The Imbongi Awards took place on 6 March 2010 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) to celebrate Cape Town and the Western Cape as a leading production destination.

Local production company Clockwork Zoo won two awards, for Excellence in Animation and for Best Contribution to Skills Development and Transformation.

Clockwork Zoo have pioneered the South African animation service industry, working on shows like Mr. Bebe (Xilam, France), Florrie’s Dragon (Wish Films, UK), Happy Valley (Dinamo, Wales), and Caillou (The Cookie Jar  Company, Canada).

In the Animation category, Triggerfish and Ric Capecchi of Capechino Animation were the losing finalists, while Roy Zetisky and Visual Impact Academy had been nominated in the Skills Development category.

Moonlighting’s Genevieve Hofmeyr was named Cape Town and the Western Cape’s Best Producer. Genevieve was the South African producer on Clint Eastwood’s Invictus, which she brought in under budget and ahead of schedule.

She had been up against DO’s Brigid Olen and Penguin Films’ Roberta Durrant.

Francois Verster won the Imbongi for Best Contribution to Marketing Cape Town and the Western Cape through film content for his documentary, Sea Point Days. He’d been competing against Film Afrika for Free Willy: Escape from Pirates Cove and DO Productions for Dream Hotel.

Visual Impact’s Marius van Straaten collected the prize for  Technical Service Provider of the Year, ahead of Panalux and Waterfront Studios.

Bevil Schwartz from Waterfront Studios won the Imbongi for Excellence in VFX and Post Production, receiving more votes than Condor or BlackGinger’s Hilton Treves.

Okuhle Media were named Cape Town and the Western Cape’s Best Production Company, upsetting better known companies like DO Productions and Film Afrika.

Okuhle won the SAFTA for Children and Youth Programming last year for Which Way? and also produce popular daily children’s show, Hectic Nine-9, one of the SABC’s largest ever contracts to a Cape-based production company.

Car rental company Avis received the Service Provider of the Year, ahead of locations company Amazing Spaces. Locations scout Mike Begg received the award for Cape Town and the Western Cape’s Best Locations Professional, ahead of Moosa Vallie and Peter Currey. 

The Chairman’s Award went to David Wicht from Film Afrika.

Last but not least, Film Event Publishing, who own both The Callsheet and The Event newspapers, as well as The Filmmakers Guide to South Africa annuals, won the award for Best Contribution to Marketing Cape Town and the Western Cape Film Industry.

The Callsheet distributed 88 000 copies last year around South Africa, at key  local events like The Loerie Awards, Encounters, Tri-Continental Film Festival, Durban International Film Festival, Out in Africa, and Mediatech, as well as internationally. Since going live in October last year, The Callsheet website has received 11 682 visitors from 93 countries.

Similarly, The Filmmakers Guide to South Africa has distributed over 66 000 books to more than 25 countries over the last 10 years, as well as at key festivals like Cannes Lions, Boards Summit, and the American Film Market, among others.

Since July 2009, Kevin Kriedemann, our editor, has also submited over 10 000 words to Variety, the leading international film trade, as their African correspondent.

300 members of the local film industry gathered in style to cheer on their contemporaries in one of the convention centre’s decked out ballrooms. 

Alan Winde, Western Cape provincial minister of Finance, Economic Affairs and Tourism, and Alderman Felicity Purchase, City of Cape Town mayoral committee member for Economic Development and Tourism, both spoke to affirm the City and the Province’s commitment to the local film industry.

The outgoing commissioner of the Cape Film Commission, Laurence Mitchell, said the Imbongi Awards are a homage to those individuals and companies who have all contributed to the Western Cape’s success as a desirable location for film productions. It was Laurence’s last awards ceremony as commissioner.

Once again Nik Rabinowitz was the charismatic host for the evening, accompanied by a series of imbongis (praise singers), who called out their song when the winner’s names were called.
Sally Fink