NEFT Vodka™ and the International Emerging Film Talent Association (“IEFTA”) have joined forces to create NEFT Emerging Film Talent International (“NEFTI”), a groundbreaking annual competition established to discover, develop and showcase up-and-coming filmmakers from emerging economies around the world. Dedicated to providing opportunities to film talent who might otherwise go unknown due to geographical, financial and logistical limitations, NEFTI only selects contestants from culturally diverse and economically challenged regions.

Funded entirely by NEFT Vodka, NEFTI contestants compete for the chance to be one of three finalists to produce a short film in thirty days with a budget of $3000. One of these will be chosen for the grand prize of $5,000. All three films by the finalists are submitted to a variety of international film festivals and showcased by IEFTA and NEFT Vodka in a variety of other platforms.

The competition is judged by three film-industry veterans: award winning actress, producer and director, Vivica Fox; Academy Award and Tony winning film, television and theater producer Bruce Cohen; and, producer and current President of Feature Post-Production at Disney/20th Century Fox, Ted Gagliano. For the inaugural competition, independent filmmaker and NEFT’s Chief Creative Officer Paul Robinson acted as the fourth and final judge. For all future competitions, the winner of the previous year will take on the role of the fourth judge, replacing Robinson.

This year’s three finalists were selected from a shortlist of 10 filmmakers, and announced on the 9th of June. They are Lwazi Duma (Durban, South Africa), Emma Tollman (Johannesburg, South Africa) and Moreetsi Gabang (Gaborone, Botswana).

Durban’s very own Lwazi Duma is a self-made filmmaker from the rural village of Umgangeni, on the South Coast of Durban. He has been producing short films for more then ten years, and made his mark in the industry in 2018 when his short film produced in Mpumalanga was nominated for the Best Film Award at the African Emerging Filmmakers Awards. He was later nominated at the Simon Sabela Awards as well as the 48 Hour Film Competition in Durban. After completing his film and television production learnership in 2020 Lwazi produced his environmental documentary which speaks about the effects and changes on climate and the agricultural sector. Lwazi is a recipient of funding from both the KZN film commission and the National Film and Video Foundation. When we asked Lwazi what winning the NEFTI competition would mean for him, he had this to say:

“Winning the competition would validate my creative abilities as a filmmaker. It would serve as recognition for the hard work, skills, and artistic vision I poured into my short film.

The victory would bring professional recognition and credibility within the film industry. It could lead to increased visibility, opening doors to potential collaborations, job opportunities, and partnerships with established professionals.”

We wish Lwazi and his production team all the best!

Written by Lex LaFoy