Sonneglas was awarded an IDIDTHAT Best of Craft and a Craft mention for October. Below the judge’s comments. 

Judge’s comment: ‘This just comes together like a craft masterpiece. It gave me all the feels. Jessie beautifully captures the essence of Sonnenglas through evocative storytelling and stunning visuals. Her direction is meticulous, seamlessly blending natural light and intimate close-ups to convey warmth and authenticity. The pacing and composition draw me in and make me want to keep watching this serene, hopeful world the film portrays.’ – Sibs Zihle, Creative Director at Ogilvy South Africa

Judge’s comment: ‘Jessie has this unreal ability to take everyday moments and turn them into entire worlds. It’s no easy feat to make a montage-driven film feel so rooted in character, but she nails it by finding this golden thread of humanity that neither leans on dialogue or cliche to make its mark. There’s something here that’s working on an almost spiritual level. You see it in her documentary work, and it’s all over this project too. On craft, the sound design is both grand and intimate, and her images are really stunning. In a time when everyone’s going for fake film flashes, glitchy fast-paced edits and euphoria lighting, Jessie’s frames feel refreshingly restrained and intentional. Hats off to the team for creating something so thoughtful and beautifully crafted.‘ – Monde Gumede, Director at SHIBOBO!

Sonnenglas poetically celebrates the tiny, joyful moments of light in a lifetime. Avoiding the trap of a typical montage, every vignette holds meaning and intention, drawing you in with a sense of awe that remains firmly grounded in reality. Shooting only during ‘magic hour’ posed it’s own challenges, as Jessie and the team had only brief windows of ideal light each day, spending the remaining time traveling to the next location. 

‘I wanted to craft something beautiful and cinematic but I also wanted to craft something that felt wholistically like the brand. The brand’s focus on light allowed us the creative freedom to develop a narrative that felt intrinsically connected to the product, a solar-powered light’ says Jessie.  

Sonnenglas showcases earnest narrative storytelling and Jessie’s impeccable attention to detail, and this is just one of her recent achievements; just recently she took home a SAFTA for her documentary Faces of Fortune and wrapped a major Nedbank project in the Delta (out soon), where she made it snow! Having just returned from a Four Seasons shoot in Hong Kong (also out soon), Jessie brings both narrative storytelling chops and obsession for craft to the Bioscope family.

Jessie on set for Nedbank (out soon)

Jessie at this year’s SAFTAs holding her Golden Horn for best documentary short.

Bioscope has a 20 year track record of supporting and growing directors like Fausto Becatti, Zipho Dlangamandla, Rio Allen and Lazola Gola, helping them build their reels into award winning work.

For Director and Co-Founder Hylton Tannenbaum, bringing Jessie into the Bioscope family was a natural choice. “With a Master’s degree in Film from Stanford and a part-time teaching position at WITS, Jessie’s depth of film knowledge is undeniable. She feels like a true ‘Bioscoper,’” he says. “Her passion and focus are infectious, and it’s exciting to have someone so film-literate and dedicated on our team. I remember about 8 years ago Dan (EP Daniel Kaplan) said to me there’s this great young director called Fausto who was working as a researcher and he said he really thought this guy has potential. Dan has always had a good eye for nurturing young talent so this time he said a similar kind of thing to me about Jessie and he’s right…again.”

Jessie on set for Four Seasons in Hong Kong (out soon)

Echoing this sentiment, Executive Producer and Co-Founder of Bioscope Daniel Kaplan says, “Jessie has this rare ability to blend poetic storytelling with a deeply human touch. With each project, Jessie’s commitment to her craft becomes even clearer. She’s a director willing to go the extra mile and will do anything to get the shot. She also tells better dad jokes than me!”

Wanna (s)talk some more? Bioscope Films on IDIDTHAT and Company Website.