RapidLion announces 2019 award winners

South African international film festival RapidLion, which recently took place in its Johannesburg home at the start of March, featured an impressive line-up of African, African diaspora and Brics films, such as In The Light Of The Fire by South AFrican filmmaker Rafeeqah Galant, Nigerian Prince by Faraday Okoro and Set Yourself On Fire by Darnell Lamont Walker from the US. Hosted at venue The Market Theatre, the over a week long-event featuring screenings and talks culminated with an award ceremony, which saw films such as Jahmil X.T. Qubeka’s Sew the Winter to My Skin (South Africa) and Silent Winter (China) take coveted prizes. The award, according to RapidLion, “is designed and manufactured to represent the pinnacle achievement of any filmmaker from Africa, the BRICS countries and the African diaspora”.

Winners of the RapidLion 2019 are as follows:

The Lionel Ngakane Lifetime Achievement Award: Darrell Roodt

Best Student Short: Faith – Vera (Russia) - Tatiana Federovskaya

Best International Short: Are You Volleyball? (Iran) - Mohammad Bakhshi

Best Documentary Feature: Dying for Gold (South Africa) - Catherine Meyburgh and Richard Pakleppa

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Hamilton Dhlamini - Five Fingers for Marseilles (South Africa)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Cintaine Schutte – Die Seemeeu (South Africa)

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Vuyo Dabula – Five Fingers for Marseilles (South Africa)

Cinematography: Zhao Chunfeng - Shocking KungFu of Huo’s (China)

Best Screenplay: Da fei – Silent Winter (China)

Film Editing: Layla Swart – Sew the Winter to My Skin (South Africa)

Best Director: Jahmil X.T. Qubeka – Sew the Winter to My Skin (South Africa)

Best of South Africa: Sew the Winter to My Skin

Best Film: Silent Winter (China)

For more on the festival, visit RapidLion.