PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO
WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER
In development:
Documentary: AI-assisted documentary film based on the autobiography This is My Life, by Pamela Tumeka Koyana Letlaka.
Comedy Series: Just Shoot It! In the pulsing heart of contemporary Johannesburg, a dark crime dramedy unfolds, presenting a bold narrative that subverts genre expectations. This 6-part series follows an ambitious young TV producer whose desperation and creative drive lead her to an audacious venture that blurs the lines between legal and illegal, ethical and unethical. Blending thrilling plot twists with dark humor and sharp wit, the show challenges viewers to examine the complex landscape of ambition, morality and personal identity. As the protagonist navigates increasingly precarious choices, the series offers a nuanced exploration of success, identity, and the lengths one might go to achieve their dreams.
Historical drama series: Ink Between Worlds, a pioneering South African creative artist, navigates the complexities of identity, culture, and politics as she becomes one of the first African women to achieve international success in her field, straddling two worlds and leaving an indelible mark on history.
MEDIA CONSULTANT International Monetary Fund (IMF), Washington DC
Researched, wrote and directed a 5-part first-ever Racial Equity video series.
CAMPAIGN PROJECT MANAGER: MANDELA 100 DIRECTOR/PRODUCER
Nelson Mandela Foundation USA, Washington DC
US-focused advocacy, partnerships and fundraising campaign initiative of the four official Nelson Mandela legacy organizations: The Nelson Mandela Foundation, The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, The Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, and the Mandela Rhodes Foundation. The campaign served to highlight Mandela's global contribution to advancing equality, social justice, and the well-being of children. The campaign culminated in a gala celebration with a keynote discussion with former President Barack Obama and Graca Machel.
https://www.obama.org/updates/celebrating-mandela-100/
https://www.essence.com/news/barack-obama-hollywood-celebs-and-youth-celebrate-nelson-mandelas-legacy/ www.mandela100usa.org
Wrote, researched, directed and produced Dare to Dream, a modular multimedia documentary on Mandela’s legacy through his legacy organizations.
Dare to Dream: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, considered one of the world’s greatest statesmen and liberators of the 20th century, planned a careful legacy that continues to build the dreams he had for his country and continent. Dare to Dream is the story of those who carry his dream and those who embody it. view the full documentary via the link on the portfolio page.
PROJECT MANAGER Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC
The Will To Adorn – the Aesthetics of African American Diversity, Style and Identity, a multi-city, multi-year curatorial and research project implemented through five Smithsonian partner affiliated museums nationwide.
• Successfully led the complex process of the creation of the new digital multimedia research collaboration platform which was integrated with the Smithsonian Digital Asset Management system (DAMS). Managed the platform development by the internal tech teams and the data migration process from the legacy system to the new platform.
• Managed the content migration of the multimedia research and platform functionality and created a maintenance plan.
• Created and managed the project work plan, planned training workshops, budget management.
• Supervised final outcomes of curatorial exhibitions per partner museum and online curatorial versions for the Smithsonian digital collections. Also oversaw social media production and digital community building. https://folklife.si.edu/will-to-adorn
DIRECTOR
Quizzical Pictures, Johannesburg
4Play: Sex Tips for Girls, a glossy high-end South African television drama series, that follows the lives and loves of four thirty-something women as they negotiate love and relationships in contemporary Johannesburg, South Africa. Broadcast nationally on eTV, 13 x 24 minutes.
4Play: Sex Tips for Girls was part of an extensive HIV awareness campaign created and funded by Johns Hopkins Health and Education in South Africa (JHHESA). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2710700/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm
• Winner : Best Drama Series - SAFTA’s (South African Film and Television Awards)
WRITER/DIRECTOR
United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Johannesburg
In collaboration with the African Leadership Institute, South Africa 2020, a project that involved animations of four future scenarios for South Africa in 2008 and panel debates. The scenarios were constructed by a think tank of thirty South African future leaders from across the political spectrum and industry sectors: economists, political scientists, business leaders and social policy analysts.
view the full documentary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8pt1XYHmm8&t=260s
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
loveLife, Johannesburg
loveLife’s Television and Radio PSA (Public Service Announcements) campaign for both the Children’s and the Parents' Love to be There, 2010 campaign. The series was produced by the loveLife advocacy campaign (mainly funded by the Kaiser Foundation) and broadcast nationally on the SABC and in film theaters.
WRITER/DIRECTOR: of one of the six loveLife 60-second Youth PSA’s for 2010 Love To Be There. The campaign won the Gold category for Brand Marketing Campaign of the year, Sunday Times Business Excellence Awards.
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
loveLife, Johannesburg
A World Aids Day documentary-hybrid series special produced by loveLife, broadcast nationally on the SABC.
DIRECTOR
Quizzical Pictures, Johannesburg
Soul City, an award-winning flagship drama series which has become one of South Africa’s most loved television shows over the past 21 years. Set in the fictional Soul City Township, Soul City mirrors the social and development challenges faced by poor communities as it weaves health and social issues into real-life stories for the millions of people who have grown to trust the powerful messages of this very popular drama series. Broadcast nationally on the SABC, 13 x 24 minutes.
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
loveLife, Johannesburg Sexualmentality, a TV documentary series exploring notions of masculinity and sexual behavior choices of young men. Broadcast nationally on the SABC.
Director: Xolani’s Story, one of the documentaries in the series. • Selected for competition in the 13th African Film Festival, Milan, Italy.
WRITER/DIRECTOR Independent, Johannesburg
Various youth rights television programs including Get Real, a factual television series for 13 to 18-year-olds designed to educate about children’s democratic rights. Received the Unicef Prize and Japan President’s Award. Broadcast nationally on the SABC.
WRITER/DIRECTOR/POST-PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Off The Record, the first political satire current affairs series in South Africa. Broadcast nationally on the SABC, 48 minutes x 12 epsiodes.
• Winner : Best Comedy Writing- SAFTA’s (South Africa Film and Television Awards)
DIRECTOR
Discovery Channel: Europe
Golden Girls, a 48-minute documentary about race, class and gender, looking at the first women in the South African mining industry to do men’s jobs. Broadcast on Discovery Channel in Europe, the US, and nationally in South Africa on the SABC and continentally in the rest of Africa on DSTV.
WRITER/DIRECTOR Johannesburg
Mamlambo, a short half-hour film (shot 35mm) that was part of the Africa Dreaming series. The series is comprised of six half-hour fiction films from six different African countries. Mamlambo was voted audience favorite of the series at the world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) and has been invited to 65 international festivals. Broadcast in South Africa and various European and African countries. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0224823/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm#cast
• Best Short Film prize at the Abidjan International Short Film Festival.
Mamlambo has also been used as part of the course curriculum for three different university departments, namely: Drama, Urban Geography and Architecture, at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.
WRITER/DIRECTOR of non-site specific film & video installation: ‘Relationships of Absence - Presence in our Absences’ for a traveling exhibition on architecture in South Africa which presented the results of the research of the history of South-African architecture and urban planning and development during and after the Apartheid. The multi-disciplinary exhibition was called ‘blank ______ Architecture, Apartheid and After’ and was commissioned by the Netherlands Architecture Institute. The exhibition premiered in Rotterdam and later travelled to Berlin, Johannesburg and Rio de Janeiro. This exhibition presented the results of the research of the history of South African architecture and urban planning and development during and after the Apartheid.
DIRECTOR Johannesburg
Various independent documentaries broadcast nationally on the SABC including Music Saved My Life, the only documentary on jazz wunderkid Moses Molelekwa, (48 minutes); The Return, a documentary on the newly returned exiles to South Africa at the time of South Africa’s first democratic elections (48 minutes)
COMMERCIALS DIRECTOR
Local Heroes Motion Pictures, Johannesburg
Directed the only commercial from Africa for the United Nations 50th Anniversary which premiered at the United Nations Beijing International Conference for Women.
TELEVISION BROADCASTING EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE
Head of Formats
South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Johannesburg
Devised the television network’s overall strategy for the development and output of original and localized international television formats for all genres. Research and knowledge building around formats creation, broadcast trends and best practices for the SABC. Data analysis of programming to evolve ongoing strategy. Developed and maintained guidelines for ethical factual content production.
Head of Entertainment Genre/ Commissioning Editor
South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Johannesburg
Management of the Entertainment unit. Formulated and presented data-driven Entertainment strategy to the network channel heads for implementation. Budget monitoring of the unit.
• Commissioned and managed the contracting process for successful external production companies.
• Led development process and all aspects of editorial.
• Production management: Managed production schedules and simultaneously supervised an average slate of 12 -15 (thirteen episode seasons) television programmes due for broadcast per year.
• Budget management: Managed concurrent multiple budgets to meet cost containment.
• Training: Designed workshop curriculum and conducted training for internal and external teams.
• External stakeholder management: independent producers, international broadcasters, advocacy partners, government departments and media relations with external media for my programming slate. • Internal stakeholder management: for cross-functional teams for resource optimization of internal business units - Marketing, Research, Airtime Sales, Legal.
Portfolio of programs developed and managed: Factual formats, Comedy hybrids, Wild Life/Conservation, Late Night Talk/Comedy, Magazine, Coaching/Life skills, Gameshows, Cooking, international format Reality television, Late Night Talk/Comedy, Music, Dance, Live Musical Worldwide Events.
INDUSTRY ADJUDICATION
Jurist, Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA’s)
The Africa Movie Academy Awards are widely considered to be Africa's most important film event and the most prestigious film awards in Africa. Invitations are extended to various highly qualified film and television practitioners across the African continent to become members of the College of Screeners, based on their reputation and commitment to the development of African film.
Jurist, International Emmys® in the Arts Programming and Documentary categories
Adjudicator/evaluator for grant-giving for both fiction and documentary categories for the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), the only government-funded national arts endowment agency for audiovisual productions and training in, South Africa.
EDUCATION
MA History, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Thesis focus: Transitional Justice and Gender.
Transmedia Storytelling: Narrative worlds, emerging technologies, and global audiences, UNSW, Sydney
Certificate in Screenwriting, Binger FilmLab, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Formats and Development Program at EMC -Entertainment Master Class, Cambridge, UK
Media Production Certificate, TWN, New York City