IDIDTHAT JUDGE THANDEKA GILBERT CREATIVE DIRECTOR McCANN JOBURG SOUTH AFRICA JUDGE'S BIO Thandeka Gilbert is a multidisciplinary creative force who leads with purpose and passion, championing the representation [...]
Thandeka Gilbert is an award-winning creative known for shaping culture, championing Black women in leadership, and making work that lives beyond the brief. Recognised at major shows and a jury member at Cannes Lions, Dubai Lynx, Loeries, Creative Circle, Bookmarks, and Pendoring, she pairs sharp instinct with serious craft. In this conversation, she shares what really happens between brief and final work, what she won’t compromise on, and why backing an idea, and each other, matters.
This month’s IDIDTHAT.co Craft Awards were judged by two powerhouses who would walk through fire and still come out the other side with a cold beer in their hands, Thandeka Gilbert, Creative Director at McCann Joburg and Cindy Lee, (OSCAR-nominated) Director at The Star Film Company. Congratulations to Hayden Brown from 7 Films, Chloe Coetsee from Darling Films, and editor Warwick Allan from Mushroom Media. May the power of the craft be forever in your favour.
Being selected as a judge at Cannes is a massive achievement. It’s a testament to the respect the industry has for you on an international scale. We know that while a lot of us will be basking in the glitz and canapes Cannes has to offer, these judges will be toiling away in dark rooms, sifting through all the entries to identify the most outstanding work the world has to offer. Not to mention the Cannes Lions Shortlist judges who already had to work overtime and in between their own pitches back home! We see you, and we salute you.