The MultiChoice VUKA! Awards were announced at a gala awards evening held at The Bassline in Newtown on Wednesday, November 22. Representing MultiChoice’s flagship corporate social investment programme, the VUKA! Awards encourages established and aspirant creatives to produce a TV commercial for a charity or cause that is close to their hearts in the form of Public Service Announcements (PSAs). The top 20 commercials – 10 made by professionals and 10 by industry newcomers – will be screened on DStv channels from January next year. Says Nolo Letele CEO of MultiChoice “ We recognize the need and importance of providing a platform for aspiring filmmakers to showcase the rich heritage of our country. It is an opportunity for both the corporate and film industry to mentor and nurture our talent so that they can also shine on the world stage. The VUKA! awards is an extension of MultiChoice’s Mission of Enriching Lives and we are proud to be associated with a project that delivers hope and endless opportunity. Congratulations to all the entrants who have so passionately brought their stories to life, we wish them well in their future endeavours”. The two winning commercials both took a hard-hitting look at child abuse whilst anti-drug and anti-smoking ads were also a popular choice. This year the environment also came under the spotlight with newcomer – electronic engineer Allan Liddle – using open source software downloaded for free from the Internet for his PSA Save Water. The overall winner in the professional category is the PSA Tokoloshe which raised awareness for the South African Abused Children’s Fund. It was produced by Adam Thal of Star Productions and directed by Verushka Vogt. The commercial is a heart-wrenching look at a child who puts his bed on bricks to escape the tokoloshe but cannot escape the evil monsters in his own family. Says Thal, whose short film Under The Rainbow was showcased at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival: “All credit must go to Verushka who came up with the concept. She’s a researcher who is trying to branch out into directing and we decided to give her a chance. She told us her idea and we thought it was brilliant and made the decision to back her”. A big winner this year is the DEA Tik commercial for Heart of Healing and the Drug Education Agency. Produced by Jeanne Watson for Big Bang Stunts it took honours in three categories for best direction (Gabriel Williams), best cinematography (Arthur West) and best sound design and original music (Digital Forest). It is a bold and ambitious look at the scourge of the drug Tik (crystal meth) amongst schoolchildren. Best Professional concept and script went to Tar (Graydon Pieterse and Marcelle du Plessis for Net#Work BBDO); editing There’s No Going Back (Josh Galvin for Y&R CT) and best animation The Rubbish Monster (Braam Jordaan for Condor Cape Town). There was no award made this year in the best humour category. In the best newcomer category the overall winner went to We Are Sure which was produced and directed by Leon von Solms for Rape Crisis Cape Town. It is a poignant look at a young woman exploring whether she was abused as a young child by a relative. A special mention went to the heartwarming Cotlands PSA I’ve got Life created by Lisa Walters & Siven Maslamoney. This commercial was shot as a series of stills and each frame was graded to create mood. The little girl featured in the commercial is a Cotlands child. The anti-smoking animated ad Smoked Beef walked away with three awards – best direction (Matthew Bilton); best humour (Bilton) and best animation (Bilton, Niki Cilliers and Tom Kleinenberg). The Champion for People Against Women Abuse took best editing (Steven Mabunda) and best sound design/original music (Mabunda). There were no awards made in the concept and script category this year and the judges recommended that agencies need to become involved and mentor young scriptwriters. All entries are judged on merit and judges do not know who the entrants are. Judges this year for the professional category were Peter Carr (Velocity); Tracey Williams (Videolab); Alan Ralston (Choas); Pendra Dissel (Surburban); Barry Dean; Roger Tavares (JWT) and Teboho Mahlatsi (Bomb). The judges in the newcomer category were Cindy Lee (Blender); Brian Cawood (Fusion Films); Thabo Marera (Velocity); Rob Wilson (cinematographer); Lesley Wyldbore (House Post Production); Andrew Trail (House Post Production) and Aurelia Driver (Monkey Films). The MultiChoice VUKA! 2006 Top 20 entries which will be screened together with the semi finalists on DStv from January next year are: Final round judges: Peter Carr (Velocity), Rob Wilson (Cinematographer), Paul Hanrahan (Guillotine Post Production), Leseedi Maja (Marketing Manager, MultiChoice), Judith Mofutsanyana (McCann Ericksson), Matthew Brink (Lowe Bull), Teboho Mahlatsi (Director) Top 10 professional entries: Life Manual Charity Organisation: Girls and Boys Town Advertising Agency: The Jupiter Drawing Room Concept/Script: Nicola Wilson, Liam Wielopolski & David Kreuger Production House: The Picture Tree Producer: Jackie Nel Director: Oscar Strauss Cinematographer: Tom Van Schaik Original Sound: Rob Schroeder & Andrew Stansfield Editor: Tessa Ford Powa Charity Organisation: Powa Advertising Agency: The Jupiter Drawing Room CT Concept & Script: The Jupiter Drawing Room Production House: Suburban Films Producer: Liels Lategan Director: Sheila Kubheka Cinematographer: Anton De Bruyn Original Sound: NA Editor: Isa Lee Jacobson There’s No Going Back (Winner in the best editing category and finalist in the best direction and best cinematography categories) Charity Organisation: Drug Education Agency - Drugline Advertising Agency: Y & R CT Concept & Script: Tyler Botha, Deane Longmore and Emily Veitch Production House: Collective Energy Producer: Ian Nivison Director: Grant de Sousa Cinematographer: Dean Slotar Original Sound: Simon Malherbe Editor: Josh Galvin Tar (Winner in the best concept and script category and finalist in the best overall, best direction and best sound design and original music categories. It also received a special mention in the best sound design and original music category) Charity Organisation: National Council Against Smoking Advertising Agency: Net#Work BBDO Concept & Script: Graydon Pieterse and Marcelle du Plessis Production House: Net#Work BBDO Producer: Caroline Switala Director: Harold Holscher Cinematographer: Willie Nel Original Sound: Paul Schaffer Editor: Nic Goodwin Tokoloshe (Winner in the best overall category and finalist in the best direction, best concept and script and best cinematography categories) Charity Organisation: South African Abused Children’s Fund Production House: Star Productions Producer: Adam Thal Director: Verushka Vogt Cinematographer: Willie Nel Concept/Script: Verushka Vogt Original Sound: Mark Eckstein Editor: Tyrone Rubin DEA TIK (Winner in the best direction, best cinematography and best sound design and original music categories and finalist in the best overall, best concept and script and best editing categories) Charity Organisation: Heart of Healing/Drug Education Agency Production House: Big Bang Stunts Producer: Jeanne Watson Director: Gabriel Williams Cinematographer: Arthur West Concept/Script: Gabriel Williams Original Sound: Digital Forest Editor: Eben Smal Remember Them (Finalist in the best editing and best sound design and original music categories) Charity Organisation: Alzheimer’s Association Production House: DC Studios Producer: Cat Lindsay Director: Jahmil XT Qubeka Cinematographer: George Loxton Concept/Script: Tristan Holmes Original Sound: Jahmil XT Qubeka Editor: Warwick Allan The Rubbish Monster (Winner in the best animation category) Charity Organisation: Endangered Wildlife Trust Production House: Condor Cape Town Producer: Braam Jordaan Director: Braam Jordaan Concept/Script: Braam Jordaan Original Sound: Stephen Webster Editor: Braam Jordaan Animation: Braam Jordaan Joke Of The Bushveld Charity Organisation: Endangered Wildlife Trust Advertising Agency: Volcano Advertising Concept & Script: François Boshoff, Greg Watt and Jade Manning Production House: Volcano Advertising Producer: Lara Bayley Director: Marios Nicolettis Cinematographer: Marius Potgieter Original Sound: Mickey Perreira Editor: Vivienne Stother Love Me Love Me Not (Finalist in the best animation category) Charity Organisation: Child Line Production House: Lovebomb Animation Producer: Bernie Roux Director: Bernie Roux Concept/Script: Bernie Roux Original Sound: Gary & Dean Levitt Editor: Bernie Roux Top 10 newcomers: In a Heartbeat (Finalist in the best overall and best editing categories) Charity Organisation: Narconon New Life Centre Production House: Puma Video Producer: Marina Germishuysen Director: Marina Germishuysen Concept/Script: Marina Germishuysen Original Sound: Marina Germishuysen Editor: Louis Fawell Stop It! Charity Organisation: Child Line SA Production House: Universal Computer Arts Academy Producer: Sven Gruber Director: Sven Gruber Cinematographer: Adrian Van Zyl Concept/Script: Kane Croudace Original Sound: Roberto Pita Editor: Roberta Pita Animation: Sven Gruber, Kane Croudace, JC Malan, Roberto Pita, Adrian van Zyl Be Wise, Rubberize (Finalist in the best overall, best direction, best sound design/original music, best humour and best animation categories) Charity Organisation: Planned Parenthood Association Production House: Universal Computer Arts Academy Producer: Simone Cole Director: JC Visser Concept/Script: JC Visser & Simone Cole Original Sound: JC Visser & Simone Cole Editor: JC Visser & Simone Cole Animation: JC Visser & Simone Cole We Are Sure (Winner in the best overall category and finalist in the best direction and best cinematography categories) Charity Organisation: Rape Crisis Cape Town Production House: Independents Producer: Leon von Solms Director: Leon von Solms Cinematographer: Leon Von Solms Concept/Script: Phillipa Yaa Original Sound: Pink House Music Editor: Nicole van der Bijl Smoked Beef (Winner in the best direction, best humour and best animation categories) Charity Organisation: National Council Against Smoking Production House: Universal Computer Arts Academy Producer: Matthew Bilton Director: Matthew Bilton Cinematographer: Matthew Bilton Concept/Script: Matthew Bilton, Niki Cilliers, Tom Kleinenberg Original Sound: Matthew Bilton, Niki Cilliers, Tom Kleinenberg and James Porte Editor: Matthew Bilton Humour: Matthew Bilton Animation: Matthew Bilton, Niki Cilliers, Tom Kleinenberg Aids Awareness Charity Organisation: Aids Awareness Production House: Chaos Films Producer: Asanda Madikane Director: Asanda Madikane Cinematographer: Helen Parker Concept/Script: Asanda Madikane Original Sound: Rommany Allen Editor: Rommany Allen Think (Finalist in the best editing and best design/original music categories) Charity Organisation: Love Life Production House: Independent Producer: Craig Moore Director: Craig Moore Cinematographer: Tom Marais Concept/Script: Craig Moore Original Sound: Tyrone Clarke and Craig Moore Editor: Nic Goodwin Gambling Addiction Charity Organisation: South African Responsible Gambling Foundation Production House: Realtime Pictures Producer: Pieter Dreyer Director: Pieter Dreyer Concept/Script: Pieter Dreyer Original Sound: Dianne van Well Editor: Mark Corrigan Animation: Pieter Dreyer The Champion (Winner in the best editing and best sound design/original music categories) Charity Organisation: POWA Production House: Wits University Producer: Jeffery Rikhotso Director: Steven Mabunda Cinematographer: Bonanga Legwale Concept/Script: Steven Mabunda Original Sound: Steven Mabunda Editor: Steven Mabunda Save Water – While There Is Charity Organisation: The Mvula Trust and Department of Water Affairs and Forestry Production House: Independant Producer: Allan Liddle Director: Allan Liddle Cinematographer: Allan Liddle Concept/Script: Allan Liddle Original Sound: Helen van der Merwe Editor: Allan Liddle Animation: Allan Liddle & Neil Liddle Short Cut Category – only newcomer Getting It On Production House: What Not Entertainment Producer: Mpho Osei-Tutu Director: Mpho Osei-Tutu Cinematographer: James Barber Concept/Script: Mpho Osei-Tutu, Christo Oberholzer, Tumi Morake and James Barber Original Sound: na Editor: Mpumi Ngidi Humour: Mpho Osei-Tutu, Christo Oberholzer, Tumi Morake and James Barber