Patriot

We’ve been around for a while. We’ve got some nice work on our reel and we’ll help you make something really nice too. And it’ll be a nice experience. Nice.

Cape Town

Directors: Anton Visser / Sam Coleman / Tumelo Moropa
Executive Producer: Zayd Halim

Awarded by IDIDTHAT

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (WRITING)
Patriot | Ari Kruger
Takealot ‘Thanksalot’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Xander Vander, Editor and Partner at Strangelove Studios
May 2024

Xander’s comment: ‘Really well written spot. Made me have a little lol and left me with a smile and a bit of SA pride. If I could award production design and art direction too I would, pity they didn’t enter.’

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Patriot | Anton Visser
Chicken Licken ‘Cure The Craving’
IDIDTHAT Guest James Matthes, Creative Executive Officer at Pressure Cooker
November 2023

James’ comment: ‘Anton really is a master of comedic direction. The performances for me are stand out and the narrative had me engaged from beginning to end with really strong decisions in every department adding another superbly crafted spot to the Chicken Licken canon.  (Full disclosure;  Pressure Cooker Studios handled the music for this spot but I couldn’t let that hold back a well deserved craft mention for direction).’

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Patriot | Sam Coleman
KFC ‘Boot’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Hylton Tannenbaum, Director at Bioscope Films
July 2022

Hylton’s comment: ‘Although a solid campaign for KFC overall, “Boot” stood out for me as the best of the bunch. It’s so refreshing to see screen time being utilised to tell a story. So many scripts are jam packed with wall to wall vignettes, or way too much narrative for its duration – so to see a simple, singular story about a person unable to resist tucking into some KFC, felt like I was watching a scene from a movie. The one taker, locked off camera works a treat, effortlessly combined with a Tarantino-esque inside the boot POV. I loved the camera remaining in the closed boot with the KFC bucket, building suspense while awaiting the inevitable. A good looking spot with a great cinematic canvass, and personally, knowing how difficult it can be to get those appetite appeal consumption shots, she really looks like she’s digging that KFC. Sam nailed it.’

AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Patriot | Sam Coleman
M&G Investments ‘Tuba’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Claudi Potter, Integrated CD at Joe Public United
February 2022

Claudi’s comment: ‘The entire story is told beautifully in one shot, with absolutely no gimmicks. I love the restraint. We see the block of flats in the distance, the long walk with the cumbersome tuba, the trusty chair waiting for him to arrive. And then that moment when the birds fly off, as he produces the first few notes. Everything is wonderfully constructed and timed, and the simplicity of it really cuts through. A very well-crafted story, well-told.’

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Patriot | Sam Coleman
Volkswagen GTI ‘Vrrr Pha!’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Peter Khoury, Chief Creative Officer at TBWA \ Hunt Lascaris
August 2021

Peter’s comment: ‘Sam’s VW GTI 8 spot Vrrr Pha! is the latest take on an iconic classic. The production touches, music and filmography dish out a joyful celebration of humour and personality whilst building on the cars existing speed and performance memory structures.’

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Patriot | Anton Visser
Audi ‘What a year’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Fausto Becatti, director at Bioscope Films
December 2020

Fausto’s comment: “This spot is just solid all the way through for me, it’s a Covid ad without bashing us over the head about it. I think the more subdued, subtle performances here were really great and I loved the duo of opposing characters. Simple and sweet, but solidly crafted. It made me chuckle and smile, which is sometimes what we need.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Patriot | Sam Coleman
Audi ‘The Outside Lane’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Fran Luckin, CCO Grey Africa
September 2020

Fran’s comment: “I thought the effect of setting the action in what looked like a dark tunnel was a really smart way of getting across the isolation and loneliness experienced by the runner in Lane 8 – and also the claustrophobia of having nothing to distract the runner from his / her own thoughts and anxieties.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Patriot | Aadil Dhalech
CABC CareZA ‘Reflections’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Tseliso Rangaka, CCO at FCB Africa
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Louis Enslin, Owner and Engineer at Produce Sound
August 2020

Louis’ comment: “Its close second for me for overall Best in Craft. Working with kids is generally challenging, so I can appreciate the work that went into this piece and getting that performance from the lead character. The idea is so simple, yet so effective. The bells and whistles do not always equate to a good piece of work. Crafting something simple is often more hard work. Well done!”

Tseliso’s comment: “This is a simple story and pretends to be nothing else. The performance and cast are what make this stand out. The boy holds the piece together brilliantly, without seeming to try hard at it. Even though the majority of the ad is on the youngster, it still felt like the man was the lead character. Any director that can get a performance like that out of a child gets my vote. Well done Aadil.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Patriot | Aadil Dhalech
Volkswagen ‘Cupcake Boss’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Claudi Potter, CD at Joe Public United
June 2019

Judges Comment: “I love the performances of the boss and her granny, and dad’s little shrug. A well-contained story, with just the right amount of sass.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Patriot | Aadil Dhalech
Kia ‘Sloth’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: John Davenport, CCO at Havas South Africa
March 2019

Judges Comment: “I have to honest here: I’m a sucker for a spot with a bit of physical comedy where a person in a supermarket knocks things over. This piece is just funny. And although lots of people TRY to be funny, few of them are. Well done Aadil. Not everyone can direct comedy, but you’ve done a great job here. SA has a shortage of directors who can do comedy, and you’re one of them. Keep up the great work.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Patriot | Anton Visser
MTN ‘The Sweater’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Suhana Gordhan, Creative Director at FCB Joburg
November 2018

Judges Comment: “It’s great to laugh out loud at an ad. It’s a hard reaction to achieve but this one does it brilliantly. It fully embraces the unreal and that lack of compromise is what makes the humour awesome. If Jordan Peele saw his meme coming to life, he’d be proud.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Patriot | Anton Visser
Hansa ‘Escape’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Xolisa Dyeshana, Chief Creative Officer and Partner at Joe Public
October 2018

Judges Comment: “It seems this was the month of lighthearted work and Hansa really showed up with this piece. For a brand we haven’t seen in a while, I thoroughly enjoyed this and it made me appreciate and understand the new direction that Hansa is going in.”

AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Patriot | Aadil Dhalech
WAIF ‘Repertoire’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Nicola Wielopolski, Creative Director at DDB South Africa
May 2018

Judges Comment: “An Art Nouveau commercial, with a beautiful and clever treatment. We’re bombarded with so much that it takes a lot to hold the viewers’ attention and not skip a commercial. This piece succeeds, and it’s partly because it doesn’t feel like an ad. You can see the love that went into it, proof that you don’t need big budgets to make great work, you need passion. I’m off to buy some earrings and start smoking.

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Patriot | Anton Visser
Telkom ‘Fridge’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Brendan Hoffmann, Group Creative Director at Publicis Machine
June 2017

Judges Comment: “It seems like it’s been a while since I watched a funny SA ad. And this one is a goodie. The casting is great, the funny moments land, there’s a perfect amount of weirdness and the tie up at the end is rather smart. I enjoyed watching this and I’m sure the rest of the country will too.

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Patriot | Anton Visser
SPCA ‘Get This’ Campaign
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Tim Beckerling, Creative Director at Network BBDO
April 2017

Judges Comment: “This campaign shows you can choose your best friend but not your family. The performances of the leads are dry, funny and real and the contrast between them and the characters that are introduced to the scenes to land the idea are nicely timed. Some good old comedy to support a cause that’s close to my heart. Cheers dudes, nicely done.

Featured Work

Awarded Work

IDIDTHAT Editorial

Two Netflix series, big brand car campaigns and backed Patriot Films; Thati Pele is a name that’s here to stay.

September 18th, 2023|Comments Off on Two Netflix series, big brand car campaigns and backed Patriot Films; Thati Pele is a name that’s here to stay.

Director Thati Pele’s road to 2023 has been eventful and, at times, contradictory. Recently known for her directing work on the Netflix teen drama ‘Blood and Water’ and the original series ‘Savage Beauty’, Thati is now switching gears from longform to continue again as a commercial filmmaker. With a proven track record as a strong storyteller and a Volkswagen campaign that showcased her versatility in both performance and comedy, Thati has joined Patriot Films where she is destined to craft stand-out commercial work.

BEST OF 2022. All the work and winners.

March 28th, 2023|Comments Off on BEST OF 2022. All the work and winners.

The Creative Circle Best of 2022 is about celebrating all the finest South African Creativity from 2022. Here you can find all the awarded work and the talent responsible for creating the work...so you know who to call for your next project 🔥

Patriot Films signs performance and comedy director Tumelo Moropa

May 13th, 2022|Comments Off on Patriot Films signs performance and comedy director Tumelo Moropa

Patriot Films has added comedy and performance director Tumelo Moropa to their talented stable of directors. Tumelo is known for his humourous and authentic takes on Mzansi, creating hilariously relatable characters and an offbeat visual style in his work.

The brains behind ‘Basement’ sit down to talk inspiration, the process, and shooting on film

March 6th, 2020|Comments Off on The brains behind ‘Basement’ sit down to talk inspiration, the process, and shooting on film

Patriot Films Director, Aadil Dhalech, sits down with DP Fabian Vettiger and Ex Olympic musician and sound engineer Nic van Reenen to discuss what went into their latest short film entitled ‘Basement’. The trio of creators touch on the challenges and excitement of shooting on 35mm, their creative processes and explore the film’s dark themes.

Aadil Dhalech from Patriot Films gets real about how his journey as a mixed-raced misfit has shaped him as a Director.

April 4th, 2019|Comments Off on Aadil Dhalech from Patriot Films gets real about how his journey as a mixed-raced misfit has shaped him as a Director.

Born to a Thai mother and an Indian father, Director Aadil Dhalech from Patriot Films, shares his beautiful personal story of finding his voice as a performance Director. For anyone who has ever gotten lost in those quiet ‘in-between’ spaces.