The 14th SAFTAs recently took place and rewarded the best of the best in the South African film and television industry following another year of high-quality productions!
Due to COVID-19, this year’s ceremony was held virtually on social media, and was a first for the award ceremony as it celebrated the past year’s most acclaimed shows and films.
MultiChoice content received over 152 nominations and performed extremely well celebrating over 45 awards on the night! “MultiChoice has made substantial investment in locally-produced content, aiming to share our incredible African stories with the world,” says Nkateko Mabaso: CEO of M-Net. “It’s an incredibly proud moment to see these award-winning stories being recognised at the 14th SAFTA’s.”
Ever popular The River once again cleaned up in the Telenovela category after receiving 10 awards including Best Telenovela, Best Actress Telenovela, Best Achievement in Directing Telenovela and many more! The International Emmy-nominated series has consistently delivered high-quality production value, riveting action and an addictive storyline that includes murder, lies, greed, tragedy and fatal accidents.
The success of this show is attributed to not only the stellar cast, but the incredible talent of the entire production team from writers, directors and cinematography to editing and music.
“As viewers, we sometimes give the actors of the show way too much credit, which is understandable considering that they are the faces of these shows, however, behind the scenes is a bunch of insanely talented scriptwriters who are the main reason why a drama series like The River has become a favourite among many South African viewers.” - Channel24
Another audience favourite is the telenovela Arendsvlei. It has received numerous positive reviews with one publication saying, “It has been a little while since I was so hooked on a show that I watched it religiously. By that I mean watching it at the exact time it airs and waiting all day for it.” IOL.
The hit high school drama, Arendsvlei, bagged two SAFTAs, including Best Actor in a Telenovela, while The Queen and Isibaya also received an accolade.
In the coveted Drama categories, The Republic was the biggest winner of the night, taking home 7 awards including Best TV Drama, Best Achievement in Directing TV Drama and Best Achievement in Scriptwriting TV Drama. The politically driven drama series took viewers by storm. It is full of action, kidnapping, corruption and romance. This show will comfortably fill any drama slot.
“The politics of our nation is a perfect source for good television…and marvels at the high production value and all-star line-up.” - City Press
The Afrikaans supernatural crime drama, Die Spreeus, won two technical awards. This comes as no surprise as the show had audiences talking about the visual effects and production value from the very first episode. Along with a gripping storyline, Die Spreeus is unlike anything African audiences have ever seen being made locally before.
Ifalakhe has been referred to as an African Game Of Thrones, and was awarded with SAFTAs for Best Achievement in Make-Up and Hairstyling TV Drama as well as Best Achievement in Wardrobe TV Drama. This series is thrilling and unique and definitely makes for addictive viewing.
2019 was the year of breakthrough TV dramas, as new shows eHostela and iThemba also won a SAFTA each in their first chance to compete at the awards. Both of these series have been stand-outs among viewers with eHostela already in its second season.
The sought-after Best Feature Film award went to the remake of the iconic Afrikaans film, Fiela se Kind. The acclaimed Knuckle City, South Africa’s submission to the Oscars, bagged 6 awards in the Film categories while Racheltjie De Beer claimed 3 awards on the night.
To find out more about the award winning titles that MultiChoice Studios has on offer, please email Mauro Black.
