A small, passionate group of Eastern Cape filmmakers, known as The Reel Renegades, are flying the SA flag high after scooping two prestigious awards, best use of character and best film, at the 2025 Filmapalooza Awards held earlier this month in Seattle, US.
Their award-winning short film, titled Rebirth, was created as part of the 48 Hour Film Project, a global competition where teams have just two days to write, shoot, and edit a film. Rebirth was submitted during the local leg of the competition hosted by the Eastern Cape Film Hub in November 2024.
Film director Lusanda Payiya said the win felt unbelievable as it was unexpected.
“They called our name and none of us reacted, we took a few minutes before leaping for joy,” Payiya said.
The film was inspired by the tragic deaths of several children in late 2024 due to fake and expired food sold in informal stores. Rebirth tells the unfortunately relatable story of a single father whose daughter dies after eating expired snacks from a local spaza shop. When the justice system fails to hold anyone accountable, the father takes matters into his own hands, uncovering a network of corruption involving local government officials.
Through his journey, the film explores themes of justice, grief and rebirth.
Following their international win, The Reel Renegades are now looking to expand Rebirth into a full-length feature film.
Editor and colourist Lesedi Sikwe said: “We’re expanding the world, deepening the characters, and exposing more layers of corruption, community resistance, and healing. We’re working on the script and looking for funding partners.”
Director of photography Khanyisa Bhengeza said there were challenges making the short film including finding the right actors in time, and operating with little to no budget.
“Writing a script alone is months and years’ worth of work, so is research and development, so having to do it in just a few hours is ludicrous,” Bhengeza said.
