Star Films’ Wim Steytler has established himself as a performance director who blends realism with the otherworldly. He can’t help but bring his love of symbolism and the mystical to each set he steps on, adding layers of meaning paired with strong attention to detail. Let’s get to know the man whose journey into filmmaking started in the most unexpected way.
Six countries, ten cities, 17 days, and 54 awards to their name – Carling Black Label was on a fact-finding mission to investigate who else had as many accolades as them. Ogilvy South Africa had one burning question, ‘Who on earth could solve this massive, production-heavy project?’ With Executive Producers Mmameyi Mphahlele, Melina McDonald, and Lorraine Smit at the helm, Darling Fling had the skillset and solutions to bring this ambitious globe-trotting campaign to life.
Executive Producer Gaye Leong unpacks Together Films’ approach to establishing and living their own brand values through a process that emphasises the importance of being human-centric, outlining a clear storytelling journey, involving the right people, and creating impactful endings. With this approach, Together Films is able to tell, and create, compelling stories. This ensures that their work – ranging from commercials to content to documentaries – resonates with audiences, addressing their needs and fostering a meaningful connection with the brand.
‘I was born the year of the youth uprising, and so my birth is tainted with struggle and revolution.’ This powerful opening line sets the tone for director Sanaa Mothabisa’s latest commercial film for Spotify. Produced by Johannesburg-based Sanaa Films, the spot offers an intimate glimpse into musician Thandiswa Mazwai's inspirations and themes behind her latest album, ‘Sankofa.’ From day one Sanaa Films has been dedicated to producing original and honest work, and this hits the mark.
As always, IDIDTHAT is bringing you the Cannes Lions action live, this year in partnership with LITTLEBIG. As of the 17th of June 2024, this page is your gateway to all things South Africa in Cannes. Right here you can check in to view South Africa’s winners and shortlists, the work, and the talented IDIDTHAT members involved in the work. We’ll be updating this page as results come in. Also, head over to our Instagram and Facebook for more coverage. Good luck and here's to championing South African creativity on a global stage. Go Saffas!
Being selected as a judge at Cannes is a massive achievement. It’s a testament to the respect the industry has for you on an international scale. We know that while a lot of us will be basking in the glitz and canapes Cannes has to offer, these judges will be toiling away in dark rooms, sifting through all the entries to identify the most outstanding work the world has to offer. Not to mention the Cannes Lions Shortlist judges who already had to work overtime and in between their own pitches back home! We see you, and we salute you.
Triple Story Content is shouting from their rooftop that directors Lauren Chengan and Ken Kamara are joining their roster of independent talent. According to Executive Producer Monareng Makwetla, both Lauren and Ken perfectly embody the philosophy of Triple Story Content, which values multi-faceted directors who understand the industry from various angles.
IDIDTHAT is kicking off our countdown to The Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity with South Africa’s Cannes Predictions! We’ve brought together a team of creative heavyweights to view the work entered by South Africa into Cannes this year and choose the work they think will turn heads. A massive shoutout to our judges Fran Luckin, Steph van Niekerk, Roland Sweet, and Xolisa Dyeshana – thank you for being absolute gold as always!
Each year we team up with a partner to bring the South African ad industry all the Cannes Lions coverage and most importantly celebrate South Africa’s creative work and strengthen our unique ad culture. As we gear up for the festival, we are excited to announce our partnership with production company, LITTLEBIG. Thanks to the team’s support IDIDTHAT is yet again able to bring home all the Cannes 2024 news. Having won Gold at Cannes themselves, LITTLEBIG understands the significance of Saffas supporting each other internationally. Thank you for joining us in championing South Africa’s creativity.
Clean Creatives South Africa welcomes UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ challenge to the advertising industry to abandon working with fossil fuel clients. He made this challenge yesterday (5 June) as the United Nations observes this year’s World Environment Day, which is themed ‘land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience.’
Mark your calendars! On September 14-15, 2024, Chocolate Tribe, in collaboration with Netflix, proudly presents the third annual AVIJOZI Festival. This world-class festival spotlights Film, Animation, Visual Effects, and Interactive Technology, including Gaming. We spoke to Festival Director and the leading force behind AVIJOZI, Nosipho Maketo-van den Bragt to find out how the festival has levelled up this year and what exactly we can expect. Whether you're a professional filmmaker, a gaming enthusiast, or starting out- you won’t want to miss AVIJOZI 2024!
Since the announcement of the 62nd D&AD Awards late last week, our dedicated hamsters have been curating a showcase of the brilliant work behind the results. Here are the exceptionally talented South Africans who brought home the Pencils — now you know who to collaborate with next. Congratulations to these beauties for making us proud!
Hashtag Post has hashtag new offices in Peter Place Office Park, Sandton. The post-production house, launched by veteran editors Jason Basson and Kayleigh Kinnear just two and a half years ago, has been making some big moves. With an expanded team, including hotshot Producer Vicki Kotze, and a state-of-the-art 3 edit suite facility, this is definitely a sexy new post offering for Joburg.
It’s time for The One Show results everyone! When we heard South Africa had 21 finalists this year we damn near Black Eyed Pea’d ourselves and exclaimed ‘Boom Boom Pow’. Now it’s great to see this incredible work convert. Congratulations to all of you! With over 50 countries and regions around the world entering, this is big for South Africa. Well done.
To meet Bathandwa Ngwendu a.k.a. ‘Gorgeous Bushman’ is to be reminded that the world is a vast place full of things to be discovered. He has a unique, open, and curious point of view that he brings not just to his work, but to every interaction. His move to Johannesburg has found him a permanent home at Gentlemen Films, where his intimate storytelling approach meets the vast experience of the team.
Jabu Newman’s latest campaign #ForeverWena is an unashamed, unafraid story about sexual health and choice. Cementing her reputation as a director who is fluent in speaking to the youth, Jabu has crafted a portrait of South Africa’s Gen Zs that feels unique, personal and genuine. Showcasing a stunning range of sexuality and sexual exploration, the campaign #ForeverWena is a celebration of sexual diversity with zero judgement or shame, AMEN!
Established in 2003 LittleBig is a full-service video production and activation company that, we think, has been flying under people’s radar for far too long. It had us baffled that these guys were bringing home top international awards for South Africa over the past few years (hello Gold Cannes Lions) yet we weren’t seeing their name in the headlines. So, we made a point to get to know the team and find out more about what they do behind the scenes to get onto the main stage at Cannes.
The Creative Circle Annual Awards might be done but the taste of the win is still fresh in the air at Howard Audio, and for good reason. The team were the audio force behind 4 awards, including winning FIRST in the Integrated Campaign category, FIRST in the Radio and Audio campaign category, First in the Mza'taal category and SECOND in the Digital category. Massive congrats to Adam Howard and his team – always pushing the standards of audio in South Africa!
Proving that their creativity isn’t restricted to the ad world, the team at Cake decided to celebrate three years of commercial-making magic with a set of personalised tarot cards. YES PLEASE! Each card represents work Cake has pulled off in it’s third year and tells a little story about the concept while linking to the video, genius, you don’t even have to be psychic to enjoy them.
Spitfire has welcomed director Paul Ramaema to its roster, solidifying the production company’s reputation for fostering young gifted talent. Paul’s work ranges from car commercials to music videos and comedy performance spots; a great fit for a production company that embraces multi-talented directors.
