executed across every craft category. Kim Geldenhuys’ direction is considered but not laboured, Gordon Midgely has stitched together the edit to create a really compelling narrative and the music, supervised by Marc Algranti is amazeballs. Yes, I said amazeballs.  It’s also worth mentioning that the audio mix is very well handled. It’s no small thing to balance live sound, dialogue and a vocal music track. This piece really demonstrates how interconnected film craft is and why it’s so important to get every aspect right..”

Judges Comment: “Kim Geldenhuys gets a shout-out for the way in which he directs a series of top shots for Nedbank CIB’s ‘Bird’s Eye View’ commercial. Kim beautifully marries a sequence of top-down shots with a voice over that gently pulls the viewer into the sky. The end product is mesmerising to watch. Beautifully done, Kim.”

Judges Comment: “I would imagine there’s a certain weight of expectation that comes with directing the next big Allan Gray spot, and that one needs a steady hand to pull it off under the industry’s gaze. Kim Geldenhuys and his team have succeeded in doing so with a beautifully crafted spot called ‘The Letter’. With great attention to detail, the production team effortlessly transports us to Berlin ’89, where this gentle story unfolds beneath chaotic images of The Wall that we know so well. The ad’s reference to value and commitment is delicately handled, and the performances are subtle and not overcooked. The music choice too is a great example of using restraint to serve the story – It’s classic A-grade stuff from the production team and a well-rounded piece of craft.”