Ballito boys win BIG

A SHORT FILM ENTITLED AMANZI OLWANDE – WHICH MEANS OCEAN WATER – MADE BY A CREW AND CAST FROM BALLITO – HAS WON THE JUDGES’ CHOICE AWARD IN THE WORLD’S LARGEST SHORT FILM COMPETITION, MY RØDE REEL 2020, WRITES SHIRLEY LE GUERN

For Timothy Hay, who both wrote and directed the short film, and his production company Hellmot Productions, news of the win came in the middle of the night due to the time difference between South Africa and Australia where the competition sponsor is based.

But it was a dream come true. “I had always wanted to enter this competition because it is an international competition with awesome prizes. It is not just a statue that you win at the end of the day, but also equipment and 200 000 Australian dollars. So, I thought we’d take a chance. It was a bit of a gamble but I loved the story, the content and the opportunity to film in the Transkei where it is easy to make every image amazing because it is such a beautiful place,” he says.

The film tells the heart-rending true story of how teenage surfer Avuyile “Avo” Ndamase lost his 15-year-old brother, Zama, during a shark attack while the two were catching waves off Port St Johns.

The story was due to be included in a documentary on which Timothy was working. When that fell through, Timothy says he couldn’t forget the story and wrote a short script which he discussed with the now 26-year-old Avo Ndamase over coffee. It takes the tragedy one step further and tells how Avo continues to surf to connect with his lost sibling.

Director and writer, Tim Hay, with the star of the award winning film, Avuyile Ndamase.

The three stars of the film: From left: Sanele Antonio Mthethwa and Mpathi Ndlovu who play the ill-fated teenage brothers with Avuyile “Avo” Ndamase who plays himself.

Avo played himself as an adult and acted as an assistant on the set while young Salt Rock surfers, Sanele Mthethwa and Mpathi Ndlovu, played the parts of the 15- and 16-year-old brothers.

Timothy tells how he, together with his cousin Kyle Smith who was the assistant director, camera assistant Dylan Theron, and the three surfers packed a trailer to the brim with equipment and surfboards and headed for the Wild Coast in mid-September.

“We arrived early on the Friday morning. On that first day, we scouted around and started shooting the first scenes at night around a bonfire. The second day was a full day of filming and then, on the last day, we woke up early to get awesome sunrise shots to show the beauty of the Transkei. In the end, it was just a day and a half’s filming. It didn’t take long to put together as we had shot for the edits and knew exactly where everything was going to go,” he says.

The six-man team also had to capture a second film within a film. To enter, they had to not only submit the edited short film, but also a second short film capturing the behind-thescenes action during its making. This included some panoramic shots of the coastline filmed by Timothy who is one of a few film-makers who holds a remote pilot licence and is known for his work using drones.

Avuyile’s story was the most compelling part of the project and, to be involved with such an intimate and personal experience was a privilege”

“I think Avuyile’s story was the most compelling part of the project and, to be involved with such an intimate and personal experience was a privilege. Learning from Tim and understanding his vision was an incredible experience too because his translation of the narrative is what perfectly captured the emotion within the story,” adds Kyle, who heads up his own local film company, Filmshark.

Kyle describes winning the Judges’ prize – otherwise known as “the big one” – as mindblowing. “To be rewarded for doing what we love and taking a working holiday to the Transkei is something I thought would never happen in a year like 2020 – but here we are. I think this award will also remind film-makers in South Africa that, if we continue creating content and collaborating with one another, our unique stories can be seen and heard around the world.”

A team photograph taken during filming. From left: Kyle Smith, Avuyile Ndamase, Tim Hay, Dylan Theron and the young surfers, Sanele Antonio Mthethwa and Mpathi Ndlovu.