Bioscope Films

We have a wide range of very talented and diverse directors who shoot tv ads, music videos, web series, feature films and content.

Cape Town & Johannesburg

Directors: Fausto Becatti / Hylton Tannenbaum / Kyla Philander /  Rio Allen / Simon Cracknell / Zipho Dlangamandla
Executive Producer: Daniel Kaplan / Producer: Lee-Anne Jacobz / Production Manager: Naledi Kgope

Awarded by IDIDTHAT

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Kyla Philander
Ferrimed ‘She Taught Me’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Ian Gabriel, Director at Giant Films
August 2023

Ian’s comment: ‘Kyla Philander brings understated awareness and an easy cinematographic style to their piece for Ferrimed, weaving narrative and voice over together with effortless personal to camera performance that works to display unselfconscious intimacy and acceptance of women’s unique roles shared by women across multiple generations and life situations. Congrats Kyla, a Direction Craft Mention for you. ‘

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Fausto Becatti
The Unlimted ‘Unbuillied By The Likes Of You’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Rob van den Bragt, Animation & VFX Supervisor / Head of Production at Chocolate Tribe
September 2022

Rob’s comment: ‘Fausto Becatti from Bioscope Films was already awarded last month for the amazing graphic “The Unlimited” series trailer, but after watching the “Unbullied By The Likes Of You” by Fausto Becatti, it grabbed my attention. The twisted, warped and glitchy film really made me sit up and think about the realities of bullying and the strength required to fight back and rise above it. Being a father of 3 wonderful mix race children this type of reality hits you hard. The only way to counteract this is by exposing this often hidden evil and by supporting those who deal with it. My greatest respect to everyone who worked on this campaign. And yes, it deserves an IDIDTHAT Craft Mention (Direction)!’

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Kyla Philander
The Unlimited ‘Unmute and Damn The Consequence’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Tian van den Heever ECD at FCB
September 2022

Tian’s comment: ‘I am really enjoying the series of “The Unlimited” films that have been coming out. The whole campaign has a distinctive theme and aesthetic that holds all the work together without any of it becoming too derivative or samey-samey. My favourite “The Unlimited” piece this month is called “Unmute and damn the consequence”, and it was directed by Kyla Philander. They managed to create a spot where the execution is as fierce as its subject. It’s cinematic and arty but still completely approachable. The camera language is simultaneously intimate and respectful. Each frame is a work of art in and of itself, and when strung all together, they create a piece that’s visually emotive and genuinely moving.’

AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Fausto Becatti
The Unlimited ‘Unlimit Your Life’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Ana Rocha, Executive Creative Director at VMLY&R
August 2022

Ana’s comment: ‘The textured landscape and journey the piece takes you through as a viewer, is so rewarding – beautifully crafted and linked scenarios, bold cast, the framing of every scene, the transition between real in camera moments to boldly illustrated animations, an empowering voice and track bringing you in – all the layers, making you want to watch more, in true Fausto style. Like an open door, you need to walk through to reveal the next step. It draws you in, and you can’t help but love every second of it and watch to see what’s next.’

AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Fausto Becatti
Espolōn Tequila ‘Hecho a Mano’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Mohlalefi Lentsoane, Executive Creative Director at M&C Saatchi Abel (JHB)
May 2022

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Mfundo Mkhize, Director at The Star Film Company

Mohlalefi’s comment: ‘I loved this piece as much as I love that bloody liquid. I never thought tequila would elicit an emotion of empathy from me but that’s what this piece did. It forces us to stay with the hands, sometimes feeling the raw calluses on our own hands and the dirt under our nails. A great coming together of awesome pictures, deliberate sound design and an amazing voice treatment. Cheers to Fuasto Becatti and the Bioscope team.’

Mfundo’s comment: ‘Yesses. A true psychedelic journey. The film is truly an immersive experience even without the subtitles, any person who views this will understand and be emerged in the experience. It is intense and intriguing, from silhouettes to the sweat. From the lighting to the camera movement, I swear I could smell every close-up. What Fausto has proven is that sound design can be more evocative than a music track, because it really adds to the trip. This commercial is remarkable from the first to the last frame, every image is breathtaking.’

AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Kyla Philander
Corona Beer ‘Cass Collier’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Mfundo Mkhize, Director at The Star Film Company
May 2022

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Mohlalefi Lentsoane, Executive Creative Director at M&C Saatchi Abel (JHB)

Mfundo’s comment: ‘The story of Cass Collier is beautifully documented through the lens of Kyla Philander. The duration of the film is the same as a pop song but it feels a lot shorter. The film is engaging from start to finish (a feature film has to be made). You can tell the director was invested and cared about “Cass” and his story. That unpretentious none guarded voice-over/interview is so telling. A story that takes us through the tremulous waters of apartheid and lands on who Cass is today, is poetic. The surfing footage is mesmerising. The portraits capture this man’s very essence. The use of photographs and timelines not only gives us a sense of nostalgia, but it also paints a full picture. This is a piece of art, with a large dose of history.’

Mohlalefi comment: ‘Here’s to a great story told and treated with the technical brilliance and respect that it deserves. A perfect mix of drama, intrigue and visual wizardry that transports us back and forth between yesterday and today with ease. I was captivated from beginning to end. Kyla Philander and the Bioscope team understood the assignment.’

AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Fausto Becatti
Johnnie Walker ‘Bold Steps’ (Directors Cut)
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Lourens van Rensburg, Director at 7 Films
February 2021

Lourens’ comment: ‘Craft, craft, craft; our ever-elusive partner in crime! This month’s Best of Craft goes to someone who pushed their craft and nailed it. Jonny Walker is a beautifully crafted piece made by a team that are at the top of their game. Fausto and his team’s attention to detail are obviously evident but is highlighted when you go through the spot shot-by-shot. The love for craft and the never-give-up attitude culminates in a beautifully completed project taking all parts of the process into consideration. The spot cuts through a lot of advertising noise and makes a statement of its own – a completed vision that keeps at bay obvious tropes we see come and go in our industry – well done Fausto! Despite being a very busy edit you can see the planning that has gone into all parts of the execution, from pre-prod all the way to the finish and you can’t ignore what the team at Sinister has achieved, it’s awesome to have talent like this right on our doorstep. It’s a beautifully crafted piece of work, congratulations to everyone involved.’

AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Jason Fialkov
ACG ‘Make It Better’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Tseliso Rangaka, Chief Creative Officer FCB Joburg
October 2021

Tseliso’s comment: ‘I had never heard of ACG before this film. And I probably never will, unless Jason Fialkov directs another one. I have a recoil reflex to popping pills but I get that a lot of people depend on medication to have the semblance of a life. I also appreciate how difficult it must have been to direct a script that attempts to put human warmth into essentially a pharmaceutical company’s brand ad. Yet “Make It Better” is top to tail an authentic human story. I like the clever use of vantage. The protagonist carries her role well and one actually believes she’s getting better. The whole thing is well thought through and meticulously executed.’

AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Fausto Becatti
Spotify Premium ‘Unleash’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Alan Irvin, Director & Co-Owner at They Shoot Films
August 2021

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Peter Khoury, Chief Creative Officer at TBWA \ Hunt Lascaris

Alan’s comment: ‘Fausto’s Spotify clinched it for me. Mainly because of overall attention to detail as a director, and a true understanding of the end product. There’s no real conceptual idea, but for a music platform, it’s exactly on point. Everything from the choice of shots, the lighting, editing, and in particular, the locations, were huge contributors to making a slick and well thought through piece. Well done Fausto for excelling in the directing and mastering of these facets.’

Peter’s comment: ‘Fausto’s Unleash for Spotify Premium is a gritty, raw, authentic and energetic piece of entertainment that is easy to watch and easier to love. My agency did work on this, just wanted to call that out.’

AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Fausto Becatti
Volkswagen ‘Mandisa’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Stephanie Symonds, Creative Director at Saatchi & Saatchi
November 2020

Stephanie’s comment: “This is pure cinematic storytelling at its finest. No tricks or tired “looks”. With beautiful performances, incredible pacing – it’s a visual feast that takes you on a journey with a character that you as a viewer are rooting for from start to finish. As they say ‘if it looks like an ad and smells like an ad, it’s probably not a very good ad.’ This does not look or smell like an ad. Nice.”

AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Fausto Becatti
Volkswagen ‘Kitty’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Lebogang Rasethaba, director at Egg Films/Arcade
November 2020

Lebogang’s comment: “This whole process has cemented in me the undeniable fact that Fausto is extremely talented. This piece reveals an unwavering appetite for strong visuals that pierce through the visual clutter of the internet in 2020. What’s so dope about this story with Kit is that it’s a story we all know, but this take on it felt so fresh because of the strong visual extension to a powerful narrative. The shot of Kit in a snowy city, I’m not even sure what’s happening there, but that moment was the moment my envy turned into respect. Man is good y’all.”

AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Fausto Becatti
Castle Milk Stout ‘Culture Will Never Die’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Cindy Lee, Director at The Star Film Company
October 2020

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Grant Sithole, ECD of FOXP2

Cindy’s comment: “Talk about a film that literally gets under your skin. I watched it a few times. I felt compelled. And the more I watched it, the more I saw, the more I felt. The cinematography is rich thanks to the amazingly talented Thomas Revington, the images, carefully curated are powerful, the edit, a piece of magic all on its own. The director takes you on a journey, floats you into dreams and drops you back into reality. Often we have a beautiful film broken by a terrible narrator. Not this time. Fausto knows how to tell a story both visually and verbally. He manages to bring the beauty of a stylized piece without losing the honesty and integrity, and dare I say, the heart of the story. I love how he uses sound design over music to suck us in. The film, like the brand, feels seeped in tradition and pride. It’s not just a celebration of culture, it’s a celebration of filmmaking.”

Grant’s comment: “This is a beautiful piece of storytelling. The many facets of Zulu culture represented and narrated effortlessly. Amongst a lot more excellence, the sequence of the elevated guy falling back down to earth was brilliantly executed. Really well done.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Zipho Dlangamandla
MINA ‘Prince’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Ernest Nkosi, Director at Bomb Commercials
September 2020

Ernest’s comment: “Congratulations to Zipho in the manner he approached a sensitive subject. Zipho’s ability to make the audience empathise with the subject of his film was masterful. Watching Zipho develop as a filmmaker excites me, I cannot wait to see him get bigger boards and thrive under the mentorship of the good people at the Bioscope. Congratulations to Zipho and all involved.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Fausto Becatti
Edgars ‘Imperfection’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge:  Roanna Williams, ECD at Black River FC
January 2019

Judge’s Comment: “Fausto has managed to bring his modern direction edge into this amazing film for Edgars. It is very nicely cast and each frame has been thoroughly considered in art direction, framing performance restraint and grading.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Kyla Philander
Google ‘Google Station’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Ryan McManus, Regional CCO at VMLY&R South Africa
December 2019

Judges Comment: “Kyla Philander‘s film for Google is just really sweet and super authentic. It has a great real feeling to the treatment and the cast … and just feels like a nice honest, refreshing take on the power of connectivity… without trying to be overly emotional or manifesto-like and dramatic. Simple and well told and leaves you with a great feeling about the initiative.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Fausto Becatti
Consol Glass ‘Perfectly Made For Each Other’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Graeme Jenner, ECD of King James Group JHB
November 2019

Judges Comment: “Is the whole ‘Glass vs Cans’ thing the new Pepsi/Coke advertising rivalry of back in the day? I don’t really understand it, but it would seem so because this spot is amazingly produced, especially if the hype about it being created 95% in-camera is to be believed. I was intrigued and engaged and a bit mesmerised. I felt like watching it again. Not many ads warrant 2 consecutive views, which is why this gets a special mention.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION, CINEMATOGRAPHY & ORIGINAL MUSIC)
Bioscope Films | Zipho Dlangamandla (Direction)
Thomas Revington (Cinematography)
Yanick Bathfield & Vicente Espi (Original Music Craft)
Yoco ‘Just Start – Brand Film’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Ahmed Tilly, CCO at FCB Africa
July 2019

Judges Comment: “Bioscope’s director Zipho Dlangamandla needs special recognition for directing what appears to be quite a complex board for Yoco with great skill. He managed to capture a brand film that is fresh and energetic. I love how this director covered everything from performances to music with great consideration. Props to his cinematographer Thomas Revington for capturing the vision so well.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Fausto Becatti
Coca-Cola ‘Share A Coke With Me’, ‘Share A Coke with Euwelia & Bonganiokuhlekwamadlamane’ & ‘Share A Coke with Andaleeb & Kgosi’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Nathan Reddy, Chairman & Founder of Grid WorldWide
January 2019

Judges Comment: “I love it when a film captures the real, the authentic and the beauty. Keep on going Coke!”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Bioscope | Rio Allen
NBL ‘Daughter’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Molefi Thulo, Creative Director at Ogilvy Johannesburg
July 2018
* Please note that this piece was entered by Bioscope, but produced by The Video Cartel.

Judges Comment: “Chills! You’d have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by this commercial. Yes, this subject matter has been tackled by many campaigns before, but I love the authentic feel of this piece. Great casting as well. Congratulations to Bioscope films and Rio Allen for NBL’s ‘Daughter’.”

AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Fausto Becatti
Castle Milk Stout ‘Savour Your Richness’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Stuart Stobbs Chief Creative Officer at 1886 Advertising
June 2018

Judges Comment: “What a beautifully directed piece of work. Rich, raw imagery that drips with “Africaness” but walks a perfect line between over the top fantasy and gritty truth. I get easily distracted but I watched this 2min15 piece 4 times in a row (and I have seen it before). Oh and I watched that “magical” billboard transformation at 1:43 about 8 times. Ha! Brilliant! Well done all round Fausto and Bioscope – phenomenal job.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (ORIGINAL MUSIC) 
Pressure Cooker Studios
Indiefin ‘Be Indie’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Nicola Wielopolski, Creative Director at DDB South Africa
May 2018
*Please note: This piece was produced by Bioscope Films, who entered it for Music Craft on Pressure Cooker Studio’s behalf.

Judges Comment: “I love how this track combines so many ideas together. Traditionally you would want to keep things simple, this goes against that and proves there are no rules.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Hylton Tannenbaum
CANSA Testi-Monials ‘Back To Normal’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Brendan Hoffmann, Group Creative Director at Publicis Machine
June 2017

Judges Comment: “The balls are back. The follow-up to the highly successful Test-Monials campaign. What the new spot lacks in shock factor (we’re all totally used to watching talking testicles by now) it makes up for with some entertainingly dry dialogue and a strong message. I enjoyed the attention to detail that Darryl’s Right Testicle has grown a bit of a goatee since last time.

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Hylton Tannenbaum
Chin Up! ‘Tall Girls and Sanitary Pads’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Fran Luckin, Chief Creative Officer at Grey Africa Johannesburg
December 2016

Judges Comment:“I think this web series achieves a lot with very little. There’s no big production budget here: all the director has to work with is dialogue, actors and the edit. I like the way the camera directs the humour (most notably at 0:55 and 2:04). The piece captures perfectly just how excruciating castings can be, without striking a false note by trying to exaggerate and milk laughs. The actors were either very accomplished good actors who nailed the “bad casting tape performance”, or they were genuinely bad actors. I can’t tell. Which I think is a sign of good casting.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Fausto Becatti
The Voice ‘Mechanic’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Molefi Thulo, Creative Director at Ogilvy & Mather Johannesburg
November 2016

Judges Comment: “At first I was like, ‘Where’s this going?’ But then the line at the end wrapped it up beautifully. A simple, but humorous spot that leaves a smile on your face. Props to Fausto Becatti for adding intrigue and then hitting us with a twist at the end. Nice.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Fausto Becatti
Montego ‘Heroic Tales’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Graeme Jenner, Executive Creative Director at King James II
October 2016

Judges Comment: “Man, I’m a sucker for a story about a boy and his dog. The kid in this ad sleeps with his dog in his bed. I recently started letting my dog jump up on the bed in the morning and it is the best. We spoon for 15 minutes before I get up. I know some people are very much against this kind of behaviour but if you’ve never done it then you really should, you don’t know what you’re missing out on. The older guy at the end of this ad doesn’t look like the younger guy at all though, but I guess I’ll let that slide because…you know….dogs.

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Clive Stewart
Handy Andy ‘The 5000 Second Rule’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Nkanyezi Masango, Creative Director at Y&R South Africa
June 2016

Judges Comment: I love the simplicity and humour of the Handy Andy spots. The helplessness of the characters creates just the perfect amount of tension, thanks to superb performances under the direction of Clive Stewart.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Fausto Becatti
Alice Phoebe Lou ‘Society’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Jenny Glover, Executive Creative Director at TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris
April 2016

Judges Comment: “I liked the piece for Alice Phoebe Lou for being beautifully observed and photographic. It didn’t feel like it was trying too hard, which is very rare for a music video.”

AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Hylton Tannenbaum
CANSA  ‘Daryl’s Right Testicle’ and ‘Jabu’s Left Testicle’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Lucas van Vuuren, Creative Director at The Jupiter Drawing Room
February 2016

Judges Comment: “You had me at the thumbnail, and that is part of the game if you’re trying to stand out on Youtube or a Facebook timeline. These were amusing spots, I really like the idea and the way a serious message was delivered and cushioned in humour. I also amused myself with the thought of the agency, director and animation team labouring over how many hairs need to be on each ball, how curly those hairs had to be, and if that scrotum skin needed to be more or less wrinkly. I would like to see both testicles on one couch together singing Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney’s Ebony & Ivory. Nice job to all involved.

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Bioscope Films | Clive Stewart
The Loerie Awards ‘Call Centre’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Eoin Welsh, CCO at Havas Worldwide
May 2015

Judges Comment: “Nicely observed piece of comedy with casting, performance, scripting and editing balanced just right. Not to mention a director who was wise and talented enough to know when to keep it simple, and let the performance shine.

Featured Work 

IDIDTHAT Featured Stories 

Bioscope unmutes South Africa in massive 21 film campaign for The Unlimited

August 22nd, 2022|Comments Off on Bioscope unmutes South Africa in massive 21 film campaign for The Unlimited

Working with Joe Public, the team at Bioscope were tasked to create the launch campaign of the new insurance company, The Unlimited. The result of the ambitious undertaking is 21 short films that are all united by one common trait, they are about people who have the undying will to defy expectation and challenge the norm. We go behind the minds of Bioscope to find out what it took to bring the campaign to life.

Net#work BBDO and Bioscope Films grab attention with Corona ‘Free Surfers’ [INTERVIEW]

July 4th, 2022|Comments Off on Net#work BBDO and Bioscope Films grab attention with Corona ‘Free Surfers’ [INTERVIEW]

‘Free Surfers’ is a two-part documentary series honouring two South African surfers who overcame adversity and found their freedom in the ocean. This is a significant piece of South African storytelling, in fact, without it an important part of history might have been lost forever. We go behind the scenes with CCO of Net#work BBDO Roanna Williams and Bioscope Films’ director Kyla Philander.

New Blood at Bioscope Films. Meet Director Kyla Philander

January 31st, 2020|Comments Off on New Blood at Bioscope Films. Meet Director Kyla Philander

We talk to Director Kyla Philander about the importance of shifting the way body, race and gender are shown in advertising, and their own search to portray South Africa’s truth with empathy. Wanna see the future of advertising in SA? Meet Kyla Philander.