South African Film and Television Awards

The South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA), also known as the Golden Horns, are awards for film and television presented in South Africa and first given out in 2006. They are awarded by the National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa (NFVF).

All SAFTA winners are presented with the Golden Horn, the official SAFTA Trophy. The faces on the statues are derived from artifacts of African heritage that date back to 800 AD and were discovered near Lydenburg in South Africa, referred to as the Lydenburg Heads. The three figureheads represent excellence in visual creative arts, performance and drama.

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is SAFTA's broadcast partner and sponsor. SAFTA awards ceremonies are broadcast live on SABC 2.

Only South African film and television productions are eligible for the awards. Nominees and winners are chosen by a multiphasic process of judging panels, with the exception of the Best TV Soap award, which is chosen by public vote. Some awards are discretionary and only presented in special cases.

Ceremonies

Ceremony	Date	Best Feature Film Winner	Best TV Drama Winner	Best TV Comedy Winner	Best TV Soapie Winner
1st SAFTA Awards	27 and 28 October 2006	Tsotsi	Hard Copy	City Ses'la	Isidingo
2nd SAFTA Awards	27 October 2007	Goodbye Bafana	When We Were Black	Laugh Out Loud	Generations
3rd SAFTA Awards	7 February 2009	not awarded	Bay of Plenty	City Ses'la	Isidingo
4th SAFTA Awards	6 February 2010	Shirley Adams	Sokhulu & Partners	Family Bonds	7de Laan
5th SAFTA Awards	20 and 27 February 2011	Life, Above All	Erfsondes	Proesstraat	Rhythm City

Award Categories

Television

TV Drama

• Best TV Drama Series
• Best Director in a TV Drama Series
• Best Actor in a TV Drama Series
• Best Actress in a TV Drama Series
• Best Supporting Actor in a TV Drama Series
• Best Supporting Actress in a TV Drama Series
• Best Ensemble in a TV Drama Series
• Best Writer/Writing in a TV Drama Series
• Best Sound Design in a TV Drama Series
• Best Cinematography in a TV Drama Series
• Best Art & Production Design Direction in a TV Drama Series
• Best Costume Design in a TV Drama Series (Discretionary)
• Best Make Up And Hair in a TV Drama Series (Discretionary)
• Best Editor in a TV Drama Series
• Best Music in a TV Drama Series
• Best Made For TV Movie
• Best TV Drama Miniseries

TV Soap

• Best TV Soap (Public Vote)
• Best Director in a TV Soap
• Best Actress in a TV Soap
• Best Actor in a TV Soap
• Best Supporting Actress in a TV Soap
• Best Supporting Actor in a TV Soap
• Best Ensemble Cast in a TV Soap
• Best Writer in a TV Soap

TV Comedy

• Best TV Comedy
• Best Director in a TV Comedy
• Best Actress in a TV Comedy
• Best Actor in a TV Comedy
• Best Supporting Actress in a TV Comedy
• Best Supporting Actor in a TV Comedy
• Best Ensemble Cast in a TV Comedy
• Best Writer in a TV Comedy
• Best Art Direction in a TV Comedy or Soap (includes Wardrobe, Hair/Make=Up And Set Design) (Discretionary)
• Best Camera in a TV Comedy or Soap (Discretionary)
• Best Music in a TV Comedy or Soap (Discretionary)

TV Non-Fiction

• Best Youth And Children's Programme
• Best Variety Programme
• Best News / Actuality Programme
• Best Factual Entertainment / Educational Programme
• Best Magazine Show
• Best Talk Show
• Best Sports Programme
• Best Game Show
• Best Reality Show

Craft Awards

All craft awards are discretionary.

• Art direction
• Styling
• Props
• Camera & lighting
• Presenting
• Editing
• Sound
• Script
• Soundtrack
• Choreography
• Voiceover performance
• Animation
• Graphics

Film

Feature Films

• Best Feature Film
• Best Director in a Feature Film
• Best Actor in a Feature Film
• Best Actress in a Feature Film
• Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film
• Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film
• Best Screenwriter in a Feature Film
• Best Cinematographer in a Feature Film
• Best Art Director in a Feature Film
• Best Sound Design in a Feature Film
• Best Music Composition in a Feature Film
• Best Casting Director in a Feature Film
• Best Editor in a Feature Film
• Best Make Up/Hairstylist in a Feature Film (Discretionary)
• Best Costume Design in a Feature Film (Discretionary)

Documentaries

• Best Documentary Feature
• Best Documentary Short Subject
• Best Director in a Documentary
• Best Wildlife Programme
• Best Director in a Wildlife Programme
• Best Original Music in a Wildlife Programme or Documentary
• Best Cinematography in a Documentary in a Wildlife Programme or Documentary
• Best Editing in a Documentary in a Wildlife Programme or Documentary

Student and Short Films

• Best Student Film
• Best Short Film

Animation

• Best Animation / Animator

Special Awards

• Outstanding Contributor Award
• Newcomer Award (Discretionary)

Other special awards may be awarded at the discretion of the SAFTA Executive and Judging Committees.

Controversy

The awards have been criticised for having too many categories and often fail to get enough nominations for some categories. In 2008, SAFTA representatives were forced to announce three extensions to the entry deadline for the Best Newcomer and Lifetime Achievement Award categories, after they failed to get enough nominations. No Best Feature Film was announced in the 2009 ceremony.

In 2008, Mfundi Vundla, the producer of the popular TV soap Generations pulled out of the 3rd SAFTA Awards by declining all nominations for the show and its stars. Vundla questioned the integrity of the judging process and called for more transparency. A SAFTAs committee spokesperson blamed disputes between the South African Broadcasting Corporation and the producers of Generations for the show's withdrawal.

See also

• Cinema of South Africa
• Television in South Africa
• List of South African films
• List of South African television series

External links

• Official SAFTAs site
• The South African Film and Television Awards on TVSA