Born, bred and educated in Johannesburg, Sean graduated from Wits with a BA Honours in English Lit and Philosophy, and an MA in Film and TV. Since then, he has worked extensively on some of South Africa’s premier dramas, including head writing the TV adaptation of the 2013 critically acclaimed iNumber Number, scriptwriting for Showmax’s dark and twisted The Girl from St. Agnes (both p. Quizzical Pics), and script editing spy thriller Trackers  – the Deon Meyer adaptation for Mnet, Cinemax and ZDF. His most recent short film, Axis Mundi, co-written and co-directed with Matthew Jankes, has won numerous awards including best director, screenplay, and short film at kykNET’s 2018 Silwerskermfees, as well as best short film at the 2019 Jozi Film Festival. Sean and Matthew have also just completed writing an eight-part crime/drama for Canal +. Sean is currently a script editor for the National Film and Video Foundation, and is in the process of developing a tragicomedic crime story about a matriarch of a crime family.

Represented by David Kayser

Voline Ogutu is a Keynan painter, screenwriter and director. She has written for several local TV series including Sumu La Penzi, Jane And Abel, Fihi, Sunrise, Waliobaki, Keru, and How To Find A Husband amongst others. Voline’s also created and written two M-Net movies; Orphan and Hosptial which are available on Showmax Kenya. She has written and directed award winning short films, Seed and Viral and has written and directed horror feature film, The Witch From Chaka, which is currently in postproduction. Voline has a handful of projects in development including TV series Dilemma which was selected for the Durban Talents 2020. She is currently writing on Netflix’s first African animated series Mama K’s Team 4 and two comedy series for Showmax; NJORO WA Uba and Varshita.

Represented by Aoife Lennon-Ritchie

Johannesburg native Matthew earned his stripes lensing music videos, commercials and TV drama across the African continent. In 2009 Focus Features financed Matthew’s short film Umkhungo as part of their Africa First programme and the film went on to screen internationally and win a SAFTA amongst several other awards. Matthew went on to study at the NFTS in London and graduated in 2015 with his film Brothers (d. Thordur Palsson). On home turf Matthew has been writing and directing South African television, including the TV adaptation of the 2013 critically acclaimed iNumberNumber for SA cabler/SVODs Mzansi Magic and Showmax, as well as working across commercials and promos under the banner Johnny Gun Films. His latest short film Axis Mundi starring Deon Lotz and co-written and co-directed with Sean Steinberg won best director and best SA short at the 2019 Jozi Film awards. Matthew and Sean are currently co-writing an 8-part series for Canal+. Matthew’s fascinated with raw, complex and deeply blemished characters and drawn towards crime dramas, thrillers and political intrigues.

Represented by David Kayser

Bongi Ndaba is a South African writer, director and producer who began her screen career in 2003 writing for one of SA’s top soaps Generations. Bongi became the head-writer for the show in 2011 and raised the viewership by 3 million, breaking its own record. Bongi repeated her success in 2018 as head writer for Uzalo, where the show broke its record with 10.2 million viewers. Bongi’s original series Sokhulu and Partners for SABC1, won seven SAFTAS in 2009 and was nominated for an International Emmy. SABC1 then commissioned Bongi to adapt her stage play Shreds and Dreams (The Market Theatre) for television, under the mentorship of Zakes Mda.

Bongi has created Saints and Sinners for SA cabler Mzansi Magic, was lead writer/showrunner on Ke Thaba Bosiu (Greed And Desire) and eHostela also for Mzansi Magic, season two of which is currently in post. Bongi wrote on the International Emmy-nominated South African drama Home Affairs and in film Bongi’s short Father Christmas Doesn’t Come Around Here was awarded the Best Narrative Short at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. Her latest, Miracle, has screened at multiple international festivals, picking up several awards.

Bongi is currently developing her first feature and has developed a drama slate for SA cable channel MojaLove. She recently participated in the African Women Writer’s Symposium for the Department of Arts and Culture and is a resident script writing lecturer at the first township film academy LimAcademy in Eesterus, Pretoria, and Alexandra Township.

Represented by David Kayser

Craig is a writer and director of theatre, film and television.

In 2004 Craig wrote and directed his first feature film, the black comedy Gums & Noses which was adapted from his play of the same name (Apollo Film Festival Best Feature Award 2004).  Alongside his theatre work, Craig has written on several TV comedies and co-created and directed two seasons of the improvised comedy series Sorted, which was nominated for an International Emmy Award for Comedy in 2003. Craig’s second feature Jozi, which he wrote and directed, was released in 2009. It was in 2012, however, where Craig broke out with his third feature, Material, which had an extremely successful theatrical run domestically and won five 2013 SAFTA awards including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Sound Design and Best Film. Craig’s fourth feature, the drama Beyond The River with Heartlines and Quizzical Pictures, was released in April 2017. Craig was writer on Akin Omotoso’s feature Vaya which secured a small US release and he recently completed post on New Material the sequel to 2012’s Material. He is currently developing several new film and television projects, including The Road To Broad Bay, a NZ / SA co-production based on Sean Davison’s book Before We Say Goodbye for producer Philippa Campbell (Top Of The Lake), a true life inspired crime series for Stan Joseph/Ochre Pics and M-Net and a feature for Sadie Frost under her Back to Black production banner. Craig is based in Johannesburg.

Represented by David Kayser

Fred Strydom is an author, screenwriter, and director living on the Garden Route.  He studied Film and Media at the University of Cape Town and was a member of the Cape Comedy Collective. Fred has two published novels. His debut the speculative epic The Raft was followed by psychological thriller The Inside-out Man. Both novels have sold internationally and the latter was optioned for the screen by Davids Canton Productions. Fred was hired to adapt his novel and is now attached to the project as director. Fred is adapting Ania Alhborn’s novel Brother for Davids Canton Productions; he is adapting an Afrofuturistic feature in the vein of Black Panther for Xenopoulos Productions; he has written the feature I Carry You Always for Local Motion Pictures which in development with M-Net. Fred has a handful of original feature screenplays ranging from African gothic to sci-fi thrillers.

Represented by Aoife Lennon-Ritchie