Best in Craft awarded to Mzonke Maloney from Carbon Films

Here are the results for this month’s IDIDTHAT.co Craft Awards. Thank you to our most esteemed judges, Thembalethu Msibi, ECD at BlackSwan and Sam Coleman, Director at Patriot for lending us your expertise this month. Congratulations to Mzonke Maloney and the team at Carbon Films for taking home Best in Craft for March.

‘What are the IDIDTHAT.co Craft Awards?’ Every month we team up with ad industry leaders to award the finest in South African film and production craft across these different categories: Direction, Editing, Cinematography, Animation and VFX, Online, Original Sound, Sound Design and Final Mix. It’s just another way that we make it ridiculously easy to stay up-to-date with who’s doing the best work in the country.

BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)

Maglera Doe Boy ‘The Suns Song’
Carbon Films | Mzonke Maloney

Awarded by Thembalethu Msibi & Sam Coleman

‘An elegantly constructed piece that I hope gets attention. The video captured and maintained my attention from beginning to end, with characters and places rarely given this kind of tenderness. Looks like a high-production documentary but feels like an intimate documentation of a familiar day.’
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Thembalethu Msibi, ECD at BlackSwan

‘This piece doesn’t beg to get noticed or shout with anything edgy, instead, it quietly gets under your skin. You’re generously invited into a world you know nothing about. And then asked to put all your expectations aside. In this way, it’s surprisingly affecting and confronting. An intimate, real, window into the world of the artist in his small hometown. A conversation between the director and the artist, spanning generations. From the street corner to the director’s grandmother’s house. And the layers of affection for the community in between. The visuals perfectly mirror the artist’s heart on his sleeve honest, raw, vocals, set to a jazzy R&B melodic poem and soulful bassline. This is a world we don’t see much in popular culture, and what a gift to see bits of the inner universe of an incredibly talented original musician, asking us to put all our preconceptions aside. Authentic storytelling like this is what we need to see more of.’
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Sam Coleman, Director at Patriot

CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)

Fatti’s & Moni’s ‘Always Eat’alian’
Triple Story Content | Thina Zibi

Awarded by Thembalethu Msibi

‘The brilliance of this execution is how Thina managed to invite those who may not be in the “inside joke” into the world. Perfect casting and comedic timing. I thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the few ads currently in market that I don’t mind seeing repeatedly.’
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Thembalethu Msibi, ECD at BlackSwan

CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)

Burger King ‘Shrinkflation’
Plank | Peter Pohorsky

Awarded by Sam Coleman

‘My craft mention takes a hard left turn back into Adland and the acerbic universe of Peter Pohorsky. Here he takes aim at the woes of today’s hyperinflation. His dry comic timing and performances of his cast are on point in his portrayal of a series of hero’s and victims of “Shrinkflation”. The antidote of course – is Burger King’s generous portions. I thought all the elegant retro stylings from camera work, to colour and wardrobe ‘ala Stranger Things’, really served the piece well leaving one with a warm nostalgic feeling of when portions possibly were bigger.’
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Sam Coleman, Director at Patriot

IDIDTHAT GUEST JUDGES:

MAR Craft Awards_Thembalethu Msibi_BlackSwan SMALL

Thembalethu Msibi, ECD at BlackSwan
Thembalethu is passionate about creative work that is as interesting as it is purposeful. She’s worked at through-the-line, brand and experience agencies for the last many many years. She’s the co-founder and Creative Partner at BlackSwan working on Telkom, Absa, MakwaIT and Yep! but mostly spends the day watching videos of small pigs.

MAR Craft Awards_SAM COLEMAN_Patriot SMALL2

Sam Coleman, Director at Patriot Films
Sam Coleman is a visual craftsman. Directing out of Patriot Films in Cape Town, Sam is known for his singular perspective and ability to create distinct universes for his stories. His wide body of work includes striking forays into street culture, futurism, high-end commercial narratives, and intimate human portraiture. He’s a consummate artist who always seeks to start at the heart of a concept and then collaborate with agencies, clients and his fellow filmmakers to create work that is as unique as it is memorable who’s has picked up accolades across Cannes, Clios, LIA, Ciclope & Loeries & Bookmarks.