Creative Director at Grey Africa/Liquid, Steph van Niekerk once went on stage 15 times on a single night at the Loeries. She’s one of SA’s most awarded creatives in film, but it’s time that people know that the real talent lies with her cat, word-renowned film critic and enthusiast, Dmitri Moses, who will be joining her as co-judge this month. Thank you Steph and Moses 🙌🐾

Best in Film Craft: Nedbank ‘Secrets’ by Greg Gray from ROMANCE – Direction Craft
Steph: This is a tense film and once you get into it, it grips you. It could quite easily have veered into the dramatic, but the performances are beautifully restrained.
Moses: The music, edit and framing all work together to capture the isolation and anxiety of the protagonist. It puts the burden of the secret squarely on him for such is the Tao of Secrets.
Steph: What do you know of the Tao of Secrets? You’re a cat.
Moses: There’s a dead bat under your bed…
Moses: I feel so much better now.

Best in Film Craft: ‘Disco Casting’ by Xander Vander (Edit) & Nic Apostoli (Grade) from Strangelove – Editing and Grade Craft
Steph: We couldn’t decide between the two pieces, so there are two Best of Reels this month.
Moses: I’ve seen a lot in my nine lives, and rarely does something feel new. This piece popped.
Steph: I love the structure of it. The edit perfectly accentuates the track, with each character representing an instrument. It’s playful and astute. Great casting too, which is fitting, because it’s for a casting agency.

Special Mention: Sanlam ‘A Whole New World’ by Ricky Boyd from Deliverance – Editing Craft
Steph: I am well acquainted with the horrors of building a narrative from found footage, and just for that, this piece deserves a special mention. The narrative arc hits all the notes, whilst the cut builds to its climatic end.
Moses: It left me feeling that maybe sometimes humans don’t suck. It was a fleeting feeling, but a feeling nonetheless.

Special Mention: Edgars ‘Valencia’ by Richard Truter from Picture Tree – Direction Craft
Steph: We were quite surprised by this film.
Moses: What we thought was going to be a video brochure, turned out to be delightful piece of film with some great performances and healthy dose of wit.
Steph: The grade and the styling captures the essence of Valencia brilliantly. Good job.