On the 29th of September 2023, I had the honour of attending the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) and going on stage to accept a Golden Horn for my short film, SHUMBA.
What a moment.
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The journey that led to this incredible moment all began with a simple idea that led to a concept, which led to a story, which led to a film. All because of an old folktale I read from my home country, Zimbabwe, named "Shumba naTsuro" (The Lion and the Hare). I was so inspired by this short folktale that I asked myself, "What if I took this and turned it into a film?"
The rest is history.
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From there, it was all a matter of assembling a crew, and lucky for me, I already had a group of passionate individuals, some of whom I had worked with before and some who I hadn't, who jumped on board immediately as soon as they heard the concept, not for any monetary gain, but simply because they believed in the vision and the story and my ability to bring that story to life.
As a crew, we worked for the entire year, shedding blood, sweat and tears along the way, facing obstacle after obstacle, until we were finally done. By the end, there we more people working on this production than at the beginning, many of whom were inspired along the way and wanted to jump on board, lending their time and talents to it's creation.
As a director, having a cast and crew full of people putting their heart and soul into bringing my vision to life, despite all the obstacles along the way, was definitely the greatest honour of all. So THANK YOU to all the members of the crew, to all the assistants, to all the volunteers, and to everyone who supported the film.
Last but definitely not least, the highest level of praise, glory, and gratitude goes to God Himself. Without Him, none of this would have been possible. Not the story, not the film, not the award.
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To my cast and crew over at
@shumbafilm , congratulations on the win. May this be the first of many more to come.
Loved working with you all.
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#shumba #shortfilm #film #safta
