IT was lights, camera, and a whole lot of action in just 48 hours as the 48-Hour Film Project made its debut in East London, making it the third city in South Africa to host this exciting global event.
Hosted by the Eastern Cape Film Hub and The Cortex Hub, in collaboration with the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (NEMISA), Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) and the Eastern Cape Provincial Arts & Culture Council, the event saw 14 teams of talented storytellers from across the province participating in the challenge from 15 to 17 November.
Beforehand, the filmmakers’ skills were sharpened with a Creative Media Film Training Workshop offered by NEMISA. This covered a variety of topics, from concept development to editing, to equip them with the tools they needed to produce winning content.
They then raced against the clock to create short films in just 48 hours. This involved writing, filming, editing, and adding musical soundtracks—all within a 48-hour window.
The creators of the winning film will represent East London at Filmapalooza, the final festival for the 48-Hour Film Challenge, during which the winning films from cities worldwide are screened and compete with each other for awards. Filmapalooza is hosted by a different city each year, and the upcoming Filmapalooza 2025 will be hosted in Seattle.
To mentor and judge the local talent, the project brought on experienced and well-known talents in the South African film industry such as award-winning actor, writer, and producer Sisanda Henna; seasoned actor Bongile Mantsai; and Oros Mampofu, an actor best known for his role as Jama in the local soapie Skeem Saam, among others.
The judges had to select winners across various categories, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Writer, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Visuals, Best Lead Talent, Best Use of Character, Best Use of Props, and Best Use of Line. The Reel Renegades were the winners of the Best Film.
A member of the winning team, Lesedi Lester Sikwe, said: “We had to plan the film, write the script, get actors, scout locations, shoot, edit, grade, and submit within that 48-hour window. I had an amazing crew: Kranky (director), Mlindi (cinematographer), Ken B (director of photography), Siya (sound), Olwethu (script writer), and myself as the editor/colourist.”
Lunga Feni, Partnership Associate at the EC Film Hub as well as the City Producer for the 48-Hour Film Project East London, said the challenge exposed them to the great talent that the Eastern Cape has in the film space.
“There is such great talent that is hidden in the Eastern Cape, and the Film Project is the tool that will help us uncover and support this talent.” He said the teams showcased amazing talent, passion, and dedication.
