MultiChoice productions win big at Safta Awards
MultiChoice was the most awarded broadcaster at the South African Film and Television Awards (Safta) at the weekend, taking home 48 awards – more than half the total – from more than 150 Safta nominations.
These included the most awarded productions in all major categories: feature film, TV comedy, TV drama, soap, and telenovela. Mzansi Magic was the most awarded channel overall, with 15 wins.
Speaking about this, Yolisa Phahle, CEO for General Entertainment at MultiChoice, said: “It’s a big deal to have so many talented people and productions recognised at these awards – huge congratulations to all the winners!
“By creating and funding so many original productions across the MultiChoice stable, I’d like to believe we’re playing our part in driving that virtuous circle and in telling Africa’s stories. The fact that we’re getting interest in our originals from around the world is a testament to the quality of our industry. ”
Most awarded feature film was Ellen: Die Ellen Pakkies
Storie on kykNET, which took home four awards: Best Actress (Jill Levenberg as Ellen Pakkies), Actor (Jarrid Geduld as Abie), Director (Daryne Joshua) and Music/Score (Quinn Lubbe).
kykNET was the most awarded channel overall in the category, winning nine of the 14 categories.
In addition to Ellen’s wins,
Stroomop won Best Supporting Actress (Ilse Klink as Diona); Kanarie won Best Script (Christiaan Olwagen and Charl-Johan Lingenfelder); Meerkat Maantuig won Best Cinematography (Willie Nel); Nommer 37 took home Best Editor (Simon Beesley); and Stroomop won Best Make-Up and Hairstyling (Minuche Bridgette Snyman). Five Fingers To Marseilles, currently screening on Showmax, also won two awards: Best Production Design (J Franz Lewis) and Costume Design (Pierre Vienings).
In the telenovela category, 1Magic’s The River was the most awarded series, with 10 wins, including Best Telenovela and Most Popular TV Soap/ Telenovela.
This made The River the most awarded production overall, across all categories. Moshidi Motshegwa as Malefu beat out co-star Sindi Dlathu as Lindiwe to win Best Actress in a Telenova, while Presley Chweneyagae as Cobra won out over co-star Hlomla Dandala as Zweli for Best Actor in a Telenova.
Also in the Telenova category
The River also won Best Supporting Actor (Lawrence Maleka), directing (Johnny Barbuzano, Catharine Cooke, Zolani Phakade and Ferry Jele), scriptwriting (Gwydion Beynon and Phathutshedzo Makwarela), cinematography (Gaopie Kabe and Trevor Brown), editing (Ula Oelsen, Bongi Malefo & Matodzi Nemungadi) and sound (Ben Oelsen, Lele Seate and Tladi Mabuya).
Vele Manenje was named Best Supporting Actress in a Telenova for her role as Shandukani in Ring of Lies on Mzansi Magic. In the comedy category, Showmax’s first original series,
Tali’s Wedding Diary, was the most awarded, with five awards from seven nominations, including Best Comedy and Best Actress for Julia Anastasopoulos as Tali Shapiro. Tali’s Wedding
Diary also won Best Directing (Ari Kruger), Cinematography (James Adey) and Editing (Richard Starkey).
This made Showmax the most awarded broadcaster in the category - and marked the first time a streaming service has won at the Saftas.
Hannes Brummer won Best Actor for his role as Benny Botha in Elke Skewe Pot on kykNET.
In the drama category, Mzansi Magic’s Lockdown 2 was the most awarded series, with five awards from eight nominations, including Best TV Drama.
For her role as Mazet, Dawn Thandeka King beat two-time International Emmy nominee Thuso Mbedu (Is’Thunzi) to win Best Actress, while Lorcia Cooper took home Best Supporting Actress as Tyson, Gisellah Mcleod won Best Wardrobe and Babalwa Carol Djieutcheu won Best Hair and Make-up.
Mzansi Magic was the most awarded channel overall in the category, with six awards split between Lockdown and Is’thunzi, which won Best Supporting Actor for S'dumo Mtshali as Mandla. kykNET’s legal drama Fynskrif also won Best Sound (Stef Albertyn) and Music/Score (Braam du Toit).
The soap category was the most contested of the night, but Mzansi Magic’s Isithembiso came in tops, with four awards: Best Script (Charleen Ntsane, Chris Blomkamp, Daniel Zimbler, Sayitsheni Mdakhi, Iain Paton, Catherine Muller, Libby Dougherty, Andrew Petersen, Mbasa Tsetsana, Sydney DireZoe Arthur, Thabo Boom & Matthew Jankes), Best Cinematography (Sevetian Maslamoney and Zeno Petersen), Editing (Kirsten de Magalhaes, Rian van der Walt, Jeremy Briers, Molatsi Molefe, Martin Mosala, Sphiwe Nhlumayo, Matodzi Nedmungadi, Tshepo Kgatsoetsoe and Brett Anoli), and Sound (Charles Sijaji and Mark Phillips).
Mzansi Magic’s Isibaya did well with Best Supporting Actress (Gcina Mkhize); Best Supporting Actor (Abdul Khoza); and Best Directing (Phiwe Mkhanzi and Sthembiso Mathenjwa).
kykNET’s Getroud Met Rugby won Best Art Direction (Michelle Cronje).
Other MultiChoice winners included M-Net 101’s My Kitchen Rules South Africa, which won Best International Format; Mzansi Magic’s Thembi’s Trial, which won Best Made for TV Movie; and kykNET’s The Rockets 50ste Herdenking Konsert, which won Best Music Show.
Meanwhile e.tv scooped four awards this past weekend at the Safta event in Sun City. Scandal!,
Rhythm City and Broken Vows each received the Golden Horn in the respective categories they were nominated in.
The competition was tough, but e.tv's productions stood proud among their industry peers. Jamie Bartlett, who plays David Genaro on Rhythm City and Kgomotso Christopher, who plays Yvonne Langa on
Scandal!, both walked away with the award for Best Actor and Actress in a TV Soap respectively.
Best Achievement in Wardrobe in a Telenovela series went to Broken Vows and Best Achievement in Art Direction in a Telenovela series also went to Broken Vows.
“We are proud and humbled by this recognition. It’s an honour to all our e.tv talent, production and partners who worked tirelessly to deliver the best local entertainment,” said head of local content at e.tv, Sadi Ziyanda Mngomezulu. – DDR