Event Calender

“While WOS cannot claim every achievement by women (in SA), many of them are to its credit.”

Former minister of Arts and Culture Dr. Palo Jordan

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Member News

WoS congratulates and Celebrates Xoliswa Sithole’s second win of a BAFTA award making her the First South African to win a BAFTA and the ONLY ONE to win two BAFTA’s!!!

This for her multi award winning film ‘Zimbabwe’s forgotten Children’ a 90min documentary which she produced and presented. The Film was shot entirely undercover with great ingenuity and courage over the course of nine months, it is a beautiful and heart-wrenching, documentary that follows the stories of children turned away from school struggling to survive poverty in today's Zimbabwe. Xoliswa and director Jezza Neuman of the English multi award winning Production Company ‘True Vision’ truly did a fantastic job. The film is beautifully put together especially considering the demanding circumstances.

The Film continues to pick up some big awards, some of these include:
70th Peabody award 2011 Broadcast Digital Award 2011
BANFF World Media - Rockies award 2011
The Gold Plaque at the 45th Chicago Film Festival

Xoliswa had Two BAFTA nominations this year - for ‘South Africa’s Lost Girls’ & the winning film ‘Zimbabwe’s Forgotten Children’ Her first BAFTA was awarded to her in 2005 for the film 'Orphans of Nkandla’ which she also produced and presented and again in partnership True Vision. About Xoliswa…

WoS interviews Jihan El-Tahri - A Woman on top of her game

Hailing from France Jihan is a cosmopolitan Egyptian documentary filmmaker (director, producer, writer etc.) one of the best and prolific in the world, which we are totally lucky and thrilled she is currently residing in Jo'burg. WoS member Karen van Schalkwyk was able to track her down for a quick chat. More...

BFF at The Aluta Film Festival

Director/writer Lodi Matsetela attended the 7th annual Aluta Film Festival in February 2010 where her directional debut BFF was screened, as well as the film version of Society which she co-wrote with Mak Mamabolo. The Festival is described on Facebook as South Africa’s premier township cinema event held each year in Kimberley’s vibrant township: Galeshewe.

WoS spared no effort to make the South African Premiere of Confessions of a Gambler by WoS member Rayda Jacobs a memorable event.

A blue carpet was rolled out (WoS colours) The industry came out in droves AND to top it all, we were graced with the presence of the First Lady Mrs Mbeki to celebrate this special film and filmmaker Rayda Jacobs. She even got a note and flowers from the 1st Lady the next day. Confessions of a Gambler was one of the very few South African films to last t long on the Box Office and repeatedly getting a rating of 4 stars (out of 5) in all major news papers. More...

Congratulations to Isabelle Rorke for Winning yet another Entrepreneur Award!!!
Last month Isabelle Rorke's production co. Anamazing Workshop was selected as a South African High-Impact Entrepreneur through the Endeavor Program!!!

Members' Films take the Apollo Film Festival by storm as they Win main Prizes at!!

Members moving up the ladder

Lodi Matsetela - Has added title "DIRECTOR" to her resume
As we know, no matter how long you've been in the industry, to get that first directing break is hard, that's if it happens at all.

So, Lodi took up the challenge and self-financed her short film BFF (Best friends forever) to enable her directing début.

Members' Films showing in International Film Festivals

"Laxmi's Blessing" by Karin Slater
at the Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA)
50 Years of love Karin Slater and "Confessions of a gambler" by Rayda Jacobs
at Apollo film festival
"Society" by Puo Pha Productions Lodi and Makgano
at Festival Brasil Mix From 12 November - 19 December 2008 in 4 cities in Brazil.
"Confessions of a gambler" by Rayda Jacobs &
'Society' Feature edit by Puo Pha Productions Lodi
at Africa in the picture (AitP)
" 'BFF' (Best Friend Forever) by Lodi Matsetela - at Out in Africa