The Star Film Company
Star Films is a South African based commercial production company, based in Johannesburg. Representing multi-talented directors Cindy Lee / Markstry / Matshepo Maja / Matthys Boshoff / Sam Sterling-Court / Tebza Malope / Tristan Holmes / Wim Steytler
Johannesburg
Directors: Cindy Lee / Markstry / Matshepo Maja / Matthys Boshoff / Sam Sterling-Court / Tebza Malope / Tristan Holmes / Wim Steytler
Producer: Adam Thal / Saskia Rosenberg Haak
The Star Film Company is a full-service production house with offices in both Johannesburg and Cape town. Focused on high-quality work for top brands, we have established ourselves as one of South Africa’s leading production offerings. We are relationship driven and hands on, offering tailored work with unique perspectives from our varying directors.
JOHANNESBURG OFFICE
8 Stirling Street
Waverley
Johannesburg
South Africa
Tel +27 11 258 8687
info@starfilms.tv
Executive Producer: Adam Thal
082 927 8930
adam@starfilms.tv
Executive Producer: Saskia Rosenberg Haak
082 888 1533
saskia@starfilms.tv
Awarded by IDIDTHAT
AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Suhana Gordhan, Executive Creative Director at Duke Group, Cape Town
Star Films | Matshepo Maja
KIA ‘Tsamaya’
January 2023
Suhana’s comment: ‘It’s not easy creating a montage-style, manifesto-type ad, while maintaining authenticity and a sense of ease. This tribute to the road trip and family feels good. There’s a unique understanding of our very South Africanness in these contexts, and the performances are not overdone. The choice of track is sheer joy and helps tie everything together in a gentle, effortless way.’
AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Nicole Ackermann, Director at Romance
Star Films | Tristan Holmes
Disturbed ‘Bad Man’ (Official Music Video)
November 2022
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Grant Sithole, Chief Product Officer of Publicis Groupe Africa
Nicole’s comment: ‘Hands down winner!!! This music video created using entirely AI is a trailblazer for our industry. AI is already shaping our industry and I am so ** insert string of profanities ** proud of Tristan for this achievement. Not only is the technical achievement worth shouting about – It’s rich, raw, intense, emotive and beautiful. A stunning intersection between art, technology, music and filmmaking. Hats off – you make us proud Tristan!’
Grant’s comment: ‘That AI and effects work are just downright impressive. Tackling the song’s subject matter with the artistic urgency it deserves. Nothing Wrong!!’
AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Hylton Tannenbaum, Director at Bioscope Films
Star Films | Cindy Lee
First for Women ‘Here, here and here’
July 2022
Hylton’s comment: ‘This piece gave me something to think about. All the times and places that women have to think about safety. As a father of two daughters, their safety is often on my mind, but this spot made me realise that women think about safety ALL the time: at clubs, in ubers, taking jogs, walks, at home, at night, during the day, during sex and everywhere in between. In crafting this thought provoking message, Cindy has expertly used all the tools at a director’s disposal – great casting, solid performances, engaging cinematography, authentic textures and a considered pace.’
AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Jabulani Sigege, Executive Creative Director at Machine_
AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Justice Mukheli, Director at Romance
Star Films | Tebza
Chicken Licken ‘Help Jamie Find Love’
June 2022
Jabulani’s comment: ‘Poor Jamie. Much like Jim Carrey’s character in the “The Number 23” seeing the aforementioned number everywhere, Jamie sees the same with signs related to love. From inside his own home and on the streets to inside the taxi he takes (even the sticker on the window!). It’s these little things that all add up, allowing us to feel our hero resigning himself to the fact that he will never find love. Or will he? Props to the director for bringing the viewer into Jamie’s world to experience his emotional state. A tricky thing to pull off when there’s virtually no dialogue. Even the music track is done in a way that is still uniquely Chicken Licken. And the ending puts a smile on your face, even if it doesn’t on Jamie’s. Nicely done.’
Justice’s comment: ‘I enjoy the simple storytelling in this, and it is rooted in such truth and authentic South African feelings. Beautiful work Tebz.’
AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Star Films | Matthys Boshoff
Singapore Tourism ‘Together We Rise’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Jeana Theron, Director at Darling Films
March 2022
Jeana’s comment: “Choreographed professional dancers performing against state-of-the-art architecture might be hard to mess up, but it’s also hard to execute with the tasteful restraint of Matthys’s hand. I do not know Matthys personally, but I imagine his process involves a lovely marriage of intellect and heart. I imagine he thoughtfully, meticulously works out his compositions, which is evident in the clever reveals, the lighting changes and the barely perceptible post effects, and then he systematically builds these shots into a story following his instincts, which is seen in the effortless pace of the ad. I love the magical realism that ends the film, which makes for a lovely, perfectly unexpected close to the ad.”
AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Star Films | Cindy Lee
Standard Bank ‘The Inventor’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Ernest Nkosi, Director at Bomb Commercials
September 2020
Ernest’s comment: “I’m a sucker for a beautifully told period piece, the passage of time is beautifully orchestrated, weaving seamlessly through the different eras with believable performances. The camera language is complemented by an exquisite edit with beautifully timed match cuts. The art direction beautifully captures the nostalgic past paying great homage to the Toyota Cressida a classic loved car of that era. The rich textures in the grade are complemented by the music that brings together the entire piece. Congratulations to all involved on an amazing piece of film.”
AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Star Films | Cindy Lee
First for Women ‘Fearless’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Louis Enslin, Owner and Engineer at Produce Sound
August 2020
Louis’ comment: “A beautifully crafted, well told, impactful story with a strong message. All the elements from direction, VFX, Cinematography and Sound work well together. Love the song. Well done Cindy and team Star.”
AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Star Films | Tebza Malope
Chicken Licken ‘Soul food for a Soul Nation’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Dani Hynes, Director at Made Films & Bridget Johnson, ECD at The Riverbed Agency
July 2020
Dani’s comment: “Chicken Licken scripts are amongst some of those all of us directors salivate over. So, it is always lovely to see someone make the most of every frame. The choice of cast, the captivating details tucked away in each vignette, the deliberately cinematic quality to the storytelling, the deliciously contrasted grade and the overall joy that shot out of our screens when we needed it most gives it that standout quality that had me looking twice. Well done to everyone involved.”
Bridget’s comment: “And humour wins again! This one deserves a special mention for its all-round craft. The art direction and framing made it stand out on a reel of serially underlit, moody commercials. It’s an overdue visual feast, beautifully paced and edited to ensure each little punchline finds just the right beat. Quality all-round!”
AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Star Films | Tebza Malope
Elo Zar ‘Bophelo’ (Music Video)
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Sibusiso Sitole, CCO and co-founder of The Odd Number
June 2020
Sibusiso’s comment: “This is not your typical music video. Shot and cast beautifully, this music video takes us on a journey of an unexpected showdown between two Gogos. I’ve always wondered when local filmmakers would begin to really explore fantastical genres in their work, and Tebza brings us a step closer to this reality. The visuals and the soundtrack work so well together, and the frames are beautifully captured. Of course, the two leads really make the film shine. I look forward to more of these conceptually considered pieces in the world of music videos.”
AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Metropolitan ‘Get Up’
Star Films | Sam Sterling Court
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Jake Bester, Creative Partner / Executive Creative Director at M&C Saatchi Abel
April 2020
Judge’s comment: “With these types of pieces, I always think it must be so hard for the director to make a “chosen” cast believable or a selection of “real” people watchable. Well done to Sam for doing both in this case. It was hard to tell if this was a cast or a selection of actual consumers. Good work on getting those performances and making a very used casting tape technique quite watchable both through the performances and the treatment as well. Great work for a first job.”
AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Game ‘You’ve got Game’
Star Films | Tebza Malope
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Roanna Williams, ECD at Black River FC
JANUARY 2020
Judges Comment: “Love this spot. Why? Because it’s so great for a brand like Game. It’s fun, quirky, South African and makes me want to step into “my Game”. It feels authentically South African through the cast, scenes and the local humour.”
AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Star Films | Jonathan Parkinson
Xero ‘Unexpected’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Fran Luckin, CCO at Grey Africa
May 2019
Judges Comment: “One simple fluid take lets the stunt enjoy center stage. It feels easy and unforced. It would be even better with no voice over. Just a superbly well-phrased end title. Okay, you might need two titles.”
AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Star Films | Tristan Holmes
Investec ‘We Live in a World’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Tseliso Rangaka, Executive Creative Director at Ogilvy Cape Town
April 2019
Judges Comment: “I’m going to call this work by Tristan Holmes a very worthy contender. Yes my sister agency commissioned it. Yes someone else should probably be the judge here. But I’m the one tasked to do this. It helps that the work speaks for itself. Through the best alternative to Idris Elba there is. It also speaks through the picture perfect…well pictures, a great score and that thing the lead does at the end of the ad. Watch it again. Tell me I’m wrong.”
AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Star Films | Tristan Holmes
Nedbank ‘The Tale of a Note’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Steph van Niekerk
March 2017
Judges Comment: “As the name implies, this ad is a tale about a bank note. A good tale captures the imagination by playing out in the space between romanticism and realism, and Tristan gets it right in this film. He uses everything – from casting and locations to voice and music – to create a big movie feel for a whimsical tale. But that’s not all that this ad is about. The story is very much about the way money impacts the lives of people. We meet characters we wouldn’t ever imagine meeting in a bank ad and their performances are great. (Refer to the man at 0:51) The challenge of the big montage ad is that each scene has to tell a lot of story in a very short time, Tristan gets it right with very powerful, subtle performances. Well done.”
AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Star Films | PHI
MNET ‘Kiss’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Graeme Jenner, Executive Creative Director at King James II
October 2016
Judges Comment: “This is a sweet story, sweetly done. That little girl is really good. I think I’m becoming more susceptible to ads like this since becoming a Dad. It’s the same thing with the dog ad below.”
AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Star Films | Tristan Holmes
Coronation ‘If Your Money Came Easy’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Pepe Marais, Chief Creative Officer at Joe Public
May 2016
Judges Comment: “My Best Of Reel goes to Tristan Holmes from Star Films for his Direction on the Coronation commercial. And also to The Upstairs Ludus for their remote grade facilitation, VFX and Compositing as well as to Marc Algranti from Pulse Music for the Music. This is a disruptive take on investment. It’s highly insightful and deserves to be recognized, no matter the controversy. It’s the kind of work I absolutely love and have all the aspects of world class commercial making.”
AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Star Films | PHI
SABC 1 ‘The Artist’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Pepe Marais, Chief Creative Officer at Joe Public
May 2016
Judges Comment: “The directing partnership between Jonathan Parkinson and Nicole Ackermann from Fresh Eye (Now with Star Films) is starting to yield real results with their powerfully executed commercial for SABC 1. It proves that two heads are definitely better than one and they are indeed a pair to watch in future. I love the authenticity within the insight and the lateral execution.”
AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Star Films | Tristan Holmes
Coca-Cola ‘Emoticons’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Jonathan Deeb, Executive Creative Director at FCB Johannesburg,
January 2016
Judges Comment: “Also an FCB ad, but I am the only judge, so have to do right by Tristan, who rightfully deserves a Direction mention for some charming performances and Ricky of Deliverance for assembling an engaging story.”
Featured Work
Featured Stories
The spark behind Star Films’ director Wim Steytler
Star Films’ Wim Steytler has established himself as a performance director who blends realism with the otherworldly. He can’t help but bring his love of symbolism and the mystical to each set he steps on, adding layers of meaning paired with strong attention to detail. Let’s get to know the man whose journey into filmmaking started in the most unexpected way.
Star Films’ Tristan Holmes directs nightmarish first of its kind AI-Generated music video for Disturbed
Never afraid of finding new ways of telling big cinematic stories charged with emotions, Star Films’ Tristan Holmes has done it again. His latest work is a music video titled ‘Bad Man’ for the heavy metal band Disturbed which was entirely made using AI-generated imagery created and stitched together by Tristan. The result is a grisly and unnerving work of art.
Mfundo Mkhize joins The Star Film Company, the director behind some of South Africa’s most loved characters.
Nyathi Rider’s Michael Nyathi, KFC’s ‘Next please’ lady, AmaSopranos, Tebza from Powerball; Mfundo Mkhize is the director behind some of our most loved South African characters. Having recently joined the roster at The Star Film Company, we catch up with this top performance and comedy director about his process, nailing those cultural nuances and we get the inside (s)coop on Chicken Licken’s ‘Nyathi Rider’.
Director Matshepo Maja launches solo career with The Star Film Company
For over 3 three years Matshepo Maja has formed part of the directing duo PHI 2.0, alongside Jonathan Parkinson. The Star Film Company has announced that they will now be launching Matshepo as a solo director. The news comes as no surprise as Mats’ solo career is already in full swing and here’s why you’ll be seeing her name a whole lot more.
10 Questions for Star Film’s Emerging Director Sam Sterling-Court
Sam Sterling-Court has hit the ground running as the latest director to join Star Films. After only two months of things being 'director-official', she already directed TWO commercials. With a unique academic take on filmmaking, we lay down 10 questions to this talented young director.
Director and Content Ninja Markstry Joins The Star Films Company
Director Markstry from The Star Films Company is living his best life surrounded by all things content. He spills on the thrill he gets from working with impossible deadlines, sticky budgets, small crews and combating countless obstacles on set. Masochist, master or a bit of both?
Matshepo Maja and Jonathan Parkinson Join Forces as Co-Directing Duo at The Star Films Company. Enter Phi 2.0 (Interview)
We catch up with Directors Matshepo Maja and Jonathan Parkinson from The Star Film Company to find out about their new offering, Phi v2.0. The co-directors speak candidly about the power of their unlikely collaboration and we get a little third realm about what lies ahead.
Director Tebogo ‘Tebza’ Malope Joins Star Films
Director Tebza Malope, armed with a mountain of awards and the courage of his convictions, has joined The Star Film Company. Not that we needed a reason to spend time with him, but the proudly feminist #HellYas talent gave us the inside scoop on where he’s been and what the future holds.