Testimonials
DFM Access Participant
Sam Soko
Sam Soko is a documentary filmmaker based in Nairobi, Kenya. With his captivating approach to socio-political storytelling, he has developed content and collaborated with firebrand artists worldwide. He’s the co-founder of LBx Africa, a Kenyan production company that works with local and international filmmakers to bring uniquely African perspectives to global audiences. His first feature documentary project, Softie, premiered at the 2020 Sundance film festival, winning a special jury prize for editing. He’s an outspoken defender of freedom of expression and has taken part in global conversations on strengthening storytelling in an increasingly precarious world
Claire Louis
Clare Louis returned to South Africa in 2014 after spending 18 years abroad to complete her MA in Digital Arts [3D-Animation] at WITs University. Prior to launching her own production company, she progressed through the ranks to become an animation and live-action producer at Coal Stove Pictures in Johannesburg until 2016. She is now the owner of Katanimate Animation Studios based in her home town of Durban. Currently, they are working on the pilot episode of 3D animated TV series Time Sliders and the development of a preschool show called Knittyville. Claire is an active member of AnimationSA and has extensive experience from creating & developing projects, script-reading, presenting concepts to broadcasters, attending international markets and managing teams to bring in projects on budget and on time.
Milisuthando Bongela
Nicole Schafer
Nicole Schafer is an independent filmmaker based in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands. Her recently released feature documentary, “Buddha in Africa” has screened at festivals around the world and has been broadcast on international networks such as ARTE, Al Jazeera, NHK VPRO, across Africa on AfriDocs and in South Africa on Showmax . The film has won numerous local and international awards including most recently, “Best feature documentary” and “Best Achievement in Directing” in the 2020 South African Film and Television Awards. Nicole has lived in Malawi where she worked as a video journalist producing stories for an international news network. She has worked in different areas of the local and international film and television industry and has an MFA in Film and Television from UCT (2015). Nicole is the director of the production company, Thinking Strings Media, which is aimed at supporting the production of creative feature documentaries and is well positioned to facilitate documentary as well as feature film shoots in KwaZulu-Natal. Nicole works as a documentary producer, director, cinematographer and editor.
Carlos Yuri Ceunick
His short documentary film “”Dona Mónica”” received a special mention from the jury at the Saint-Louis International Documentary Film Festival in Senegal (2020).His first feature length documentary “”The Master’s Plan”” is an official selection at AFRIFF 2021. Received financial support from Hot Docs – Blue Ice Fund, VAF (Flanders Film Fund), RTBF, Creative Europe. It was pitched at Africadoc (2016), MiradasDoc (2018) and Durban FilmMart (2018) where it received the HDBIG – Outstanding Storyteller Award. Currently working on the production of his second feature length documentary project “”The New Man””. It was pitched at Ouaga Film Lab (2020). Received financial support from Fond Jeune Creation Francophone, World Cinema Fund and DocA.
He was selected in 2021 for the EFM DocSalon Toolbox program (Berlinale), SDI connecting stories program and Nipkow program (Berlin).
