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Hats Off to DUT’s Film Making Rising Star

Hats Off to DUT’s Film Making Rising Star

While many see film making as a pool of intense camera action, jotting down scripts, make-up and photography, Mzwandile Ndaba, an upcoming film maker at DUT sees his career on the film set as a calling.

Ndaba is a final-year Video Technology student. He grew up in KwaMashu, Durban, and believes that this background spurred his vocation of film making, with the environment of a small township that has rich history and culture complementing this ambition.

His father used to hire movies for the family when he (Mzwandile) was young and this played a valuable role in grooming his passion for cinema which he fell in love with when he was 10 years old. Through all the screenings of Bruce Lee, Rambo and the good old James Bond film series, Ndaba became enthusiastic about film making and dreamt of the day when he would be granted the opportunity to set his foot in the film making industry.

Ndaba says his desire for film matured massively when he enrolled at DUT to study Video Technology. Under Professor Pete Burnett, he was provided with the space to learn and mould his craft which broadened his knowledge and love for film.

In third year, Ndaba produced a five minute film titled Nowhere to Run. He led his team in producing the exceptional work. Ntuthuko Qwabe wrote the script while another colleague, Philani Khowa did sound editing. Vuyisile Jojozi managed lighting and photography while Craig Zammitt directed the film.

The team came across pre-production, stage and script challenges. They had to change location due to issues involving the theme of the film which is mainly xenophobia. Sadly, one of the main characters in the film’s pre-production passed away. This however gave the team more zeal to finish producing the film.

Ndaba submitted Nowhere to Run to the Simon Mabhunu Sabela Film Awards. The awards are named after Sabela, the country’s first black film director. Ndaba was shortlisted in the competition and was honoured with the Best New Comer Award at a gala event at Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre recently.

Upon being conveyed with this honour, Ndaba said, “It was a wonderful and exciting feeling. I was happy for just being nominated and overwhelmed that I made it as a finalist at the awards.” He is ecstatic about his work being recognised. Winning the award has been a great morale boost for Ndaba and his team. He however believes that although the film industry in South Africa has grown and matured with time, there are not many mentors passing on the baton to young artists which he believes stalls progress.

Ndaba says juniors in the business should be encouraged by the growing opportunities in film making which funders and investors now find as an interesting venture in the country. He currently works for Just Vision where he is the Director of the Video Department. Ndaba is currently co-directing his first feature film which is currently at pre-production stage. A 20 minute documentary project for eTV is also on the cards.

– Gift Nyamapfene

Pictured: DUT Video Technology student Mzwandile Ndaba, an upcoming film maker who recently won the Best New Comer Award at the Simon Mabhunu Sabela Film Awards.

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