Sebonta scoops all the awards
Spira Tlhankane | Tuesday June 21, 2016 14:15
Completing AFDA honours degree students solely produced the film and they were competing against three other films Raskanta, Zola My Beginnings and Gatwe E Rile. During the screening, the audience was given a chance to grade the students and choose their best film.
Among the most prestigious best short film award, Sebonta also scooped best editor, best writer, best director, best cinematography, best costume design and makeup, best sound and best production design. It did not come as a surprise for a film that received a standing ovation at the cinema.
In an interview with Showbiz, the producer of the film Difemelo Monkutlwatsi said they are humbled because the awards are a proof of a job well done. He said as they now venture into the industry after graduation, they have something to show. “Sebonta was the favourite. We are now in talks because people who didn’t get to see the movie are requesting another screening,” he said.
Monkutlwatsi said the film was also screened last Friday at the AFDA campus in Johannesburg alongside productions from other AFDA campuses in South Africa. He said everyone who was involved in the production of Sebonta has agreed to continue working together in the future. “We worked together as a team and we would like to continue doing so as we get into the industry,” he highlighted. Monkutlwatsi said they will however not only focus on films but they will broaden the scope into wildlife documentaries and TV adverts.
“Our hope is for the upcoming new television station to work for us and air more local content,” he said. Monkutlwatsi added that since they don’t have start-up capital to buy equipment, they will borrow equipment from AFDA because they are no longer students there.
The director of the film, Thabiso Ranthoyakgale said the future looks bright for the film industry in this country. “We are also thankful to AFDA for the opportunity they gave all of us,” he said.
“It has been a grueling 10 months putting up this film together to be what it is today. We will cherish this defining moments for now but the real work begins. I am happy for my crew; they worked effortlessly for this and they deserve it and also the cast who gave it their all with great performances,” he said. Ranthoyakgale gave special thanks to their lecturer Shmerah Passchier who he said pushed them to the limits.
Sebonta is a very explosive and compelling story that portrays the reality of the amount of intolerance and homophobic tendencies of society against same-sex relations. Even though it tackles a hot and sensitive issue of homosexuality, the story is engaging from beginning to the end.
Though the cast of the film didn’t get any award because they were not students, the actor who played the lead character Tebo Magopane was a perfect fit to the Sebonta character. He confessed during the screening that he had always hated gays but playing the role changed the way he looked at homosexuals. Although Magopane is not a student at AFDA, his acting skills cannot go unrecognised. He has acted in Botswana Television drama Mareledi and his performance in Sebonta could possibly earn him a place at AFDA and many other opportunities.