Local video streaming platform Montywood will be hosting its first annual film awards on Saturday March 2 at the Guild Theatre in East London.
The awards are aimed at celebrating excellence in local cinema and recognising the talented filmmakers, actors and production teams who have contributed to the Eastern Cape film industry.
The awards ceremony will be hosted by Qhamani Narcho Mabizela and Sizo Zoe D Dosi.
Montywood film awards director Unathi Dyubula said the awards were a celebration of the potential of Eastern Cape talent.
“We are thrilled to host the first annual Montywood Film Awards and honour the incredible talent and creativity in the film industry.
“We are looking forward to celebrating the best and brightest in cinema and providing a platform for emerging and providing a platform for emerging talent,” Dyubula said.
Montywood was first established in 2019 as an initiative of Kumkani FM, and has produced and distributed a long list of movies, series and documentaries on the online platform, all at an affordable price.
The awards will include 19 categories including best original score, best music video, best TV show, best director and best cinematography.
Some of the shows up for recognition include Isirhalamunca, The Rise of Nguni, The Suitcase, Bitterlove One and Two.
These awards are not open to public voting but will instead be determined by a special selection panel.
One of the organisers of the awards, Yanga Gqoli, explained the decision to go with a selection instead of public voting.
“In recent events, people have had doubts about the eligibility of the winners because they allegedly vote for themselves or have a huge following which gives them an unfair advantage.
“We are trying to avoid that by making sure we do not compromise talents over popularity,” Gqoli said.
The red-carpet event will feature a star-studded line-up of presenters and nominees, as well as live performances and entertainment.
To view a full list of all the nominees, check out the Montywood Facebook page.
Tickets for the awards ceremony are available for R150 via Computicket and R200 at the gate.
