17 talented filmmakers selected for Youth Filmmaker Project

After 800 plus applications were received, selection panels have chosen the final 17 participants into the Youth Filmmaker Project.

A partnership between SABC, The NFVF, KZN Film Commission and Sisanda Henna Films, to nurture the best writing-directing talent under the age of 35 in the country, into an incubator program that culminates in them directing their debut professional short film for global distribution.

The program has 11 writer-directors, 4 directors, and 2 writers. Only the best 10 films will be produced as a series.

Over the June-16 weekend, they held its first workshop, bringing all the filmmakers from different parts of the country into one space. Learning the building blocks of story engineering and pathways into the world of professional writing and directing motion pictures, led by a team of mentors and facilitators.

The workshops continue over the next two months as the filmmakers develop their screenplays under the guidance of mentors. Filmmakers will spend time on other productions to gain practical professional experience before shooting their own films at the end of the year.

The films will be entered into film festivals and be screened once production is complete and will air on SABC and a streaming platform.