After being nominated for 10 international awards, the community arts initiative, Touched by Style, was honoured with two awards for their non-profit film project, Death Angel.
The Cape Town-based group earned the International Community Choice Award and the International Recognition Award for 2024, at the ceremony held in Century City on Friday.
The film will now also be showcased at the Interfilm International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, on 29 May.
Co-founders Nic Matthee and Patrick Lategan are enabling actors and crew from the Cape Flats to hone their talents in short films and gain international exposure.
Nic says they have so far bagged 14 awards over a three year period.
An overwhelmed Nic tells the Daily Voice: “We are blown away by this.
“This is a huge awards festival and there were only seven South Africans that entered and we never thought they would present us with these awards.
“We thank the community for this, it was a team effort and we are overwhelmed with emotions.”
Additionally, in 2023, the project garnered two accolades from the Cinevo Film Festival in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, and the Kuzey Arms Awards in Istanbul, Turkey, for the short films Aapie, Stress, and The Bitter Trilogy.
Lacking prior experience in the film industry, the duo initiated the Touched By Style program to tell the untold stories of the Cape Flats, providing mense with an opportunity to educate themselves and excel in the arts of prosthetic make-up and effects, choreographed martial arts, stunt training, firearm handling for action scenes, creative writing, and filmmaking across various locations.
Nic reveals they plan to host their own community arts awards in Cape Town.
He adds: “We want to award people who are doing the same thing we are doing, perhaps in education, sport and recreation, dance, music. But it has to be community based and non-profit.
“We want to show our appreciation and let people know that their efforts are valued.”
The team is hard at work completing chapter two of "Stress", which will be directed by Christopher Kordom, a renowned crew member from the Arendsvlei television series.
Their next project, titled Uncle Billy, delves into the life of a serial killer who targets high-profile criminals.
Community members interested in participating in the series can email touchedbystyle21@gmail.com.
marsha.dean@inl.co.za