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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20260321T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20260321T120000
DTSTAMP:20260311T032523Z
CREATED:20260311T032523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260311T032523Z
UID:30223-1774087200-1774094400@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA State of the Industry Imbizo
DESCRIPTION:What’s the Future for South African Writers? \nWe have heard your concerns and would like to come together in an imbizo to discuss the current state of the industry and what the future looks like for writers. \nJoin us for an open conversation where writers can share perspectives\, challenges\, and ideas for strengthening our collective voice. \nLet’s honour Human Rights Day on 21 March by taking 2 hours of the morning to support the rights of writers in an engaging forum. \nSession details\nDate: 21 March 2026 \nTime: 10:00 – 12:00 \nFREE to attend. Register here \n  \nLet’s come together as a community of writers.
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-state-of-the-industry-imbizo/
LOCATION:Online via MS Teams
CATEGORIES:Knowledge Share Session,News,Screenwriting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/State-of-the-industry-Imbizo-March-2026.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="WGSA":MAILTO:admin@writersguildsa.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20251018T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20251018T130000
DTSTAMP:20251014T072123Z
CREATED:20251014T072123Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251014T072123Z
UID:30093-1760785200-1760792400@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA In-person Workshop in JHB. Ready to take your writing career to the next level?
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an exclusive in-person workshop with acclaimed writer-director Karabo Lediga\, in conversation with WGSA Chairperson Busisiwe Ntintili. This engaging session will explore how to make the leap from writing for television to your debut feature film\, and how to tell grounded\, authentic stories that resonate. \nWorkshop details: \nDate: Saturday\, 18 October 2025\nTime: 11:00 – 13:00 SAST \nVenue: Quellerina\, Gauteng – Full address will be shared with all registered participants. Registration is LIMITED TO 30 PAX \nThe workshop address will be distributed via email. Please add communications@writersguildsa.org to your contact list \nNB: Registration is essential.WGSA members may attend free of charge. We also invite members of our sister organisations Safrea and DFA to attend free of charge. Non-members pay ZAR 75.00 \nMeet your Speaker\nKarabo Lediga is a writer\, director and producer for television and film. Her short film\, which she wrote and directed titled ‘What Did You Dream?’\, premiered in competition at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and was also in competition at The Palm Springs International Short Film Festival amongst others. It won Best African Short at the Durban International Film Festival (2021). Karabo has written for the first African Netflix Original series\, the spy thriller ‘Queen Sono’. Across 12 seasons of the two-time International Emmy nominated news satire show ‘Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola’ and three seasons of the comedy series ‘Next of Next Week’\, Karabo worked as a writer\, director\, content producer and performer. \nHer directorial work also includes 2 seasons of the sketch comedy show ‘The Bantu Hour’\, situational comedy ‘The Mayor’ and recently\, Netflix’s six-part live stand-up comedy series ‘Only Jokes Allowed’. Her TV writing work also includes South African Film and Television Award winning ‘Lockdown’\, ‘MTV Shuga 5’ and the four-part miniseries ‘Emoyeni: Insanguluko’ and most recently as development writer for animated series ‘Queens’ for Wild Sheep/Netflix Animation. She’s currently in development on her debut feature film titled ‘Sabbatical’. She’s a 2021 Berlinale Talents\, Less Is More (Le Groupe Ouest) and Toronto International Film Festival Writers’ Studio alumni.
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-online-session-fundamentals-of-screenwriting-for-emerging-writers-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3-3-3/
CATEGORIES:Masterclass,News,Screenwriting,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Karabo-Lediga.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250917T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250917T190000
DTSTAMP:20250903T072914Z
CREATED:20250903T072914Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250903T072914Z
UID:30057-1758132000-1758135600@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: Writing for Children’s Animation with Omotunde Akiode
DESCRIPTION:Writing for Children’s Animation with Omotunde Akiode \n  \nJoin us for Writing for Children’s Animation with Omotunde Akiode\, a Nigerian screenwriter with 15 years of experience across live-action hits and acclaimed kids’ shows\, including Netflix’s Supa Team 4 and Kiya. With her passion for comedy and deep knowledge of children’s media\, Omotunde will share insights into how great kids’ television is crafted. \nWhat to expect: \n\nKey child development milestones across different age groups\nHow television content differs for various age brackets\nFundamentals of story structure in children’s programming\nCase studies of successful children’s TV shows and what makes them work\n\nWebinar details\nDate: Wednesday\, 17 September 2025\nTime: 18:00 to 19:00 SAST \nLocation: Online (Zoom link sent by 12pm\, 17 September 2025 – Please add communications@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nNB: Registration is essential. WGSA members may attend free of charge. We also invite members of our sister organisations Safrea and DFA to attend free of charge. Non-members pay R 75.00. \n\nMeet your Speaker\nOmotunde Akiode is a Nigerian screenwriter with 15 years of experience working on live action Nigerian shows such as Tinsel\, Nigeria’s longest running soap opera\, MTV Shuga Naija series\, Ajoche\, Battleground\, Enakhe\, Dear Mother and Spider. She started focusing afterwards on children’s animation shows and has worked on shows such as Boy\, Girl\, Dog\, Cat\, Mouse\, Cheese by Watch Next Media\, Netflix’s Supa Team 4 African animation series\, Kiya by E-One/Frogbox\, Jungle Book Preschool series by Baboon Animation\, Mini Beat Power Rockers by Mundolocco Studios\, Argentina\, Empress Sissi by TV Mundo\, Italy. The list continues and she is always open to working with studios all over the world. She is passionate about writing for children’s animation and has a special leaning towards comedy. She has an M.Sc in Architecture\, certificates in Filmmaking and Digital Arts\, and is currently studying for an MA\, Comedy Writing. She participated in the 2022 Netflix/Realness Institute Development Executive Trainee program. She is currently an adjunct lecturer\, teaching Children’s Media Studies at Pan-Atlantic University\, Lagos\, Nigeria\, where she also resides with her daughter and dogs. Her hobbies are reading\, films\, travel\, documentaries and anything funny or endearing. She is represented by Hudson Agency\, New York\, USA.
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-online-session-fundamentals-of-screenwriting-for-emerging-writers-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3-3/
LOCATION:Online via MS Teams
CATEGORIES:Masterclass,News,Online Session,Screenwriting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Omotunde-Akiode-Writing-for-Childrens-Animation.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250823T090000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250823T103000
DTSTAMP:20250807T064719Z
CREATED:20250729T070456Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250807T064719Z
UID:30011-1755939600-1755945000@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: Big Stories in Small Packages
DESCRIPTION:Big Stories in Small Packages: Writing and Making Short Films as an Indie Filmmaker in South Africa Dean Ravell and Stephen Nagel\n  \nJoin the Writers Guild of South Africa for an essential workshop empowering writers to explore the dynamic world of short films and indie filmmaking! Discover how short films can be your powerful calling card\, kickstarting careers\, refining your storytelling\, and giving you creative control. \nThis session will cover: \n* Writing for Shorts: Best practices for tight\, impactful narratives. \n* Writing Cinematically: How to use visuals to tell your story. \n* From Page to Screen: Making the indie leap with practical production insights. \n* Being an Independent Filmmaker in South Africa: Opportunities\, challenges\, and building your creative tribe. \n* Lessons from the Trenches: Real-life examples\, breakthroughs\, and what to know before your first short. \n\nWebinar details\nDate: Saturday\, 23 August 2025\nTime: 9:00 to 11:00 SAST \nLocation: Online (Zoom link sent by 12pm\, 22 August 2025 – Please add communications@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nNB: Registration is essential. WGSA members may attend free of charge. We also invite members of our sister organisations Safrea and DFA to attend free of charge. Non-members pay R 75.00. \nMeet your Speakers\n  \nDean Ravell \nDean Ravell is an award-winning screenwriter and director based in Cape Town\, and a Writers Guild of South Africa council member. Holding an Honours Degree in Media\, Theory and Practice from UCT and an Impact Film Producer certification\, he has written and directed numerous short films\, including Detour\, Frozen Yoghurt\, and Plunder. Dean co-founded BTG Productions and is currently developing a GBV-focused feature film with a leading South African production company. \nStephen Nagel \nAn award-winning screenwriter and director from Cape Town\, Stephen Nagel crafts captivating\, character-driven stories with powerful visuals. A UCT Screenwriting graduate\, his films like MIA&I\, Day Zero\, and Protégé explore authentic human experiences across various genres. Stephen\, co-founder of BTG Productions\, is currently developing feature scripts and TV pilots\, including a commissioned crime thriller for streaming.
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-online-session-fundamentals-of-screenwriting-for-emerging-writers-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3/
LOCATION:Online via MS Teams
CATEGORIES:Masterclass,News,Online Session,Screenwriting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Dean-Ravell-and-Stephen-Nagel-Writing-and-Making-Short-films-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250816T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250816T120000
DTSTAMP:20250729T071045Z
CREATED:20250729T071045Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250729T071045Z
UID:30016-1755338400-1755345600@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: Writing the Short Film with Gasan Sallies
DESCRIPTION:Writing the Short Film with Gasan Sallies | 16 August 2025 | 10:00 – 12:00\n  \nJoin us for an inspiring session with filmmaker Gasan Sallies\, as they unpack the journey of turning a concept into a fully funded production. From idea to script to screen — hear how this young South African creative navigated the development process and secured funding to bring their vision to life. \n\nWebinar details\nDate: Saturday\, 16 August 2025\nTime: 10:00 to 12:00 SAST \nLocation: Online (Zoom link sent by 12pm\, 15 August 2025 – Please add communications@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nNB: Registration is essential. WGSA members may attend free of charge. We also invite members of our sister organisations Safrea and DFA to attend free of charge. Non-members pay R 75.00. \nMeet your Speaker\nGasan Sallies is a South African filmmaker whose journey began in animation\, visual effects\, and screenwriting\, and has since grown into a dynamic career spanning both commercial and narrative work. His creative portfolio includes a wide range of projects\, from the 2D animated short Swim to the award winning short film Boeta\, which was also selected at the Amsterdam liftoff International Film Festival. \nHis kykNET Silwerskerm short film Straatrotte which combined live action and animation was named Festival Favorite and received two special jury mentions. He co-wrote the M-Net feature Twisted Christmas and most recently produced\, wrote and directed the kykNET Silwerskerm short Tussen Die Kwashale\, the drama film combines his passion for telling emotive stories with the use of some Visual Effects\, continuing his passion for pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling. \nGasan was selected to attend the prestigious Telluride Film Festival’s Filmmakers of Tomorrow symposium\, where he participated in intensive mentorship sessions with cinema legends including Francis Ford Coppola\, the Dardenne Brothers\, Xavier Dolan\, Ken Burns\, Guy Maddin\, and Kim Morgan. \nCurrently\, Gasan works across both the commercial and film industries\, bringing his distinctive vision and technical craft to life as a Producer\, Writer\, Director\, and Visual Effects Artist. His work is driven by a deep commitment to storytelling that resonates with emotional truth\, cultural identity\, and cinematic innovation.
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-online-session-fundamentals-of-screenwriting-for-emerging-writers-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3-2/
LOCATION:Online via MS Teams
CATEGORIES:Masterclass,News,Online Session,Screenwriting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Gasan-Sallies-Writing-the-Short-Film-16-August-2025.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250806T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250806T180000
DTSTAMP:20250710T081452Z
CREATED:20250528T095941Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250710T081452Z
UID:29912-1754503200-1754503200@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: Planning and Structuring a Limited Series with Karen Jeynes
DESCRIPTION:Planning and Structuring a Limited Series with Karen Jeynes\n  \nHow do you structure a limited TV series? What are the secrets\, and pitfalls\, of making a story last just the right amount of episodes? We’ll talk cliffhangers and episode openings\, the difference between linear and streaming\, local and international trends\, and different methodologies. \nWebinar details\nDate: Wednesday\, 6 August 2025\nTime: 18:00 to 20:00 SAST \nLocation: Online (Zoom link sent by 12pm\, 24 June 2025 – Please add communications@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nNB: Registration is essential. WGSA members may attend free of charge. We also invite members of our sister organisations Safrea and DFA to attend free of charge. Non-members pay R 75.00. \nMeet your Speaker\nKaren Jeynes has worked extensively as a writer and director for stage and screen\, most recently as the writer\, co-director and creative producer of Die Nuusmakers for Kyknet\, comedy series The Morning After\, and drama series Recipes for Love and Murder\, now in production on its second season. Other productions she has developed and overseen with creative partner Thierry Cassuto at Both Worlds are Point of Order\, Comedy Central News\, and Parlement Parlement\, and the documentary Africa and I\, as well as working as the head writer for ZANews: Puppet Nation. She is currently busy with her PhD on autistic representation on South African television through the University of Pretoria.
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-online-session-fundamentals-of-screenwriting-for-emerging-writers-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2/
LOCATION:Online via MS Teams
CATEGORIES:Masterclass,News,Online Session,Screenwriting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PLANNING-AND-STRUCTURING-A-LIMITED-SERIES-WITH-KAREN-JEYNES.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250712T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250712T120000
DTSTAMP:20250710T081916Z
CREATED:20250710T081916Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250710T081916Z
UID:30004-1752314400-1752321600@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: The Editor as Co-Writer with Khalid Shamis
DESCRIPTION:The Editor as Co-Writer with Khalid Shamis\n  \nWriting\, it is famously said in filmmaking\, is rewriting. If that is the case\, then editors would insist that editing\, the process of piecing visuals and sounds into a whole\, is the final rewrite. That writing is merely an extension of the writing process. So much so that one Hollywood editor has referred to editing as “the writing in documentary films”. \nIt is this final step of writing and authorship of a film or series that multi-award-winning filmmaker Khalid Shamis will discuss in his conversation with writers. It is a topic that has inspired countless books and coffee shop debates. Khalid does not claim to have or that he will offer a definitive answer. But basing his talk on a quarter century of editing\, he will seek to reinvigorate the discussion\, and offer writers an editor’s perspective on the many layers of filmmaking and storytelling. \nWebinar details\nDate: Saturday 12 July 2025\nTime: 10:00 to 12:00 SAST \nLocation: Online (Zoom link sent by 12pm\, 11 July 2025 – Please add communications@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nNB: Registration is essential. WGSA members may attend free of charge. We also invite members of our sister organisations Safrea and DFA to attend free of charge. Non-members pay R 75.00. \nMeet your Speaker\nLondon-born Libyan-Capetonian\, Khalid is a documentary director\, producer and editor with a filmmaking practice spanning over more than 25 years. Having studied film language in London Khalid has worked in the film industries of the UK\, Middle East and Southern Africa. Khalid works and researches as a doctoral fellow at the Centre for Humanities Research (CHR) at the University of the Western Cape. \nKhalid is founder and director of Rough Cut Lab Africa RCLA\, a support programme for African documentaries at the rough-cut stage. \nKhalid’s practice is strongly dedicated to the pedagogy of independent filmmaking and story construction in Africa\, teaching and consulting in and outside film institutions and organised frameworks. He describes his practice as moving at vastly different paces while his own films have taken several years to finish. Khalid constructs and completes numerous films every year as an editor\, turning his practice into “A strange place of directing directors\, guiding first time filmmakers\, imbibing worlds alien to [his] own\, containing and creating another’s vision\, manifesting the dreams of the subjects in the films and being taken by the voice of the material itself”.
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-online-session-fundamentals-of-screenwriting-for-emerging-writers-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2/
LOCATION:Online via MS Teams
CATEGORIES:Masterclass,News,Online Session,Screenwriting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Khalid-Shamis-THE-EDITOR-AS-THE-CO-WRITER.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250705T090000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250705T110000
DTSTAMP:20250619T063046Z
CREATED:20250619T063046Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250619T063046Z
UID:29927-1751706000-1751713200@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: Final Draft Training Session with Hanné Koster
DESCRIPTION:Final Draft Training Session with Hanné Koster\n  \nIn this session\, we will take a look at the possibilities that Final Draft offers a writer in developing and structuring their script. Some aspects will be demonstrated on Final Draft 13. We will explore how Final Draft can save you time and provide a framework for organising your thoughts and ideas. \nWebinar details\nDate: Saturday 5 July 2025\nTime: 9:00 to 11:00 SAST \nLocation: Online (Zoom link sent by 12pm\, 4 July 2025 – Please add communications@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nNB: Registration is essential. WGSA members may attend free of charge. We also invite members of our sister organisations Safrea and DFA to attend free of charge. Non-members pay R 75.00. \nMeet your Speaker\nHanné Koster is an award-winning television director\, documentary filmmaker and writer. She is one of the Writers Guild of South Africa’s scriptwriting trainers and used to be a lecturer at the then Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. \nShe has a Master’s degree in Creative Writing and has completed multiple international scriptwriting courses. She is always eager to learn about technology and the possibilities it presents and to share this knowledge with others.
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-online-session-fundamentals-of-screenwriting-for-emerging-writers-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2/
LOCATION:Online via MS Teams
CATEGORIES:Masterclass,News,Online Session,Screenwriting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Final-Draft-Training-Session.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250531T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250531T100000
DTSTAMP:20250514T054819Z
CREATED:20250514T054753Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T054819Z
UID:29900-1748685600-1748685600@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: The Producer's Role - Carolyn Carew
DESCRIPTION:The Producer’s Role with Carolyn Carew\n  \nExplore the critical role of producers in bringing feature films and TV dramas to life – from raising finance and navigating sales and distribution\, to collaborating with international co-producers under South Africa’s treaty agreements. This session unpacks the strategic\, creative\, and logistical responsibilities that shape global storytelling. \nWebinar details\nDate: Saturday\, 31 May 2025\nTime: 10:00 – 12:00 SAST \nLocation: Online (Zoom link sent by 12pm\, 30 May 2025 – Please add communications@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nNB: Registration is essential. WGSA members may attend free of charge. We also invite members of our sister organisations Safrea and DFA to attend free of charge. Non-members pay R 75.00. \nMeet your Speaker\nCarolyn is one of South Africa’s most accomplished and award-winning Producers in television dramas\, feature films\, documentaries\, social marketing campaigns\, and commercials. Her company\, Free Women Films\, has independently produced five feature films (2 x co-productions) & five feature documentaries (2 x co-productions)\, many hours of long-running high-end drama series\, 100s of commercials\, eight long-running youth social reality shows (Pan-African)\, and film training programs.  \n  \nMusic is My Life – Joseph Shabalala and Ladysmith Black Mambazo is SA’s official selection to the 96th Academy Awards (Best International Film and Best Documentary Film). FWF’s productions have screened on Amazon Prime\, Netflix\, BBC\, SKY ARTS\, Canal+\, ZDF /ART\, NHK\, DK\, YLE\, SABC\, Mnet\, eVOD / e.TV and on 150 African Broadcasters.  \n  \nTwo of her films she produced screened at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival in 2017 & 2018\, Berlin Film Festival 2024\, and screened at over 20 international and local festivals\, winning awards at the SAFTAS and other Festivals; her documentary won the Special Jury Prize at IDFA in 2013. FWF has co-produced with France\, Germany\, the UK\, and Canada.  \n  \nCarolyn was profiled in Forbes Africa\, 2nd Edition\, 2012\, for her formidable work and served for three years on the International Emmy Judging documentary panel. Carolyn has played a pivotal role in training SA Film/TV practitioners since 1992 and served as an inaugural councilor at the National Film and Video Foundation from 1999-2001. She has a B Soc. Sc and Post Graduate Dip in Human Resources Management from UCT\, 10 000 Business Women Goldman Sachs / Gibs Certificate. She is a member of the Producer Guild of America\, IPO and a board member of DFA.
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-online-session-fundamentals-of-screenwriting-for-emerging-writers-2-2-2-2-2-2-2/
LOCATION:Online via MS Teams
CATEGORIES:Knowledge Share Session,News,Online Session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Carolyn-Carew-The-Producers-Role-31-May-2025.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250521T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250521T190000
DTSTAMP:20250501T075429Z
CREATED:20250501T075429Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250501T075429Z
UID:29893-1747850400-1747854000@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: WGSA Muse Awards - Expectations from a Judges Perspectives
DESCRIPTION:WGSA Muse Awards: Expectations from a Judges Perspectives with Vicki Bawcombe \n  \nVicki has judged many rounds of the WGSA Muse Awards\, and in this session she shares her insights into the judging criteria and what makes some scripts stand out from the rest. As you gear up for that polish before you submit\, join us online for some dos and  don’ts\, a WGSA Muse success checklist and plenty of time for your questions. \nWebinar details\nDate: Wednesday\, 21 May 2025\nTime: 18:00 – 19:00 SAST \nLocation: Online (Zoom link sent by 12pm\, 20 May 2025 – Please add communications@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nNB: Registration is essential. WGSA members may attend free of charge. We also invite members of our sister organisations Safrea and DFA to attend free of charge. Non-members pay R 75.00. \nMeet your Speaker\nVicki is a writer\, script editor and screenwriting teacher who has been a proud member of the Writers Guild of South Africa (WGSA) since its inception. In a thirty-year career she has written for TV\, radio\, theatre and film in a wide range of genres. Recent credits are the movies Klip Anker Baai which can be seen on Prime and Masinga – the Calling\, a Showmax original\, and the TV drama Die Nuusmaakers which flights from 27 May 2025 on Kyknet.
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-online-session-fundamentals-of-screenwriting-for-emerging-writers-2-2-2-2-2-2/
LOCATION:Online via MS Teams
CATEGORIES:Knowledge Share Session,News,Online Session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Vicki-Bawcombe-WGSA-Muse-Awards-Expectations-from-a-Judges-Perspectives.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250514T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250514T190000
DTSTAMP:20250424T105005Z
CREATED:20250424T105005Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250424T105005Z
UID:29889-1747245600-1747249200@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: Making a Life in Theatre
DESCRIPTION:One Playwright’s Leap from Policy to Practice with Mike Van Graan\n  \nHow to make a living in and through theatre…that is the holy grail for theatre-makers the world over\, and particularly in a country like South Africa.  We have passion\, dedication\, talent\, skills and we do not at all mind hard work and long hours – all ingredients for success we are told.  And while we may achieve some recognition for our work through decent reviews\, the odd award and even a commission or two\, these do not translate into a decent\, sustainable livelihood.  Is it true then\, that Mrs Worthington – or Mrs Khumalo – shouldn’t put their daughters on the stage?  Or that writers should always have another source of regular income to support their creative work? Or are there possibilities for living off one’s talents and passions as theatre writers in particular?  Join Mike van Graan as he talks about his current journey. \nWebinar details\nDate: Wednesday\, 14 May 2025\nTime: 18:00 – 19:00 SAST \nLocation: Online (Zoom link sent by 12pm\, 14 May 2025 – Please add communications@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nNB: Registration is essential.WGSA members may attend free of charge. We also invite members of our sister organisations Safrea and DFA to attend free of charge. Non-members pay ZAR 75.00 \n  \nMeet your Speaker\nMike van Graan is a South African playwright and producer based in Cape Town. \nMost recently\, he served as the Coordinator of the Sustaining Theatre and Dance (STAND) Foundation\, an initiative to support the South African dance and theatre sector through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. \nHe has extensive experience in policy formulation and advocacy and in building artists’ networks\, both in South Africa and across the African continent.  Mike was the founding Secretary General of Arterial Network\, a pan-African organisation advocating for the cultural dimension of development\, human rights and democracy.  He served on the expert facility of UNESCO’s 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions from 2011-2018. He was the head writer of the team that produced Breathing New Vision into Theatre and Dance: National Theatre and Dance Policy\, commissioned by South Africa’s Department of Sport\, Arts and Culture in 2021/22. \nAfter the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994\, he was appointed as a Special Advisor to the minister responsible for arts and culture where he played an influential role in helping to develop post-apartheid cultural policies. \nAs a playwright with 40 plays under his belt\, he is regarded as one of South Africa’s foremost contemporary playwrights having garnered numerous awards and nominations for his work. \nHe is the 2018 recipient of the Swedish Hiroshima Prize for Peace and Culture\, the same year that he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Pretoria in recognition of his work as a playwright\, and as a cultural activist. \nFor more information\, see http://mikevangraan.co.za \n 
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-online-session-fundamentals-of-screenwriting-for-emerging-writers-2-2-2-2-2/
LOCATION:Online via MS Teams
CATEGORIES:Knowledge Share Session,News,Online Session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Making-a-life-in-Theatre-with-Mike-Van-Graan-Instagram.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250412T093000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250412T150000
DTSTAMP:20250314T100413Z
CREATED:20250314T100413Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250314T100413Z
UID:29823-1744450200-1744470000@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Workshop and Networking session: The Writers’ Room
DESCRIPTION:Get ready for a power-packed day of insider knowledge\, interactive workshops\, and groundbreaking trends in screenwriting! On 12 April 2025\, the Writers Guild of South Africa hosts The Writers Room—three concurrent in-person sessions in Cape Town\, Durban and Johannesburg. \nArrive at 9:45 AM for welcome coffee and introductions. The main session kicks off at 10:00 AM\, followed by an interactive networking session over a light lunch at 12:30 PM—your chance to connect with facilitators and fellow professional writers. \nWith an all-star lineup of facilitators— Busisiwe Ntintili (JHB)\, Caroline Doherty (DBN)\, Collin Oliphant (CT)\, and Sacha Stokes (CT)\, —you’ll be guided through updated writers room protocols and the evolving demands of professional writing. \nSpecial thanks to our venue sponsors across the 3 cities: Centre for Creative Arts\, Wesgro and The Wits School of Arts. \nSecure your seat now (only 20 spots per location) and join us on the frontlines of South Africa’s storytelling future. \nNB: Only registered and paid for participants will be allowed access to the venues. Deadline to RSVP: 5 April 2025 \nCost:  WGSA members: R 250 PP.; Non-members – R 400 PP \nVenues: \nCape Town: Wesgro\, 7th Floor\, Media24 Building\, 40 Heerengracht Street\, Cape Town \nDurban: Centre for Creative Arts\, 238 Mazisi Kunene Road\, Glenwood\, Berea\, 4001 \nJohannesburg: Wits Film and Television Solomon Mahlangu House\, Basement 2\, Braamfontein East Campus at Jorissen Street \nRSVP by 5 April 2025: https://forms.gle/CeSUEgWQ2kHvbERZ7 \n  \nMEET YOUR FACILITATORS \nBusisiwe Ntintili\nAn award-winning showrunner\, writer\, director\, and producer\, Busisiwe is the creative force behind Netflix’s JIVA! and the writer of box-office hit Happiness Is a Four-Letter Word. As Chair of the WGSA\, she advocates for South African writers while continuing to produce content that elevates local stories on a global scale. \nCaroline Doherty\nAn award-winning writer\, director\, and producer with 15 years’ experience creating content for platforms like BET Africa\, ETV\, and 1Magic. Caroline has led several groundbreaking shows—most notably Imbewu\, Ring of Lies 2\, 1802: Love Defies Time\, and Netflix’s Blood Legacy. She also received the prestigious Peter Ustinov Award at the International Emmy Awards. \nCollin Oliphant\nA highly accomplished head writer and show creator\, Collin spearheaded Generations: The Legacy to over nine million daily viewers. He has launched multiple hit series\, including Bay of Plenty and Loitering in Jozi\, and is known for mentoring writing teams and developing series bibles that resonate with diverse audiences. \nSacha Stokes\nA 20-year industry veteran\, Sacha has made her mark as a writer\, director\, and published author. She has conceptualized and written award-winning television across drama\, action\, comedy\, and children’s programming. Her credits span top platforms like Showmax\, Mzansi Magic\, and ETV\, where she has honed her passion for authentic storytelling. \nDon’t miss this opportunity to expand your professional expertise and engage with South Africa’s most accomplished storytellers—join us for an immersive experience designed to elevate your craft. \nPayment secures your spot! For queries\, email admin@writersguildsa.org \n 
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-workshop-the-business-of-writing-2-3-2-2-2-2-2/
LOCATION:Johannesburg; Cape Town; Durban
CATEGORIES:Cape Town,Johannesburg,Masterclass,News,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/The-Writers-Room.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="WGSA":MAILTO:admin@writersguildsa.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250319T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250319T190000
DTSTAMP:20250307T065241Z
CREATED:20250307T065241Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250307T065241Z
UID:29818-1742407200-1742410800@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: Back to Basics - The Screenplay Format
DESCRIPTION:The Screenplay Format with Theoline Maphutha\n  \nThis session will provide a simple\, practical approach to formatting your screenplay to industry standards. We’ll cover the fundamental principles of the screenwriting format and examine how each script element contributes to storytelling. While we’ll touch briefly on different types of scripts across various mediums\, the primary focus will be on writing a film scene – demonstrating how all these elements come together in practice. \nWebinar details\nDate: Wednesday\, 19 March 2025\nTime: 18:00 – 19:00 SAST \nLocation: Online (Zoom link sent by 12pm\, 19 March 2025 – Please add communications@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nNB: Registration is essential.WGSA members may attend free of charge. We also invite members of our sister organisations Safrea and DFA to attend free of charge. Non-members pay ZAR 75.00 \n  \nMeet your Facilitator\nTheoline Maphutha is a screenwriter\, industry advocate\, and trainer with nearly 20 years of experience in film and television. Over 14 of those years have been dedicated to training performance writers at various levels and championing their rights as a Writers Guild of South Africa (WGSA) member. She played a key role in advocating for performance writers during the public participation of the Copyright Amendment Bill in Parliament and was honoured with the prestigious WGSA Service Excellence Award. \nIn addition to her work as a writer and advocate\, Theoline is a trained script reader. Over the past decade\, she has reviewed and analysed 500+ scripts across genres for competitions and awards\, including the WGSA Muse Awards. She has also served as a judge and panel chair for the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs). \nShe holds an MFA in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute (AFI) Conservatory\, where she was a World Cinema Class teaching assistant and the screenwriting instructor for the inaugural Young Women In Film initiative (a collaboration with the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation)\, teaching high school girls the fundamentals of screenwriting. The AFI thesis film\, Junior\, which she co-wrote\, was nominated for Best Short Film at the Pan African Film & Arts Festival. Cinturón Negro (Black Belt)\, another co-written short\, gained international recognition in Argentina and Spain\, including a special LGBTQIA+ award. \nTheoline began her screenwriting career as a researcher and writer on corporate video projects and SABC 2’s Living Land\, a lifestyle programme spotlighting agriculture. She’s a Berlinale Talents Durban alum\, and her directorial short film\, Sidetracked\, is currently in post-production with support from the National Film and Video Foundation. \n 
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-online-session-fundamentals-of-screenwriting-for-emerging-writers-2-2-2-2/
LOCATION:Johannesburg; Cape Town; Durban
CATEGORIES:Knowledge Share Session,News,Online Session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/The-Screenplay-Format-by-Theoline-Maphutha-19-March-2025.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250305T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250305T200000
DTSTAMP:20250219T083440Z
CREATED:20250219T083410Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250219T083440Z
UID:29790-1741201200-1741204800@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: Back to Basics
DESCRIPTION:Plot set-ups and pay-offs with Ben Johnson\n  \nHow do set-ups and pay-offs shape a compelling story? What role does a character’s flaw play in narrative development? Join Ben Johnson as he unpacks binary development and the storytelling techniques that keep audiences engaged. \nSession Details: \nDate: Wednesday\, 5 March 2025 \nTime: 19:00 – 20:00 SAST \nLocation: Online (The Zoom link will be distributed via email by 12pm on 5 March 2025. Please add communications@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nRegistration closes at 18:00 SAST on 4 March 2025. \nNB: This session will not be recorded. \nMeet your Facilitator\nBen Johnson is a versatile storyteller who crafts compelling cross-genre narratives that resonate across cultures\, transforming profound human experiences into stories that illuminate the universal struggle between darkness and light. \nHe grew up in a previously disadvantaged community in South Africa during the apartheid years. His strict upbringing was peppered with loads of personal trauma\, rebellion\, and domestic violence. As a result\, his stories explore the theme of fatherhood\, and feature characters who either embrace or fight their inner darkness. Ben comfortably straddles a career in both film and television. He’s a seasoned feature writer with 14 commissioned scripts under his belt\, including two novel-to-screen adaptations\, an international martial arts co-production between South Africa and Thailand\, and most recently a biopic for one of the directors of BBC’s DOCTOR WHO. \nAs a headwriter\, storyliner and scriptwriter in the African television space\, he’s amassed over 500 episode credits and worked on 16 shows\, including FIFTY THE SERIES for Ebony Life TV\, on Netflix. He’s been hired to lead series developments\, worked as a story consultant\, and served as headwriter on a number of shows\, including the South African adaptation of UGLY BETTY. In 2022\, he was hired to create and head write an original series for Netflix. \nHis script editing clients include the Kwazulu-Natal Film Commission(KZNFC)\, the National Film and Video Foundation(NFVF)\, and the Namibian Film Commission(NFC). He has served as a council member of the Writers Guild of South Africa(WGSA ) and a judge for both the WGSA Muse Awards and the South African Film and Television Awards(SAFTAS). \nBen is a NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY Fellowship Alumnus whose screenplays have placed highly in both local and international script competitions. His thriller script\, CANAAN\, won the feature diversity category of the 2019 Final Draft Big Break Contest. Ben was invited to Los Angeles to participate in the Final Draft Awards\, and was consequently signed to a literary manager. In 2020\, Ben was invited to pitch two of his scripts at the Berlin Film Festival’s Africa Finance Hub. His current feature\, RIVER RUN\, is being shopped in Hollywood with academy award winner\, Troy Kotzur\, attached as lead. His 13 part drama series DARK DAYS\, goes into production in 2025. \n  \nWGSA members attend for free \nNon-members pay R75. Details on the RSVP form
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-online-session-fundamentals-of-screenwriting-for-emerging-writers-2-2-2/
LOCATION:Johannesburg; Cape Town; Durban
CATEGORIES:Knowledge Share Session,News,Online Session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Plot-Set-ups-Pay-offs-with-Ben-Johnson-.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250222T090000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250222T230000
DTSTAMP:20250210T092754Z
CREATED:20250210T092754Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250210T092754Z
UID:29779-1740214800-1740265200@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: Final Draft Training Session
DESCRIPTION:In this session\, we will take a look at the possibilities that Final Draft offers a writer in developing and structuring their script. Some aspects will be demonstrated on Final Draft 12\, and we will also discuss the differences between Final Draft 12 and 13. \nWe will explore how Final Draft can save you time and provide a framework for organising your thoughts and ideas. \nSession Details: \nDate: Saturday\, 22 February 2025 \nTime: 09:00 – 11:00  SAST \nLocation: Online (The Zoom link will be distributed via email by 12pm on 21 February 2025. Please add communications@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nMeet your Facilitator \nHanné Koster is an award-winning television director\, documentary filmmaker and writer. She is one of the Writers Guild of South Africa’s scriptwriting trainers and used to be a lecturer at the then Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. \nShe has a Master’s degree in Creative Writing and has completed multiple international scriptwriting courses. She is always eager to learn about technology and the possibilities it presents and to share this knowledge with others. \n  \nWGSA members attend for free \nNon-members pay R75. Details on the RSVP form
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-online-session-fundamentals-of-screenwriting-for-emerging-writers-2-2/
LOCATION:Johannesburg; Cape Town; Durban
CATEGORIES:Knowledge Share Session,News,Online Session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Final-Draft-Training-Session.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250219T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250219T190000
DTSTAMP:20250127T093018Z
CREATED:20250127T084505Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250127T093018Z
UID:29752-1739988000-1739991600@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: The 3-Act Structure for Emerging Writers with Sechaba Morojele
DESCRIPTION:Sechaba Morojele: The Three Act Structure\n  \nDoes a good structure give you a strong story\, or does a good story give you a strong structure? \nJoin Sechaba Morojele\, an award-winning filmmaker with nearly 30 years of industry experience\, as he unpacks the power of the 3-act structure in storytelling. \nMeet your speaker\nSechaba Morojele brings nearly 30 years of experience in the TV and film industry. With a BSc. Degree in Statistics from the University of Manchester\, he worked as a Statistician in England and South Africa before pursuing an MFA in film directing from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. His thesis film\, Ubuntu’s Wounds\, won numerous awards\, including Best Short Film at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles and the Director’s Guild of America (DGA) Student Award for outstanding achievement in directing. The film aired on HBO for two years. \nSechaba is a versatile industry professional\, working as an actor\, writer\, director\, producer\, and script editor. His recent acting work includes roles such as Dr. Sid in Netflix’s Queen Sono and Rubin in BET’s Isono. Through his production company\, Provoke Entertainment\, he has produced three TV series for SABC1 and SABC2. Sechaba is also a preferred script editor for the NFVF and KZNFC\, having script edited Silverton Siege\, Mandla Dube’s acclaimed Netflix original film. \nSession details: \nDate: Wednesday\, 19 February 2025 \nTime: 18:00 – 19:00 SAST \nLocation: Online (The Zoom link will be distributed via email by 12pm on 19 February 2025. Please add communications@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nPerfect for writers\, directors\, and anyone passionate about crafting compelling narratives. Don’t miss this insightful session! \nNB: Registration is essential.WGSA members may attend free of charge. We also invite members of our sister organisations Safrea and DFA to attend free of charge. Non-members pay ZAR 75.00
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-online-session-fundamentals-of-screenwriting-for-emerging-writers-2/
LOCATION:Johannesburg; Cape Town; Durban
CATEGORIES:Knowledge Share Session,News,Online Session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Sechaba-Morojele-3-act-structure-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250215T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250215T120000
DTSTAMP:20250213T073447Z
CREATED:20241210T070403Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250213T073447Z
UID:29727-1739613600-1739620800@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: The Adoption/Rejection\, Impact and Regulation of Artificial Intelligence - Part 3
DESCRIPTION:Event has been postponed. Date TBC\n  \nThe Adoption/Rejection\, Impact and Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Within Cultural and Creative Industries in South Africa – Part 3 \nBy popular demand\, join Zunaid Mansoor and Guests\, as we continue our robust\, hard-hitting\, prismatic conversation and interviews tackling AI’s impact on screenwriting\, filmmaking\, content creation\, academic scholarship\, public funding for the arts\, and on our democracy and leadership. \nOne Job Lost Is Too Much! \nCopying or Sampling Text Without Permission\, Acknowledgement and Fair Compensation is Theft! \nAI Generated Text presented as the Fruits of Human Labour is Fraud! \nNo\, to Manufactured Consent! \nNo\, to Structural and Systemic Coercion! \nYes\, to Human-Centrality! \n  \nSession Details:\nDate: Saturday\, 15 February 2025 \nTime: 10:00 – 12:00 SAST \nLocation: Online (The Zoom link will be distributed via email by 12pm on 14 February 2025. Please add communications@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nMeet your speaker:\nZunaid Mansoor is a professional script editor\, story development consultant\, screenwriting lecturer/researcher\, and creativity coach serving live-action\, animation\, documentary\, video game\, literary fiction and creative writing. He also serves as an independent film fund advisor and script editor with the NFVF\, KZN Tourism and Film Authority\, and the Durban Film Office. \nThe U.S. and South African governments named him the Amy Biehl Awardee as the top Fulbright Scholar in 2007 – his field of study was Screenwriting. After completing an MFA at Oscar-winning film school\, Chapman University’s Dodge College\, he worked at CBS’ The Bold and The Beautiful\, and for Oscar-nominated producer\, Alexandra Rose. \nAs Senior Lecturer and National Head of Screenwriting at AFDA Johannesburg for 12 years\, Zunaid served some 10 000 students of film and screenwriting. Known for his servant leadership\, devotion to community service\, his nurturing of authentic voices for the page and screen\, and his results-driven\, in-demand consultation\, his alumni and clients have been nominated and decorated several times for the Student Oscar\, the SAFTA\, WGSA Muse Award\, the NEFTI Prize\, the 48-Hour Film Project\, the KykNet Silwerskerm and awards in all continents. Several of them were selected as Berlinale Talents\, Durban Talents\, MultiChoice Talent Factory participants\, and have films/series/doccies/content on Netflix\, Amazon Prime\, Showmax\, SABC\, DSTV channels\, YouTube and TikTok. They are commissioning editors and managers with MultiChoice\, and have been listed as part of the Mail & Guardian Top 200 Youth. \nHe serves as a jury member for SAFTA\, the WGSA Muse Awards\, the Simon Sabela Film & TV Awards\, and for the UFVA Screenwriting Competition for U.S. film schools. He was appointed to the Oscars selection committee for South Africa with the NFVF. An award-winning public speaker\, Zunaid has guest lectured at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls\, the Durban University of Technology\, UKZN\, the University of Southern California\, and Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. He was honoured in 2024 when he was selected to co-facilitate the isiPhethu Screenwriting Programme during the Durban International Film Festival alongside the legendary\, Mr. Edmund Mhlongo. \nIn 2009\, his South African-based feature film screenplay was selected to be pitched to the president of Creative Artists Agency\, Richard Lovett\, in Los Angeles – the world’s largest and most prestigious talent agency. At just 16 and 18\, Zunaid was the youngest accredited journalist in the world at both the World AIDS Conference in 2000\, and the World Conference Against Racism in KwaZulu-Natal\, in 2001. He is also a proud alumnus of UKZN where earned law and social sciences degrees cum laude\, passing his attorney’s admission exam in 2006 \nNB: Registration is essential. WGSA members attend for FREE. Non-members pay ZAR 75.00
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-workshop-the-business-of-writing-2-3-2-2/
LOCATION:Johannesburg; Cape Town; Durban
CATEGORIES:Masterclass,News,Online Session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Zunaid-Mansoor-15-February.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250208T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250208T120000
DTSTAMP:20250127T094224Z
CREATED:20250127T093810Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250127T094224Z
UID:29766-1739008800-1739016000@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: The Writers’ Room: How Does It Work? With Bongi Ndaba
DESCRIPTION:The Writers’ Room: How Does It Work?  \nJoin celebrated writer and showrunner Bongi Ndaba as she unpacks the magic of the writers’ room: \n✨ How many writers does it take?\n✨ What does each one do?\n✨ How do they align characters\, plots\, and dialogue? \nWith her vast experience on iconic shows like Generations and Uzalo\, Bongi’s insights are not to be missed. \nMeet your speaker\nBongi Ndaba\, celebrated for her remarkable contributions to South African television and cinema\, will lead this enlightening session. Ndaba’s journey from the theatre stage to becoming the creative force behind acclaimed series such as Generations and Uzalo\, has positioned her as a leading figure in storytelling across continents. Her approachable and insightful guidance makes her the perfect mentor for writers embarking on their creative journey\, eager to learn from a seasoned storyteller. \nSession details:\nDate: Saturday\, 8 February 2025\nTime: 10:00 – 12:00 SAST\nLocation: Online (The Zoom link will be distributed via email by 12pm on 7 February 2025. Please add communications@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nThis session is for Professional Writers \nNB: Registration is essential.WGSA members may attend free of charge. We also invite members of our sister organisations Safrea and DFA to attend free of charge. Non-members pay ZAR 75.00 \n 
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-workshop-the-business-of-writing-2-3-2-2-2-2/
LOCATION:Johannesburg; Cape Town; Durban
CATEGORIES:Masterclass,News,Online Session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Bongi-Ndaba-The-Writers-Room.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250205T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250205T190000
DTSTAMP:20250127T092905Z
CREATED:20250124T072656Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250127T092905Z
UID:29748-1738778400-1738782000@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: Fundamentals of Screenwriting for Emerging Writers with Sizwe Fortune Zuma
DESCRIPTION:Fundamentals of Screenwriting with Sizwe Fortune Zuma \n  \nReady to bring your stories to life? \nJoin multi-award-winning writer\, performer\, and lecturer Sizwe Fortune Zuma for Fundamentals of Screenwriting! With expertise in scriptwriting\, character development\, and crafting captivating stories\, Sizwe’s experience spans teaching at Wits University and presenting Heart and Soul on Radio Pulpit. \nWhether you’re just starting or want to sharpen your skills\, this is your chance to master the basics. Don’t miss out! \nMeet your speaker:\nSizwe is a performer\, multi-award winning writer and lecturer. He is currently presenting a programme called Heart and Soul for the biggest Christian Radio Station\, Radio Pulpit. As a performer\, he gets roles for television\, film and voice work. As a lecturer\, he taught Visual Storytelling 2B and Screenwriting 3B at the University of the Witwatersrand. \n𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 \nDate: Wednesday\, 5 February 2025 \nTime: 18:00 – 19:00 SAST \nLocation: Online (The Zoom link will be distributed via email by 12pm on 4 February 2025. Please add communications@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nRSVP here: \nWGSA members attend for free. Non-members pay R75
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-online-session-fundamentals-of-screenwriting-for-emerging-writers/
LOCATION:Johannesburg; Cape Town; Durban
CATEGORIES:Knowledge Share Session,News,Online Session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/The-Fundamentals-of-Sciptwriting-Sizwe-Zuma-Poster.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250122T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250122T190000
DTSTAMP:20241128T081029Z
CREATED:20240828T081102Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241128T081029Z
UID:29571-1737568800-1737572400@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: Scripting for Documentaries with Peter Goldsmid
DESCRIPTION:Scripting for Documentaries with Peter Goldsmid \n  \nA session on documentary storytelling with Peter Goldsmid\, an award-winning writer and director. On 22 January 2025\, he will explore the strengths and limitations of fiction story structure for emotionally engaging documentary narrative. Creatively dealing with reality offers challenges\, unexpected joys and pitfalls; Peter will offer suggestions and examples of how to make the best of all three. \nSession details \nDate: Will confirm as soon as Speaker is up and about \nTime: 18h00 – 19h00 SAST \nLocation: Online (The Zoom link will be distributed via email by 12pm on 22 January 2025. Please add pdpassistant@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nRegistration closes on 21 January 2025 at 18h00 SAST \nWGSA members attend for free. Non-members pay R75 \n  \nMeet your Speaker\nPeter Goldsmid began his career as a film editor and film critic\, reviewing for The Star and other print media\, before transitioning into writing. He was inspired to adapt Athol Fugard’s magical play\, The Road to Mecca\, into a feature film—a project he had longed to direct for years. Ultimately\, he accomplished both\, and the film won Vita Awards for Best Script and Best Production. \nSince then\, Peter has continued writing\, primarily to create opportunities for himself as a director and independent producer. His work includes four seasons of the documentary-based legal drama series Justice for All for SABC 2. His experience with documentaries also led to the creation of the SABC 2 mini-series Riemvasmaak\, set during the forced removals under apartheid\, which won the 2008 SAFTAs for Writing\, Direction\, and Producing. \nPeter’s documentaries have been shown at film festivals such as Cannes\, the United Nations Association Film Festival\, and Encounters. His 2010 documentary Difficult Love\, made with lesbian visual activist Zanele Muholi\, was broadcast by SABC and on Dutch and Swedish television\, as well as nearly a hundred film festivals worldwide. More recently\, Our Land\, focusing on land rights activists from the Alliance for Rural Democracy\, was the Runner-up for the 2023 Encounters Youth Experience Award. \nA major catalyst for Peter’s growth as a writer was his six years teaching screen\, television\, and documentary writing at AFDA\, Cape Town\, culminating in an MFA (cum laude) in 2020. He has since led documentary courses for both the NFVF and SAE. Currently\, Peter is writing\, directing\, and producing a True Crime series on femicides for SABC 3\, David Klatzow – Looking into Darkness. \n 
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-workshop-the-business-of-writing-2/
LOCATION:Johannesburg; Cape Town; Durban
CATEGORIES:Masterclass,News,Online Session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Peter-Goldsmid-Scripting-for-Documentaries-22-January-2025.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250118T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20250118T120000
DTSTAMP:20241211T070337Z
CREATED:20241211T070337Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241211T070337Z
UID:29730-1737194400-1737201600@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: Pushing to the Extreme of Theme with 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹
DESCRIPTION:Pushing to the Extreme of Theme with 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹\n  \nRobert McKee calls it ‘taking the forces of antagonism to the end of the line’\, whilst others call it the ‘negation of the negation’. In this interactive session for working writers\, Julie will explore what she calls the Value Framework\, which is working strongly with the central theme or dramatic issue of your story. We will discuss why sticking to a central theme is so crucial in writing for cinema or TV\, discuss ways to identify the central theme\, and then to work with it to its strongest dramatic potential. \n𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀\nDate: Saturday\, 18 January 2025 \nTime: 10:00 – 12:00 SAST \nLocation: Online (The Zoom link will be distributed via email by 12pm on 19 January 2025. Please add communications@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nMeet your Speaker\nJulie Hall is a Screenwriter\, Story Consultant\, Lecturer\, and Voice Over Artist. \nTV Series worked on as Head writer include BARE for Netflix\, the dramedy 016FM for Showmax\, Tempy Pushas Seasons 2 & 3\, Mamello Season 1\, Bedford Wives and Ikhaya Season. \nJulie has worked as Story Editor on multiple projects with SA’s film commissions\, including commercial breakouts: Hard To Get\, Happiness Is A 4 Letter Word\, Keeping Up With the Kandasamys\, Kandasamys\, The Wedding\, Trippin’ With The Kandasamys and Kandasamy’s The Baby. More recent releases include Indemnity (Netflix) and the multiple award-winning Valley of a Thousand Hills (Netflix and Festival Circuit). Feature film scripts as screenwriter include co-writing the rom-com Zulu Wedding which won the Festival Director’s Choice for First Feature at the Pan-African Film Festival LA 2020. Julie mentored on the NFVF Sediba-SPARK programme from its inception and served as Discipline Chair of Screenwriting for AFDA Johannesburg from 2014 to 2021. Julie has a special interest in Animation and works as a Creative Producer on select projects \nNB: Registration is essential. WGSA members attend for FREE. Non-members pay ZAR 75.00
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-workshop-the-business-of-writing-2-3-2-2-2/
LOCATION:Johannesburg; Cape Town; Durban
CATEGORIES:Masterclass,News,Online Session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Julie-Hall-Theme-18-Jan-2025.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20241026T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20241026T120000
DTSTAMP:20241009T114930Z
CREATED:20241009T114930Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241009T114930Z
UID:29626-1729936800-1729944000@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: From Artificial Intelligence to African Intelligence - Part 2
DESCRIPTION:From Artificial Intelligence to African Intelligence – Part 2\n  \nFollowing the successful WGSA first workshop on AI in September\, which was a call to leadership and solidarity towards AI regulation with WGSA member\, Zunaid Mansoor\, you are invited to join us for another online session in which the urgency to become aware of the loss to our livelihoods\, and the need to support regulation\, will be emphasised and amplified by the addition of expert voices. \nThe widespread adoption of AI apps and models in the creative industries\, particularly screenwriting and book publishing\, offers a solution to a problem that did not exist\, and in so doing\, poses an existential crisis for writers and content creators\, lowering our expectations of what we will write\, read and watch\, diminishing the sacred act of writing into a menial\, routine task which anyone can do without having learned\, practised or even intended. \nGlobal thought leaders like Oprah Winfrey\, Yuval Noah Harari\, Bill Gates\, Tambay Obenson\, and a cohort of AI technologists and developers themselves\, have equally warned of the certainty of job displacement en masse and role obsolescence. Its impact on all forms of writing has been described as fundamentally dehumanising\, and as a social weapon of mass destruction. \nThe Writers Guild of America East and West\, along with the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds – of which the WGSA is a member – have perceived this impact as a violation of human rights\, a threat to democracy\, resulting in strike action\, and international lobbying for the protection of writers’ IP through formal regulation. For now\, whilst U.S. screenwriters are protected by their Guild’s procurement of a Minimum Basic Agreement\, and screenwriters and other professionals in the European Union are protected by the new AI Act\, South African screenwriters and content creators remain unprotected\, naked and maximally vulnerable to exploitation\, plagiarism\, and outright theft. \nLet us stand up together in peace and with courage\, for the craft and business of writing – the most powerful force of nature there is\, second only\, perhaps\, to love \nSession details: \nThis session will be hosted by Zunaid Mansoor\, interviewing various guests. \nDate: 26 October 2024\nTime: 10h00 – 12h00 SAST \nLocation: Online (The Zoom link will be distributed via email by 6pm on 25 October 2024. Please add pdpassistant@writersguildsa.org to your contact list)\nRegistration closes on 25 October 2024 at 18h00 SAST \nMeet your speaker \nZunaid Mansoor is a professional script editor\, story development consultant\, screenwriting lecturer/researcher\, and creativity coach serving live-action\, animation\, documentary\, video game\, literary fiction and creative writing. He also serves as an independent film fund advisor and script editor with the NFVF\, KZN Tourism and Film Authority\, and the Durban Film Office. \nThe U.S. and South African governments named him the Amy Biehl Awardee as the top Fulbright Scholar in 2007 – his field of study was Screenwriting. After completing an MFA at Oscar-winning film school\, Chapman University’s Dodge College\, he worked at CBS’ The Bold and The Beautiful\, and for Oscar-nominated producer\, Alexandra Rose. \nAs Senior Lecturer and National Head of Screenwriting at AFDA Johannesburg for 12 years\, Zunaid served some 10 000 students of film and screenwriting. Known for his servant leadership\, devotion to community service\, his nurturing of authentic voices for the page and screen\, and his results-driven\, in-demand consultation\, his alumni and clients have been nominated and decorated several times for the Student Oscar\, the SAFTA\, WGSA Muse Award\, the NEFTI Prize\, the 48-Hour Film Project\, the KykNet Silwerskerm and awards in all continents. Several of them were selected as Berlinale Talents\, Durban Talents\, MultiChoice Talent Factory participants\, and have films/series/doccies/content on Netflix\, Amazon Prime\, Showmax\, SABC\, DSTV channels\, YouTube and TikTok. They are commissioning editors and managers with MultiChoice\, and have been listed as part of the Mail & Guardian Top 200 Youth. \nHe serves as a jury member for SAFTA\, the WGSA Muse Awards\, the Simon Sabela Film & TV Awards\, and for the UFVA Screenwriting Competition for U.S. film schools. He was appointed to the Oscars selection committee for South Africa with the NFVF. An award-winning public speaker\, Zunaid has guest lectured at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls\, the Durban University of Technology\, UKZN\, the University of Southern California\, and Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. He was honoured in 2024 when he was selected to co-facilitate the isiPhethu Screenwriting Programme during the Durban International Film Festival alongside the legendary\, Mr. Edmund Mhlongo. \nIn 2009\, his South African-based feature film screenplay was selected to be pitched to the president of Creative Artists Agency\, Richard Lovett\, in Los Angeles – the world’s largest and most prestigious talent agency. At just 16 and 18\, Zunaid was the youngest accredited journalist in the world at both the World AIDS Conference in 2000\, and the World Conference Against Racism in KwaZulu-Natal\, in 2001. He is also a proud alumnus of UKZN where earned law and social sciences degrees cum laude\, passing his attorney’s admission exam in 2006. \nNB: Registration is essential. WGSA members attend for FREE. Non-members pay ZAR 75.00
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-workshop-the-business-of-writing-2-3-2/
LOCATION:Johannesburg; Cape Town; Durban
CATEGORIES:Masterclass,News,Online Session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/AI-part-2with-Zunaid-Mansoor.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20241019T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20241019T120000
DTSTAMP:20241009T114235Z
CREATED:20241009T113112Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241009T114235Z
UID:29623-1729332000-1729339200@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: Genre - How Genre Has Changed
DESCRIPTION:Genre- How Genre has Changed by Nicola van Niekerk\n\nThis session is aimed at Professional Writers\n\nSession details\nDate: 19 October 2024\nTime: 10h00 – 12h00 SAST\nLocation: Online (The Zoom link will be distributed via email by 6pm on 18 October 2024.\nPlease add pdpassistant@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nRegistration closes on 17 October 2024 at 18h00 SAST \nWGSA members attend for free. Non-members pay R75 \n Meet your Speaker \nNicola van Niekerk is the Executive Head of Programming at M-Net\, with a strong background in both scripted content and factual entertainment\, previously serving as Senior Manager for Scripted Content and Factual Entertainment. With over 5 years as Head of Production and Commissioning Editor at kykNET\, Nicola has also produced for Clearwater Productions and Ezinkulu Productions. Her expertise spans creating and implementing innovative creative strategies across channels\, platforms\, and content. She has overseen various high-impact projects\, including international coproductions for both development and production. \nNicola is known for her work on Spinners (2023)\, Catch Me A Killer (2024)\, and Devilsdorp (2021). With over 15 years of experience\, Nicola is a television production and broadcast expert\, having led teams of 2 to 45 staff members and managed more than 60 projects across her career. \n 
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-workshop-the-business-of-writing-2-4/
LOCATION:Johannesburg; Cape Town; Durban
CATEGORIES:Masterclass,News,Online Session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nicola-van-Niekerk-Genre-19-Oct.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20240928T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20240928T160000
DTSTAMP:20240912T073439Z
CREATED:20240912T073439Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240912T073439Z
UID:29596-1727521200-1727539200@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Workshop: The ultimate Toolkit of a Writer-Producer
DESCRIPTION:How to stay sane while making content that sells in a global industry\n  \nDespite all kinds of confusion\, there is nothing more important than a strong script. Cati Weinek will present the producer’s toolkit: building your slate of projects\, understanding what financiers and platforms are looking for\, creating a budget and finance plan\, and knowing what draws audiences to the screen — all while you continue to write beautiful scripts that nourish both your soul and your country’s. \nWorkshop Details\n📅 Date: Saturday\, 28 September 2024\n⏰ Time: 11:00 – 17:00 (Please arrive by 10:45)\n📍 Venue: Observatory Sports Club. 59 Frederick Street. (Cnr Frederick and Louise). Observatory.  (Top of Sylvia’s Pass – opposite Athlone Girls School) \nThis workshop is a must for professional writers aiming to take their careers to the next level. Seats are limited\, and the WGSA will carefully select participants to ensure an impactful experience. Secure your spot now! \nThis opportunity is for professional writers only. Seats are limited\, and the WGSA will select the final participants for each workshop \nTHIS IS AN IN-PERSON WORKSHOP \nMeet Your Facilitator: Cati Weinek\n  \nCati is an active member of the South African film and content creation community\, where she is focused on delivering beautifully crafted films and series. \nDrawing on skills developed over years\, Cati has the unique ability of working across the pipeline as a development executive\, champion of talent and innovative storytelling\, executive producer and as a line producer. She starts at the inception of creativity\, working with care to support rare talent right through to delivery of the visual medium to the target audience. Her commitment to satisfying and surprising target audiences helps her retro-engineer how to create inspiring yet budget-savvy content. Her business acumen embraces both the operational and strategic in the production pipeline. \nShe takes pride in being hands-on to ensure the creative vision is realised with authenticity and excellence.  She is people-centred in her work\, while delivering commercially and creatively successful content that is always brave. Her multi-faceted skills and experience support the work of the best in African crew and cast\, and making content that is culturally unique\, but globally resonant.  Celebrating and protecting cultural diversity is a skill honed working in a young democracy and a vibrant industry – but a skill with global resonance. \nCati Weinek’s content is multi-award winning\, selected for markets at Series Mania and Cannes as well as global festivals. She is an alumnus of the Erich Pommer Institute\, founder of a South African gender-diverse collective of filmmakers; co-creator of the ground-breaking script programme\, Sediba\, in South Africa. She has produced 10 feature films and has created more than 600 hours of television content with Kings of Joburg Series 2 on Netflix her latest production.  Her animation feature film\, Headspace\, released theatrically in Spain\, Poland\, Latvia\, New Zealand\, Australia and South Africa in the last half of 2023. \nLink to recent work: \nhttps://www.headspace-movie.com/
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-workshop-the-business-of-writing-3-2/
LOCATION:Observatory Sports Club\, Observatory Sports Club. 59 Frederick Street.\, Ovservatory\, Gauteng\, South Africa
CATEGORIES:Johannesburg,Masterclass,News,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Writer-Producer-with-Cati.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20240921T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20240921T120000
DTSTAMP:20240917T084744Z
CREATED:20240917T084744Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240917T084744Z
UID:29602-1726912800-1726920000@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: From Artificial Intelligence to African Intelligence: A Call To Leadership & Solidarity Towards AI Regulation in South Africa
DESCRIPTION:From Artificial Intelligence to African Intelligence: A Call To Leadership & Solidarity Towards AI Regulation in South Africa\n  \nThe evolution of Artificial Intelligence has led to opportunities and disruption in the creative industry. Feature filmmaking\, high-end and low-budget TV\, have been “undermined” by large language models\, AI-supported image generation\, editing applications\, text-to-video/audio generative applications\, changing how we ideate\, write\, direct\, shoot\, design\, perform\, edit and work. Between doomsayers and Gen-AI\, Africa has largely been left out of authentic consultation towards value-sensitive design. Our counterparts in the U.S. and Europe are protected as a result of active protests leading to the promulgation of dedicated binding law. The situation in South Africa is that we are not protected by any code of law\, leaving screenwriters and development professionals naked\, in the dark\, outside\, cold and wet. Yes\, It’s already here. No\, we are not helpless to bring about change. Ultimately\, the power rests most intensely in You and I\, the choices we make as individuals and as the WGSA\, to protect our sacred livelihoods. Fresh from his acclaimed master class at DFM on AI\, join Zunaid as we consider why we must protect ourselves from threatening job obsolescence and from the ongoing corporate diminution of what we do as writers. We are holding the very essence of our democracy in our hands\, in favour of  human rights\, against a nascent\, insidious global technocracy which does not appear to care for the intellectual property rights and unique authorial voices of storytellers in Africa. \nSession Details\nDate: 21 September 2024 \nTime: 10:00 – 12:00 SAST \nLocation: Online (The Zoom link will be distributed via email by 8am on 21 September 2024. Please add pdpassistant@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nRegistration closes on 20 September 2024 at 18h00 SAST \nMeet your speaker\nIn 2006\, the U.S. and South African governments named Zunaid Mansoor the Amy Biehl awardee as the country’s top Fulbright Scholar – the oldest and flagship exchange program of the U.S. His field of scholarship was not medicine\, IT\, engineering or politics. It was screen storytelling. He had a vision of the revolution of digital storytelling\, powered by mobile tech\, and Africa’s role therein. He earned his MFA from multiple Oscar-winning film school\, Chapman University in California\, and worked for CBS’ The Bold and The Beautiful and for Oscar-nominated producer Alexandra Rose. Then\, he returned home\, to empower South Africa’s future storytellers\, one person at a time. \nBetween 2010 and now\, he served some 10 000 students/mentees as National Head of Screenwriting at AFDA JoBurg\, development consultant and story mentor. He also served as a Staff Development Trainer to several screenwriters and filmmakers at AFDA\, who have gone on to excel locally and internationally\, as lecturers and practitioners. \nZunaid believes in results-driven mentorship. Several of his students/mentees have been nominated and awarded Student Oscars\, SAFTA’s\, WGSA Muse Awards\, KykNet Silwerskerm Awards\, and Simon Sabela’s. Several more were selected for the Berlinale Talents in Germany and Durban\, for the MultiChoice Talent Factory\, and have films/series on Netflix\, Amazon Prime\, Showmax\, SABC\, KykNet\, DSTV channels\, YouTube and TikTok. They are also senior commissioning editors for our continent’s major broadcasters\, and are listed in the Mail & Guardian Top 200 Youth may times. Two of his students have won a total of 5 awards at NEFTI during the Durban FilmMart – Africa’s premier short film competition. \nHe was called “An Aristotle of our time”\, for his servant leadership in screenwriting. Zunaid serves as Development and Production Fund Advisor for the NFVF\, KZN Toursim and Film Authority\, and the PESP Fund. He is also an active Script Editor and Consultant for shorts\, features\, series\, serving live-action\, animation and documentary project development processes. He was honoured in 2024 when he was selected to co-facilitate the isiPhethu Screenwriitng Programme during the Durban International Film Festival alongside the legendary\, Mr. Edmund Mhlongo. He is a script mentor with the Durban Film Office. \nHe was appointed on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences committee for South Africa\, selecting the feature film/documentary for Oscar nomination. He serves as a judge for the SAFTA’s\, the Simon Sabela’s\, and for the Writers Guild of South Africa Muse Awards. \nAn award-winning academic and public speaker\, he was invited to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls where he delivered an analysis of the Oscar-winning Tsotsi. He also guest lectured at the University of Southern California\, and Lincoln University in Pennsylvania in 2007. \nIn 2009\, his South African-based feature film screenplay was selected to be pitched to the president of Creative Artists Agency\, Richard Lovett\, in Los Angeles – the world’s largest and most prestigious talent agency. At just 16 and 18\, Zunaid was the youngest accredited journalist in the world at both the World AIDS Conference in 2000\, and the World Conference Against Racism in KwaZulu Natal\, in 2001. He is also a proud alumnus of UKZN where earned law and social sciences degrees cum laude\, passing his attorney’s admission exam in 2006. \nNB: Registration is essential. WGSA members attend for FREE. Non-members pay ZAR 75.00
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-workshop-the-business-of-writing-2-3/
LOCATION:Johannesburg; Cape Town; Durban
CATEGORIES:Masterclass,News,Online Session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/AI-with-Zunaid-Mansoor.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20240914T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20240914T150000
DTSTAMP:20240904T073534Z
CREATED:20240904T073534Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240904T073534Z
UID:29586-1726308000-1726326000@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Workshop: Showrunner Workshop – Take the Lead in Storytelling
DESCRIPTION:Showrunner Workshop – Take the Lead in Storytelling\nAttention seasoned writers! Don’t miss out on this exclusive opportunity to refine your ability to create concepts that truly connect with South African audiences. Join us for a one-day intensive workshop where you’ll master the art of proposal writing\, perfect your pitch\, and learn the secrets to successful showrunning—all under the expert guidance of Phathu Makwarela\, co-founder of Tshedza Pictures and creator of some of South Africa’s top TV hits\, including The River and Adulting. \nWorkshop Details\n📅 Date: Saturday\, 14 September 2024\n⏰ Time: 10:00 – 15:00 (Please arrive by 09:45)\n📍 Venue: NG Gemeente Rietfontein-Noord\, 24th Ave 800 (Louis Trichardt)\, Pretoria \nTHIS IS AN IN-PERSON WORKSHOP \nThis workshop is a must for professional writers aiming to take their careers to the next level. Seats are limited\, and the WGSA will carefully select participants to ensure an impactful experience. Secure your spot now! \nMeet Your Facilitator: Phathu Makwarela \nPhathu Makwarela is a television producer and writer\, and a graduate of Tshwane University of Technology’s Film and Television School. He is the co-founder and co-executive of Tshedza Pictures\, a South African television production company that has produced some of the most successful television shows in the country\, including the multi-award-winning telenovela The River\, Showmax’s hit drama Adulting\, as well as Outlaws and Youngins. \nThis opportunity is for professional writers only. Seats are limited\, and the WGSA will select the final participants for each workshop.
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-workshop-the-business-of-writing-3/
LOCATION:Observatory Sports Club\, Observatory Sports Club. 59 Frederick Street.\, Ovservatory\, Gauteng\, South Africa
CATEGORIES:Masterclass,News,Pretoria,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Showrunner-with-Phathu-Makwarela.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20240911T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20240911T190000
DTSTAMP:20240830T084520Z
CREATED:20240830T084520Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240830T084520Z
UID:29579-1726077600-1726081200@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Online Session: Writing the Radio Documentary Script
DESCRIPTION:Writing the Radio Documentary Script with Hanné Koster \n  \nThe medium of radio has its own challenges and opportunities when it comes to storytelling . Is all documentary storytelling the same?  What are the specific ways to elevate your storytelling in the medium of radio?   How can you make the best of the medium of radio when writing your documentary script?   We’ll be taking a look at the similarities and differences between video documentaries and radio documentaries. \nJoin us as we explore how to create compelling narratives that resonate with listeners and make an impact through the art of radio documentary writing. \nSession details \nDate: 11 September 2024 \nTime: 18h00 – 19h00 SAST \nLocation: Online (The Zoom link will be distributed via email by 12pm on 11 September 2024. Please add pdpassistant@writersguildsa.org to your contact list) \nRegistration closes on 10 September 2024 at 18h00 SAST \nMeet your speaker \nHanné Koster is an award-winning television director\, documentary filmmaker\, scriptwriter\, and video editor. \nHer career started in radio\, after which she moved to the television industry and teaching. She has a BA (Hons) in Communications and an MA in Creative Writing (UFS). She used to be a lecturer in broadcast journalism at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and is currently a part-time trainer with the WGSA\, as well as the Documentary Filmmakers’ Association’s communications manager. \nShe has certifications in digital marketing and content marketing. \nHanné is passionate about storytelling\, environmental issues and sustainable living. \nNB: Registration is essential. WGSA members attend for FREE. Non-members pay ZAR 75.00
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-workshop-the-business-of-writing-2-2/
LOCATION:Johannesburg; Cape Town; Durban
CATEGORIES:Knowledge Share Session,News,Online Session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersguildsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Writing-the-Radio-Documentary-Script-with-Hanne-Koster.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20240831T090000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20240831T160000
DTSTAMP:20240819T090951Z
CREATED:20240819T090457Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240819T090951Z
UID:29563-1725094800-1725120000@writersguildsa.org
SUMMARY:WGSA Workshop: The Business of Writing
DESCRIPTION:The Business of Writing\nThis full-day\, in-person workshop will provide valuable insights into industry trends and the ongoing efforts by the WGSA to protect writers’ rights and livelihoods. Participants will gain practical strategies for building a sustainable writing career\, including securing representation\, safeguarding intellectual property\, and diversifying income streams. Emphasizing that Knowledge is POWER\, the workshop will also guide participants on recognizing when to say no to work offers that don’t serve their professional growth or respect their value as writers. \nWorkshop Objectives \n\nProvide participants with insights into industry trends and opportunities.\nEquip participants with strategies for building a sustainable writing career.\nOffer practical skills in storytelling\, marketing\, and intellectual property management.\nCreate a collaborative environment for participants to share and refine their ideas.\n\nWorkshop Details \nDate: Saturday\, 31 August 2024 \nTime: 09:00 – 16h00 (please arrive by 08:45) \nVenue: Atlas Studios\, 33 Frost Avenue\, Braamfontein Werf\, Johannesburg \nMeet Your Facilitator: Theoline Maphutha\nTheoline Maphutha is an experienced screenwriter\, industry advocate\, and trainer with nearly 20 years of experience in the film and television industry. After obtaining a BSc in Information Systems from Midrand Graduate Institute (now Eduvos)\, Theoline worked as a technical writer (training materials) and IT project manager before transitioning to screenwriting. She served as a researcher and writer for corporate videos and as the head writer for SABC 2’s documentary television series\, Living Land. This experience allowed her to hone her skills in television production before dedicating the last 13 years to nurturing\, developing\, and championing performance writer rights as a member of the Writers Guild of South Africa (WGSA). \nFocusing on copyright matters\, Theoline advocated for performance writers during the public participation of the Copyright Amendment Bill in parliament. In recognition of her outstanding and selfless dedication to the WGSA and performance writers in South Africa\, Theoline was honoured with the prestigious WGSA Service Excellence Award. During her tenure as the guild’s chairperson\, Theoline led the organization through three successful terms. She secured an international mentor and pursued her master’s in screenwriting at the American Film Institute Conservatory in Los Angeles. \nUpon her return\, Theoline shifted her focus to live-action short films. Two of her shorts\, Junior and Cinturón Negro (Black Belt)\, co-written with AFI producing alumni\, were selected for international festivals in Argentina\, Spain\, and the United States. Junior received a nomination for Best Short Film at the Pan African Film & Arts Festival. Black Belt received a nomination for Best International Short Film at the Puerto Madryn International Film Festival in Argentina and secured a special LGBTQI+ award at FICSEM in Spain. She was selected and sponsored to attend the esteemed Screenwriters Safari\, where she received guidance from Roadmap’s CEO\, Joey Tuccio\, who helped her secure representation. Theoline is now working on her next short film\, Sidetracked\, with production funding from the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF). \nThis opportunity is for professional writers only. Seats are limited\, and the WGSA will select the final participants for each workshop.
URL:https://writersguildsa.org/event/wgsa-workshop-the-business-of-writing/
LOCATION:ATLAS STUDIOS\, 33 Frost Avenue\, Braamfontein Werf\, Johannesburg\, South Africa
CATEGORIES:Johannesburg,Masterclass,News,Workshop
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