Jenna Cato Bass

Writer-director-producer Jenna exploded onto the South African film scene with her debut LOVE THE ONE YOU LOVE in 2014 in which she shot, edited, produced, wrote and directed. The film garnered five awards including Best SA Feature and Best Direction at Africa’s premiere film festival in Durban, Best feature Film at Jozi Film Festival, a Young Audience Award at Nantes Three Continents Festival, and Best First Feature Film by a Director at the African Movie Academy Awards, the following year. Body swap comedy HIGH FANTASY came next; entirely shot on an iPhone Jenna workshopped the film with the cast and played with contemporary South African themes of land expropriation, gender and race politics amongst the Born-Free generation. The film played at AFI and Berlin amongst others, where it was nominated for the Audience and Teddy awards respectively. In 2018 Jenna co-wrote RAFIKI – the controversial Kenyan gay love story with director Wanuri Kahiu that was banned on home turf. The film played widely at festivals, won several awards, and was nominated for the Cannes Un Certain Regard and Queer Palm awards at the 2018 festival. Jenna’s third feature, FLATLAND – a contemporary female western set in South Africa’s semi desert Karoo region – opened the 2019 Berlinale Panorama programme. A “picaresque road movie”, it was compared by Variety to the work of Andrea Arnold; with its “free, friction-based energy of the film’s performance style and the ragged lyricism …[and] its happy mixing of gravelly realist texture and romantic metaphor”. A portrait of femininity the film was produced by South African vet and Jenna’s long-time collaborator David Horler and distributed by The Match Factory. Fourth feature GOOD MADAM (MLUNGU WAM) produced by Causeway Films (THE BABADOOK) and distributed by Shudder, the pic premiered in the 2021 TIFF Platform to fabulous reviews. Jenna is developing across film and television with a teen horror comedy with Nim Geva of SA’s Quizzical Pictures.

Represented by David Kayser

Nico Scheepers

Nico Scheepers is a screenwriter, director, and playwright.

As a Writer/Director, Nico has two series to his name including the critically acclaimed family saga NÊRENS, NOORD-KAAP (Multichoice, 2021), and the original crime thriller series DONKERBOS (Showmax, 2022/2023). DONKERBOS screened as part of the Berlinale Series Select for 2023. His fantasy short, DIE MAAN VAL BEWUSTELOOS, won him the Best Director prize at the 2017 Silwerskerm Festival. He is currently working on two new series, and the development of his first Feature.

As a playwright, Nico’s work has been published in South Africa, performed at the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town, The Market Theatre in Johannesburg, and at the Aan De Braak in Amsterdam. He has won 5 Fiësta Theatre Awards and in 2018 recieved the Fleur Du Cap for Best New Director.

Nico’s roots in the rural African landscape permeate his work, bringing a gravity and authenticity to his original worlds and characters.

Represented by Aoife Lennon-Ritchie

Mpho Osei-Tutu

In a career spanning 20+ years, Mpho has worked as an actor and a writer with an array of
celebrated people including Disney’s RISE director, Akin Omotoso and Fox’s 9-1-1 director,
Jann Turner.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Dramatic Art from Wits University in Johannesburg, South
Africa where he majored in Writing, Television and Performance; and works across a variety
of genres with credits in comedy and drama series, films, sketch TV, late-night talk shows,
award ceremonies and theatre shows.

Mpho has been on the SAFTA winning writing teams for RHYTHM CITY (Best Soap 2009),
CHECK COAST (Best TV Comedy 2015), THULANI NO THULI (Best TV Comedy 2018) and
was on the writing team for the 2010 International Emmy Nominated Best TV
Movie/Miniseries HOPEVILLE. His foray into show running two seasons of the TV Comedy
KOTA LIFE CRISIS garnered 1 SAFTA win and 12 SAFTA nominations. He co-wrote the
short JOBURG which won at UCLA Director’s Spotlight in 2007 and gained
Official Selection at Sundance (2010), Seattle International (2008), Durban International
(2008), Brooklyn International (2008), Los Angeles (2007), Telluride (2007), Starz Denver
(2007) and Santa Fe (2007).

He is presently working on a number of pilots and is a writer on ETV’s THE BLACK DOOR.

Represented by David Kayser

Ari Kruger

Ari Kruger is the co-creator and director of the hugely popular web-series SUZELLE DIY which has garnered over 22 million views on YouTube and been broadcast nationally on Comedy Central. He is also the co-creator and director of the sensational mockumentary series TALI’S WEDDING DIARY, which was awarded five South African Film & Television Awards, including Best Director for a Comedy Series. Both productions epitomise his impeccable comic timing and talent for creating memorable characters. Ari has attracted notable attention with his short films, having been a finalist at the world’s largest short film festival Tropfest in 2011, in competition with the likes of filmmakers like Joel Edgerton. His films have screened in festivals across the globe with two of his short films having been selected as Vimeo Staff Picks. His latest short film WAITING FOR GOLDMAN is currently racking up awards on the festival circuit, winning Best Dark Comedy at IndieX Film Festival and Independent Short Awards in Los Angeles. Ari won best director for TALI’S BABY DIARY (the sequel to BABY DIARY) which also won Best Comedy series at the 2022 SAFTAS. The third installment of the hit series TALI’S JOBURG DIARY dropped on Showmax earlier this year and has been received with critical acclaim. Ari and his wife Julia Anastasopoulos are the co-owners of Sketchbook Studios, a production company in Cape Town where they produce original content, television series, features and commercials.

Represented by David Kayser

Fabian Medea

An alum of Wits and AFDA Fabian completed his first feature film script GOODNIGHT IRENE, which won him entry to the SPARK writer’s development program at the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF). In 2011 he was invited to the Script Writer’s Master’s Course at the NFVF, where he first started to develop WILD IS THE WIND which was first released on Netflix 28 October 2022. Before this Fabian worked as a professional script writer in television. As a staff writer, he pitched, developed and wrote hundreds of scripts for telenovelas and hour long drama series for some of the top production companies in Joburg. Shows included: ZONE 14, THE WILD, JACOB’S CROSS, INKABA, ZABALAZA and ISIBAYA for which he received a SAFTA nomination for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Scriptwriting’. Working in TV allowed him to hone his craft and gave him the experience needed to complete WILD IS THE WIND, which reached the top ten in 83 countries within its first week of release. Fabian is actively developing projects across film and television and is drawn to heightened genre.

 

Represented by David Kayser

Neiloe Whitehead

Neiloe Whitehead cut her teeth in the production and development department of the National Film and Video Foundation.  Spearheading the documentary program at the foundation as a manager Neiloe’s duties included overseeing TV formats, and development and production content for both fiction and non-fiction. Neiloe has also worked with various funds, film festivals, television broadcasters both locally and internationally, was part of the Eurodoc International program in 2011 and was development exec at Fireworx Media and recently completed the 2022 Realness/Netflix lab for development execs. Neiloe has written on SIGNAL HIGH, SPLINTERED PIECES and three seasons of uBETTINA WETHU, the South African changed format of UGLY BETTY. She has several original TV and feature film projects at various stages of development and is co-owner of Black Seed Film Hub, a black female led production company.

 

Represented by Aoife Lennon-Ritchie and David Kayser

Sydney Dire

Zimbabwean born screenwriter Sydney Dire began his career as a writer for CHIPAWO, an Arts Education Trust based in Zimbabwe before relocating to South Africa in 2012 where he worked in development for leading production house Quizzical Pictures. Sydney then joined Black Brain Productions as a writer on the hit sitcom SES’TOP’LA (SABC 1) and was a Storyliner on the popular Telenovela ISITHEMBISO for Mzansi Magic/MNET in 2018 proudly part of the team that won the SAFTA for TV writing in 2019. Sydney went on to become Head Writer of ISITHEMBISO for its third Season, and he is currently Head Writer of the new telenovela HOUSE OF ZWIDE which he co-created and which began airing on eTV in 2021. Alongside his head writing duties Sydney penned episodes for two Netflix original series including heist drama JUSTICE SERVED (July 22) with the other due to drop on the streamer later in 2022. He is currently writing on another two Netflix original series. Sydney is at home across both drama and comedy. His one-hour pilot drama THE FOUR QUEENS reached the finals of the Screencraft Pilot competition in 2017, his half hour comedy pilot DESMOND AND THE DEVIL reached both the finals of the 2020 Filmmatic TV Pilot Awards and the 2020 WeScreenplay TV Contest and his hour long political thriller pilot BAD MEDICINE reached the top 10 of  the prestigious Sir Peter Ustinov Scriptwriting competition hosted by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

 

Represented by David Kayser

Darrel Bristow-Bovey

Award-winning screenwriter, author, and columnist Darrel Bristow-Bovey has written five feature-length films, including THE SUNDAY AFFAIR (2022), NOTHING FOR MAHALA (2013) and INSIDE STORY (2011), which won Best African Film at the Zanzibar International Film Festival and Special Jury Award at the Los Angeles Pan-African Film Festival in 2012.

The winner of multiple South African Film and Television Awards, Darrel was head writer for the multi-award-winning television dramas THE LAB and HARD COPY, and the forthcoming DARK HEARTS for M-Net and ZDF, and THE SECRET LIVES OF BABA SEGI’S WIVES and BABY FARM, both for EbonyLife and Netflix.

He was a senior writer on HOPEVILLE, which won Best Drama/ Mini Series at the Rose d’Or Global Television Festival in 2010, and was nominated for an International Emmy for Best Mini Series.

Darrel has also published five books and was a finalist for the Caine Prize for African Literature. His original play PRIEST WITH BALLOONS won the 2018 Scribe Award and premieres in 2022.

Represented by Aoife Lennon-Ritchie

Khotso Rams

Johannesburg based Khotso is a television host, radio personality, actor and writer. Currently on Radio 702 Khotso hosts the weekly entertainment show THE EARLY BREAKFAST SHOW and is TV host on Moja Love’s Siyaya TV. As an actor he has performed across stage and screen on shows on SABC, Showmax and Moja Love. Khotso is currently developing his original comedy series THE PINK MAFIA as writer and creator with a small team of SA TV personalities.

Represented by David Kayser

Karen Jeynes

Karen has worked extensively as a writer for stage and screen and is perhaps best known for her work with Both Worlds as the head writer for ZANEWS: PUPPET NATION. She was head writer and director on RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER starring Maria Doyle Kennedy for MNET/Acorn/AMC which TX in SA on Mnet in 2022 with its bow on Acorn internationally in September of the same year. Karen has worked with Pixel Perfect, writing Bioskop movies for Mzansi Magic and served as head writer for 90 PLEIN STREET season 5 for SABC, as well as writing for shows like VAYA MZANSI and MOFEREFERE LENYALONG as well as work in children’s television writing such as THABANG THABONG and SUPASTRIKAS. In theatre, her plays include the multi award-winning EVERYBODY ELSE (IS F*CKING PERFECT) (Best Comedy 2005), KISS KISS, I’LL HAVE WHAT SHE’S HAVING, and LAYING BLAME (translated into 7 languages), as well as VASLAV, which was nominated for 3 Fleur du Cap Awards. Karen was part of How Now Brown Cow’s inaugural Writer’s Collective for 2021 and her satirical self-help book THE KAREN BOOK OF RULES, co-authored with Karin Schimke, was published in 2020 by Tafelberg, and her co-authored book FLOW: THE BOOK ABOUT MENSTRUATION was published in August 2021 with Kwela. She is completing her MA in Writing for the Screen through Falmouth University whilst developing a handful of film and television projects with Both Worlds.

 

Represented by Aoife Lennon-Ritchie and David Kayser