BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
McDonald’s ‘Golden Arches’ (Director’s Cut)
Darling Films | Slim

Awarded by Juliet Honey & Zee Ntuli

Judge’s comment: ”My Best In Craft for December goes to Slim from Darling Films for the enjoyable McDonald’s ‘Golden Arches’ spot. Light, floaty and beautifully cinematic with characters that I liked. It made me smile and feel like a burger.” – Juliet Honey, Creative Director at TBWA\ South Africa

Judge’s comment: ”Best In Craft goes to ‘Golden Arches’ Director’s Cut for a few simple reasons. It’s a  beautifully simple idea, handled with real confidence and restraint. Slim makes something technically complex feel light. Easy. Almost casual to watch.
There’s a quiet magic running through it. That feeling of being pulled out of the everyday. Of being saved, just for a moment, from the dull rhythm of life. Slim taps into that without  pushing it or underlining it. 

What really lands for me is how the whole thing comes together. This is where directing shows. The film becomes more than the sum of its parts. Cinematography, edit, wardrobe, performance. Nothing is shouting. Everything is in conversation.
It feels effortless, even though you know it isn’t. Rich, graphic images. A smooth, floating edit. Choices that stay out of the way of the feeling.  It’s just good! Clean. Thoughtful. Properly made.” – Zee Ntuli, Director at Darling Films

CRAFT MENTION (CINEMATOGRAPHY)
Chicken Licken ‘Soulfluencer’
7 Films | Lourens van Rensburg

Awarded by Juliet Honey

Judge’s comment: ”A special mention must go to Lourens van Rensburg from 7 Films for Chicken ‘Licken Soulfluencer’ for cinematography. The small-town Americana cinematic language with its spacious, locked-off frames and beautifully observed character portraits heightens the awkward, out-of-place energy of the announcer. Every shot reinforces just how out of place he is. And that’s exactly the point.”

CRAFT MENTION (SOUND – ORIGINAL MUSIC CRAFT)
Chicken Licken ‘Soul Food To The World’
Howard Audio | Adam Howard

Awarded by Zee Ntuli

Judge’s comment: ”This piece plays with the ‘save the world’ trope really well. What lifts it for me is how seriously it commits. There’s no distance from the idea. No winking at the audience. That sincerity is exactly where the comedy comes from. 

The musicians fully lean in. They treat the parody like it matters, and that’s what makes it funny. The performances are genuinely great. Everyone feels on the same page, tonally and emotionally.

It’s nuanced. Restrained. And confident enough to trust the idea without overplaying it.”

CRAFT MENTION (CINEMATOGRAPHY)
BIC ‘Chef’ (Director’s Cut)
Josh Levi (Entered on behalf of Josh Levi by Spitfire Films)

Awarded by Zee Ntuli

Judge’s comment: ”With BIC, ‘Chef’, it would have been very easy to chase something like The Bear. Go frenetic. Long lenses. Constant pressure. That language is right there for the taking. 

Instead, Josh and the team pulled back and employed restraint.

The piece feels cared for. You can feel the hands on it. It’s naturalistic. Tactile.”