A young and emerging award-winning photographer and film-maker from Khayelitsha in Site C, Nomfingo Mthotywa, is over the moon with joy and pride after she was nominated for the Mzansi Arts and Media Awards (MAMA) in the best writer category.
The 32-year-old submitted a short film script she has written and produced and is pitted against 29 other contestants across the country.
However, she needs support.
Growing up, Ms Mthotywa loved writing and she had hopes of becoming a writer but never thought about producing films.
When she got the opportunity to study at Big Fish school of Digital Film-making in 2016 she felt that her dreams were slowly coming together.
She spent three years at the school learning about scriptwriting, film producing and everything that has to do with production and graduated with a diploma in 2019.
Last year she was nominated for the MAMA best photographer award, which she won.
“If I were to win this award, it would mean that my dreams are valid and I do not need any validation from anyone to chase my dreams.The award will show my family that I have chosen the right path.
“I have sacrificed so much to chase this dream of becoming a film-maker,” she said.
The challenges included financial constraints for production costs.
So far she has had to pay for equipment, the crew’s food and travelling costs from her own pockets. She often had to sit down with the crew, including actors, and explain that she was just a budding film-maker and she couldn’t afford to pay them.
On occasion she found potential funders only to later discover that it was on condition that she sleep with them.
After all the strife though Cape Town TV agreed to play one of her short films called uPheza Nini, even though she did not receive commission from the film.
Last year, she produced another short film and did a screening at Look Out Hill and is hoping to get the film played on a Mzansi Magic channel so that she can get some remuneration.
If you would like to support her, vote by SMSing MAMA 730 to 40439. SMSes costs R2 and voting closes on Saturday May 6.
