Short-form filmmaking is not new to Jozua

“The space between long-form and short-form is becoming very vague and at the end of the day, it’s always about storytelling for me. Whether you’re selling a product or not, you still need those storytelling skills, and of course the more you actually understand the heart of a character, the better the story you can tell.” – Jozua Malherbe

Whether directing a commercial or a feature film, Jozua is equally obsessed with creating complex characters as he is with narrative. He believes that a director’s role is to tell any story in the most effective way, a skill that certainly caught the attention of 7 Films. The production company has always put ‘story first’, and with 4 consecutive Creative Circle  ‘Ad of the Year’ wins under their belt, they’re clearly getting away with it. For them, Jozua was the perfect 7 Films fit.

“I think having all this experience and all this talent wrapped up in this beautiful young man is such a blessing, specifically for the young talent at 7 Films. Having seen him mentor and work with them already on Griekwasstad is incredible. This is the first feature we’ve been involved in producing and hopefully the first of many. We are very proud of Jozua, he not only directed the film but also shot it himself. He is a real filmmaker and we are very proud of the work he creates and that he trusted us to get involved and guide and help where we can.” – 7 Films Co-Founder, Director Lourens van Rensburg

Zooming in on Jozua

Seeing as he spends most of his time behind the camera, this may be the first time some of you will meet the real Jozua, so we thought we’d hit him up with some of the most revealing first date questions out there (according to the internet that is).

IDIDTHAT: What are the top 3 things on your bucket list?
Jozua: See the Northern Lights. Ride a motorbike through Africa. Maybe something ridiculous like jumping out of a plane and then starting to ski…

IDIDTHAT: Your first post-lockdown drink?
Jozua: Whiskey on the rocks, double…

IDIDTHAT: What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done?
Jozua: Skied with the German Olympic ski team down a huge mountain.
IDIDTHAT: Not in your dreams, in real life.
Jozua: Yes haha. I was doing a documentary on them in the Alps. They were the slalom team and the lifts were closing and the place was shutting down. We had like 5 minutes to get down this mountain and they just said ‘Keep up’ and I did, although I think I wiped out a few times. That was pretty scary.

IDIDTHAT: What’s one thing you want to learn or wish you were better at?
Jozua: I wish I could draw. I can’t draw for shit. As much as I love art and wanted to be an artist, I can hardly draw a stick man. Which is all very frustrating when you’re trying to draw your own storyboards – I always end up writing it out.
IDIDTHAT: We’ll be the judge of that. Draw this frame of the Zoom call and send it to us immediately.