South African Film and Television Awards

The South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA), also known as the Golden Horns, are awards for film and television presented in South Africa and first given out in 2006. They are awarded by the National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa (NFVF).[1]

All SAFTA winners are presented with the Golden Horn, the official SAFTA Trophy. The faces on the statues are derived from artifacts of African heritage that date back to 800 AD and were discovered near Lydenburg in South Africa, referred to as the Lydenburg Heads. The three figureheads represent excellence in visual creative arts, performance and drama.[2]

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is SAFTA's broadcast partner and sponsor. SAFTA awards ceremonies are broadcast live on SABC 2.

Only South African film and television productions are eligible for the awards. Nominees and winners are chosen by a multiphasic process of judging panels, with the exception of the Best TV Soap award, which is chosen by public vote. Some awards are discretionary and only presented in special cases.[3]

Ceremonies

Ceremony Date Best Feature Film Winner Best TV Drama Winner Best TV Comedy Winner Best TV Soapie Winner
1st SAFTA Awards[4] 27 and 28 October 2006 Tsotsi Hard Copy City Ses'la Isidingo
2nd SAFTA Awards[5] 27 October 2007 Goodbye Bafana When We Were Black Laugh Out Loud Generations
3rd SAFTA Awards[6] 7 February 2009 not awarded Bay of Plenty City Ses'la Isidingo
4th SAFTA Awards[7] 6 February 2010 Shirley Adams Sokhulu & Partners Family Bonds 7de Laan
5th SAFTA Awards[8] 20 and 27 February 2011 Life, Above All Erfsondes Proesstraat Rhythm City

Award Categories

Television

TV Drama

TV Soap

TV Comedy

TV Non-Fiction

Craft Awards

All craft awards are discretionary.

Film

Feature Films

Documentaries

Student and Short Films

Animation

Special Awards

Other special awards may be awarded at the discretion of the SAFTA Executive and Judging Committees.

Controversy

The awards have been criticised for having too many categories and often fail to get enough nominations for some categories. In 2008, SAFTA representatives were forced to announce three extensions to the entry deadline for the Best Newcomer and Lifetime Achievement Award categories, after they failed to get enough nominations.[9] No Best Feature Film was announced in the 2009 ceremony.

In 2008, Mfundi Vundla, the producer of the popular TV soap Generations pulled out of the 3rd SAFTA Awards by declining all nominations for the show and its stars. Vundla questioned the integrity of the judging process and called for more transparency. A SAFTAs committee spokesperson blamed disputes between the South African Broadcasting Corporation and the producers of Generations for the show's withdrawal.[10]

See also

References

External links