Cape Town – The Joburg Festival Awards Gala took place on Saturday 23 November at The Inanda Club where Sarah Gavron's powerful film, Rocks, about resilience, joy and the spirit of girlhood won big, and legendary producer Richard Green was recognised with a prestigious honour.
Richard Green – one the country's most experienced producers with over forty years of experience in the film industry, with producing credits including Tokoloshe – The Calling, Nothing but the Truth, The Wooden Camera, The Sexy Girls, Chikin Biznis – The Whole Story and Spud – was recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the festival.
Films that won included South African film Flatland as the 'Best African Film', Our Lady of the Nile (France) which received a Special Recognition Award and Rocks (UK) as 'Best Film'.
Sedibeng's Malefetsane Masitha also took home the award for the festival's 'Youth & Audience Development Programme', which was designed to encourage and empower young emerging filmmakers across Gauteng.
Joburg Film Festival headline sponsors MultiChoice Group also recognised some of Africa's finest storytellers with the inaugural 'MultiChoice Africa's Most-Loved Storytellers Awards'. Activist, actress, storyteller, poet, playwright, director and author Gcina Mhlophe received the 'Legend Award' for her longstanding contribution to continental storytelling, and internationally-acclaimed author Deon Meyer (Trackers) was honoured with the 'Global Storyteller Award' for his work in spreading stories from Africa around the globe. Creative duo Jahmil X.T. Qubheka and Layla Swart were honoured with the inaugural 'Emerging Storyteller Award' for their status as exciting new voices in African storytelling and investigative journalist Karyn Maughan claimed the 'Fearless Storyteller Award'.
The festival's prestige Juror panel included multi-award-winning author, Zakes Mda, South African screen star Florence Masebe, renowned Nigerian documentary filmmaker, screenwriter and cinematographer, Femi Odugbemi, Canadian academic & writer, Nataleah Hunter-Young and NCIS: New Orleans and Avatar actress, CCH Pounder.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH CCH POUNDER HERE: 'NCIS: New Orleans' star CCH Pounder on her visit to South Africa and playing powerful women
Compiled by Bashiera Parker.