Ola! Films director Amy Allais has crafted a vibrant, fast paced, high-energy campaign for TBWA Durban and Spar and we love it! Amy, known for her keen sense of aesthetics and her talent for eliciting powerful performances, has delivered three spots that are super fun, uniquely South African and infused with Amy’s trademark touch of eccentricity.
The 61st D&AD took place on 24th & 25th May 2023 in London. The Awards incorporate more than 40 categories judged by nearly 400 of the world’s leading creatives. Below you can view all the South African work that brought home those coveted Pencils and the talent behind the work. Y’all make us damn proud *group hug*
Welcome to the ‘Work to Watch’ winners showcase for the first quarter of 2023, awarded by the Creative Circle. Here you can view all the work by our IDIDTHAT members and the names behind the work. Congratulations to all of you beauties!!
Hungry Films’ Kofi Zwana is the kind of director who brings it all to the table. With his technical experience, passion for visual storytelling, and collaborative spirit, he’s as multi-faceted in his role as a director as he is in his personal life. His latest spot for Spur is a whirlwind morning adventure with beds navigating Cape Town’s early morning traffic to deliver their occupants straight to breakfast. Bed goals! This playful spot perfectly reflects Kofi’s infectious energy and enthusiasm.
Behold, behold! Feast your eyes on all the winning work that got attention at the One Show Awards. This year, The One Club for Creativity is celebrating The One Show’s first 50 years of honouring global creative excellence. And that’s us South Africa, proudly standing amidst the mighty pillars of ‘global creative excellence.’ Congratulations to all our local winners! You have caused our desert-like dry eyes to well up with tears of joy. Bravo!
SHE DID THAT is a female filmmakers showcase that shines a spotlight on the women in the South African production industry. Although we will only be featuring women and non-binary people, the goal is that it will encourage the inclusion of more underrepresented filmmakers across all production work created by South Africans. This month features Sam Sterling-Court from The Star Film Company, Ying-Poi De Lacy from Massif and Benitha Vlok from Video Cartel.
From the onset of her directing career, Gale Maimane has drawn on her background in photography, animation and graphic design to effortlessly blend concept and aesthetics in her work. Her trained eye, point of view and affinity for authenticity, enables her to craft impactful visuals that resonate with local audiences. Gale has now returned for her second collaboration with Jägermeister. Infused with super kühl vibes, she has once again created captivating aesthetics with a uniquely South African visual stamp on the work.
ACT NOW - a new campaign that aims to stop the passing of the controversial Copyright & Performers’ Protection Amendment Bills has been spearheaded by, amongst others, the Commercial Producers Association (CPA) which strongly opposes the new legislation which will be detrimental to the advertising industry and all other creative sectors in South Africa.
Ayanda Duma’s pursuit of challenging the status quo coupled with her passion for exploring South African culture, black identity, queer culture and femme culture is what drives her as a director. She proudly stands by her values especially when it comes to breaking down stigmas and stereotypes, she is also an absolute damn joy, warm, generous with her time and her razor-sharp wit. Even when navigating sensitive subject matter, Ayanda always remains at the core of her craft, as exemplified by her latest project - ‘Sex and Pleasure’ for Showmax.
Gentlemen Films director, Samantha Nell, has quickly made a name for herself as a strong performance director with a talent for storytelling. Her reel showcases stand-out work in both comedy and drama, often combining the two, and has seen her directing some of the most renowned and respected actors in South Africa, in commercials and now in her debut feature film for Netflix. We caught up with the Gentlemen Films director about her rise in the industry.
Loves Films is doing it a little differently. It’s a production company that provides a “come-and-go-as-you-please” home for freelance directors and a more permanent residency option for those who want to stay longer. Love Films is another way to bring ideas to life. ‘Curating creative and production teams to collaborate with on commercials, music videos or films means that we can create bespoke solutions to every board, budget and schedule that comes our way.’ Says Dani. It’s about putting the right heads together to show each job the Love it deserves.
IDIDTHAT is super excited to showcase South Africa's winners and the work that won at this year's Clio Awards! Go team SA! The winners were celebrated at the 63rd annual Clio Awards hosted by Anthony Anderson on April 25th at Gotham Hall in New York City.
And. is the new production company from Robert dos Santos and Byron Davis which stables a cast of directors with global talent. Making waves internationally And. has racked up 50+ awards and nominations for their work on the world stage. Now, their sights are set on South Africa. And with a quick look at what they’ve been up to, it’s only a matter of time before they are household names back home.
Production company Eyeforce is thrilled to announce the signing of three exceptional South African talents to their roster: Kent Andreasen, Meghan Daniels, and Kyla Philander. With their well-established flagship company based in Amsterdam, and their offices in Cape Town and Lisbon, Eyeforce is focused on expanding its local reach, whilst continuing its commitment to inspiring audiences worldwide.
Clean Creatives is a movement advocating for the Advertising, PR and Production industry to decline work from the fossil fuel industry (think Sasol, BP, Engen, Shell, and Caltex for example). Their aim is to mobilise creatives in South Africa to stop using their talents to promote fossil fuel companies and to create a conscience around working for companies that are speeding up the rate of climate change. Here are some of the questions we had, before coming clean.
IDIDTHAT is obsessed with Giant Films director Karien Cherry. Ranked as the Number 1 director in the African & Middle Eastern region by the 2020 Loeries, Karien has become one of the most sought-after directors in the country. She won her first Best in Craft in IDIDTHAT’s Craft Awards back in 2015 and we’ve been die hard fans ever since. Having recently judged at the D&AD Awards for the second year in a row, Karien shares her thoughts on the work she wishes she did, her superpowers, bucket list and how she’s almost 2000 weeks. This is what Karien Cherry is obsessed with.
SHE DID THAT is a female filmmakers showcase that shines a spotlight on the women in the South African production industry. Although we will only be featuring women and non-binary people, the goal is that it will encourage the inclusion of more underrepresented filmmakers across all production work created by South Africans. This month features Chloe Coetsee from Darling Films, Jabu Nadia Newman from Romance Films and Renee van Reenen from Platypus.
The Creative Circle Best of 2022 is about celebrating all the finest South African Creativity from 2022. Here you can find all the awarded work and the talent responsible for creating the work...so you know who to call for your next project 🔥
Justine Calverley’s spot for Toyota and FCB Joburg is a big-scale cinematic car ad that seamlessly blends visually stunning locations with VFX. The adventurous spot landed Justine 3rd position in AdForum’s Top 5 Best Directors Worldwide for March and we can see why. We spoke to the First Pencil filmmaker about her approach to the work.
The latest work from Director Thina Zibi is a hilarious, relatable and distinctly South African ad with some serious Italian flair. With the backing of Triple Story Content and creative from The Odd Number, ‘Always Eatalian’ for Fatti’s and Moni’s is why we love South African advertising. The commercial not only delights with moments that stay with you long after you’ve watched them, but it solidifies Thina’s space in the industry as an exceptionally talented performance director. Bravo!
