Best in Craft awarded to Thina Zibi from Triple Story Content and Zee Ntuli from Darling Films

Another month, another round of work that made our judges sit up a little straighter. For the November IDIDTHAT Craft Awards, we handed the reins to two heavyweights: Suhana Gordhan, Chief Creative Officer at LoveSong, and multiple-time Best in Craft winner Hayden Brown, director and cinematographer at 7 Films. After sifting through the country’s sharpest craft, they crowned this month’s Best in Craft: Thina Zibi from Triple Story Content and Zee Ntuli from Darling Films. Congrats on the top spot, you two, beautifully done.

‘What are the IDIDTHAT.co Craft Awards?’ Every month we team up with ad industry leaders to award the finest in South African film and production craft across these different categories: Direction, Editing, Cinematography, Animation and VFX, Online, Original Sound, Sound Design and Final Mix. It’s just another way that we make it ridiculously easy to stay up-to-date with who’s doing the best work in the country.

BEST IN CRAFT

BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Action Aid ‘I’ll Marry When I Want’ (Directors Cut)
Darling Films | Zee Ntuli

Awarded by Suhana Gordhan

Judge’s comment: ”This piece wins for me because of a series of choices the director made. It takes all the tropes of wedding material – the white chairs, dress and flowers, the couple on the cake topper – and transitions them in front of your eyes. These symbols become the girl’s acts of playful rebellion. Her soccer field, her hopscotch shoes, her swords and slain dragons. The ghostly static symbols are given new life through camera movement and editing. Her blue uniform is the vibrance and contrast in the white and brown wedding cemetery. The ominous embrace now mirrored but with the warmth of her sister. The transition in music, editing energy and performance doesn’t let the audience fall into the emotional trap of somberness and lamenting, which is where this could have gone. Instead, you’re left with a feeling of joyful defiance – a triumph of the spirit of young girls.” – Suhana Gordhan, CCO at LoveSong

Absa Rewards ‘Go Beyond’

BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Triple Story Content | Thina Zibi

CRAFT MENTION (EDITING CRAFT)
William Kalmer (Entered on behalf of William Kalmer by Triple Story Content)

Awarded by Hayden Brown

Judge’s comment: ”In film the viewer needs to be able to relate either to the characters in the story or the subject matter in order for a point to be driven home. Emotions are powerful even more so when they are universally relatable and shared. Stitching four different stories together seamlessly is no small feat. The common thread is one’s phone and with this being the product that is marketed (Absa Rewards Travel App) there is 5 seconds of uninterrupted product placement that doesn’t feel forced. Each adventure unfolds with great use of universally shared human experiences, I.e. a smile, a sigh of relief, laughter, dancing, warm embrace, celebration…

These experiences are cleverly woven together with great editing finesse. Transitioning effortlessly. Well done Thina for crafting this evocative piece encouraging people to ‘go beyond’!.” – Hayden Brown, Director & Cinematographer at 7 Films

CRAFT MENTION

CRAFT MENTION (EDITING CRAFT)
TOPS SPAR ‘Turn Up Epic’
Amelia Cohen (Entered on behalf of Amelia Cohen by Patriot Films)

Awarded by Suhana Gordhan

Judge’s comment: ”I felt a special mention must be given to Tops Spar ‘Turn up Epic’ for editing. There are so many worlds in this story, and the editor leads you from one to the other with beautiful precision. It’s smooth and playful and keeps the energy up. The transitions deliver on whimsy and allow you to feel some curiosity instead of delivering too soon.”

IDIDTHAT GUEST JUDGES:

November 2025_Craft Awards_Suhana Gordhan_CCO_LoveSong

Suhana Gordhan, Chief Creative Officer at LoveSong
Suhana Gordhan is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of LoveSong, an independent creative consultancy. Gordhan believes that everything is made better with love, and so LoveSong was designed to give big love to small brands and more love to big brands.
She has spent the last 20 years navigating the advertising industry, from the University of Advertising – Ogilvy – her first agency, to the hallowed judging rooms of Cannes Lions.

Gordhan’s career highlights include being named one of Destiny Magazine’s Power of 40 Candidates. Gordhan’s work for Coca-Cola featured in Contagious Magazine as one of three campaigns in The World’s Best Strategies. She has won various local and international awards, including Loeries Grand Prix, D&AD, Cannes Lions and Best of Show in radio at One Show. This year, she served as the Jury President of Radio & Audio at One Show

Gordhan represents South Africa and Africa on the International Board for The One Club. She also serves on The Loeries and the Creative Circle Exco. She is the former Chairperson of The Loeries and the Founder of Open Chair – a non-profit aimed at creating face time between young women and senior industry leaders.

When not making ads, she enjoys people watching and Capoeira – a 400-year-old Afro-Brazilian Martial Arts (often mistaken by her colleagues to be an innocuous dance form).

November 2025_Craft Awards_Hayden Brown_7 Films

Hayden Brown, Director & Cinematographer at 7 Films
Having a more informal background than most in the film industry, Hayden Brown from 7Films draws his inspiration from life – with all of its diverse facets.

Telling stories is at the heart of his career as a director and cinematographer. When he is not filming, he is traveling over some arduous terrain in search of another untold story…

ALL CRAFT ENTRIES