--
Discovery Channel announces top ten filmmakers --
Tue, 01 Aug 2017 09:36
--
The search for the winner of Discovery Channel s brand new award category at the
sixth annual Jozi Film Festival has heated up. After receiving over 200 entries from
across the continent, Discovery Channel is proud to announce the Top 10 finalists for
the Discovery Channel Don t Stop Wondering award.
From today and throughout August, each film will be broadcast on Discovery Channel
and it will be up to viewers to decide which film should be chosen as the overall
winner. Voting closes on Monday 28 August 2017 and each filmmaker stands the
chance of winning a cash prize of $5,000 from Discovery Channel to go towards their
next filming project.
While this was Discovery s first category in the Jozi Film Festival, we were thrilled
with the quality and diversity of entries that we received, says Dilek Doyran, VP of
commercial development and country manager of Africa and the Mediterranean. Our
hope was to find films which captured the ethos of curiosity and celebrated the
uniqueness that the African continent has to offer, and with films from Namibia,
Swaziland, South Africa and Uganda, we are confident the shortlist represents this.
We look forward to broadcasting the Top 10 films on Discovery Channel, and
showcasing the many different ways of celebrating Africanism.
The Top 10 Films:
Discovery by Manqoba Shongwe from Swaziland
We explore every day but neglect to learn. In this film, Manqoba took the time to pay
attention to some of the things he saw in his everyday explorations and shares what
he gathered. Manqoba said, Its a great honour to be selected as a finalist in the
Discovery Channel Don t Stop Wondering category of the Jozi Film Festival. Not only
is it validating for my work to be recognised in this manner, but it is also really cool
for my voice to be heard on such a platform. From Monday 31 July, 13h35
Puppetsula by Michael Rodrigues and Shaun James from South
Africa
Puppetsula follows Jabu, a puppeteer who travels to instill joy in all those that witness
his fiery performances of traditional dances. Michael and Shaun said, Coming from
hardship and still having a passion to give joy to others is truly remarkable. We
applaud Jabulani Simango and can t wait to share his amazing talent with our country.
Thank you to Discovery for providing a platform for his story to be seen. From
Monday 31 July, 20h00
Sithaidi: The traditional Xhosa Bead Artist by Caley Kolk from South
Africa
This film follows Sithaidis journey to work every day: a scenic 6-hour trek in rural
Transkei. The story showcases how creativity overcomes seeming human adversity,
old age and a lifelong polio condition, and how creativity ultimately inspires us to live.
Caley said, As a first time film maker, I am simply delighted our film has progressed
to the Top 10. I am thrilled that Thaidis story is finally being seen by the world - she
is a woman of great strength and her simple philosophy, cocky nature and tenacity is
a continual source of inspiration to me. In her own words, she is number 1. I hope to
report back to her that her film is number 1 too! From Tuesday 1 August, 13h35
The Ascension by Dieter Du Plessis from South Africa
This short documentary follows the journal of a trail runner, with a voice-over that
relates life to mountain climbing. Dieter said, It feels like a door being opened after
years of knocking! From Tuesday 1 August, 20h00
The Tragedy of Africa by Dusty Van Niekerk from South
Africa
The Tragedy of Africa looks at Africa s beauty inside and out, following the sad reality
behind the harsh rhino poaching crisis which South Africa faces. Dusty said, I am so
grateful and excited to be a part of this amazing opportunity to share my film with
everyone From Wednesday 2 August, 13h35
Mr Ability by Okuyo Joel Atiku Prynce from Uganda
This is a story of Simon Peter Lubega, a physically impaired, creative artist who wakes
up early every morning and works against all odds on his art pieces to raise money to
support himself and his family. Okuyo said, I am highly honoured to be set apart for
this prestigious moment, amongst creative minds, by a world class channel. My first
work as a director to be selected and aired on discovery channel is indescribable.
From Wednesday 2 August, 20h00
Egg Slap by Pressilla Nanyange from Uganda
Egg Slap explores a childhood game, football, but with a twist. Pressilla said, I am
beyond excited to be selected among the top ten; I m feeling blessed. From Thursday
3 August, 13h35
Sjangalala: The New Era by Siphiwe Phiri from South
Africa
This is a documentary about a pastor who is breaking the stereotype surrounding the
art of spinning cars. Siphiwe said, I have been in the TV industry for over 8 years
now and this is by far the biggest acknowledgement I have ever received for my
work. Thank You to Discovery Channel Africa, Jozi Film Festival and ALL its sponsors
for creating such a platform for young creatives like us! SIYABONGA! From Thursday
3 August, 20h00
Non-People by Wesley Rhode from South Africa
This documentary celebrates the trials and tribulations of South Africas informal
recyclers people that are over looked and ignored. Wesley said, Myself and my
team who put this film together are extremely excited and feel blessed to be chosen
as part of the top 10 films, we are happy that our hard work has paid off and that our
vision and our story has been recognized. From Friday 4 August, 13h35
Another Sunny Day by Tim Huebschle from Namibia
This film tells the story of how life must be for someone whose skin has no protection
from the sun, living in a country that averages over 80% sunshine during any given
year. Welcome to Paulu
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
01/12/2025
L3Harris and PentenAmio formalise their teaming agreement at MilCIS 2025, streng...
01/12/2025
Artemis II is NASA's first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. The crew, from left: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Vic...
01/12/2025
IRVINE, Calif. Wooden Camera has introduced its new Accessory Collection for the Canon EOS C50. The new lineup includes a low-profile, gimbal-ready cage, expand...
01/12/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for its Dec. 18 Open Commission Meeting that will include a vote on a report an...
01/12/2025
In most years, a graph of annual local TV ad spending is about as predictable as an electrocardiogram of a reasonably healthy patient in a doctor's office. ...
01/12/2025
Many industries have seen big-ticket hardware turn into software. Switchers, though, demand a combination of real-time performance and sheer bandwidth that has ...
01/12/2025
GENEVA Shanghai will host the next quadrennial Radiocommunication Assembly (RA-27) and World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27), Oct. 11-Nov. 12, 2027. This...
01/12/2025
NEW YORK Just in time for Giving Tuesday tomorrow (Dec. 2), the Broadcasters Foundation of America is seeking out donations to help television and radio industr...
01/12/2025
STOCKHOLM, Sweden Net Insight CEO Crister Fritzson has informed the company's board that he will retire from the video transport and media cloud technology ...
01/12/2025
01 Dec 2025
Kyivstar and Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation Select Go...
01/12/2025
The prequel to the global hit Sky Original mob crime saga, Gomorrah' is a s...
01/12/2025
Featuring Florence Welch, Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Flea, designer Bella Freud...
01/12/2025
Back to All News
A Down to Earth, All Too Relatable Hero: Cashero' Teaser ...
01/12/2025
In the rush to deliver content to every screen, many broadcasters overlook one of the most crucial steps in the workflow: format and frame rate conversion. Get ...
01/12/2025
Fox Corporation Chief Financial Officer Steve Tomsic to Participate in Upcoming ...
01/12/2025
Arvato Systems' Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Receives BSI C5 Certification (T...
01/12/2025
Summary This short video gives you an summary of the changes in under two minutes.
--...
01/12/2025
As the festive season approaches, RT Supporting the Arts is proud to showcase a...
01/12/2025
Researchers worldwide rely on open-source technologies as the foundation of their work. To equip the community with the latest advancements in digital and physi...
01/12/2025
Festive specials of Christmas in Kilmainham presented by Marty Whelan, High Road Low Road, Callan Kicks the Year and Keys to My Life
Ring in the New Year with ...
01/12/2025
Architect and television presenter Hugh Wallace, best known to RT audiences as a long-serving judge on Home of the Year, has died at the age of 68.
In a state...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
-- 
