And the Namibian Theatre and Film Awards Go To . . .

All thanks went to God, mothers, the ancestors and the humble streets of Arandis as the Namibian Theatre and Film Awards returned for their sixth edition at the National Theatre of Namibia in Windhoek last week.

Hosted by Josy Nghipandua and Skrypt, the well-oiled evening of glitz and glamour was a visual feast of African-inspired fashion, film, theatre and the effervescent characters who make Namibia’s creative world go around.

As winners raced against a 30-second clock literally counting them down at the back of the theatre, Rodney Gariseb’s ‘Naked Spaces’ (theatre) and Errol Geingob’s ‘Speel Aan’ (film) rose to the top.

‘Naked Spaces’ went home with six awards, including for best staged production, best script for Gariseb, two lead actor awards for Odile Gertze and Melgisedek Nehemia, best supporting actor for Rodelio Lewis, and best stagecraft: make-up for Eathan Madison.

In the film space, ‘Speel Aan’ was the movie of the moment and won five accolades, including best feature film, best script and best director for Geingob, as well as both lead actor awards for Hazel Hinda and Dawie Engelbrecht.

MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH IN SPOTLIGHT

Notably, both the best staged production and best feature film are concerned with men’s mental health.

The central football coach in ‘Speel Aan’ must grapple with being the cause of a mass tragedy, and in ‘Naked Spaces’, the protagonist is a creative haunted by past wrongdoing and trauma. In both artworks, for better or worse, men lean heavily on women.

As communities all over the globe contend with issues of men’s mental health as well as alarming rates of men taking their own lives, the central themes in both productions are pertinent.

“In many ways, ‘Naked Spaces’ feels like it belongs to this moment,” says Gariseb, who was honoured in absentia.

“‘Naked Spaces’ blends horror, drama, magical realism and romance into something deliberately hard to classify. These awards suggest audiences are open to bold, genre-blended storytelling, to work that invites them into unfamiliar worlds without over-explaining itself.”

Gariseb’s observation also rings true when one considers this year’s film winners.

In film, Iman Ayisha and Roger Rafael’s supernatural ‘The B2 Passage’ won best short film, while the speculative ‘Skeleton Coast’ walked away with best production design for Sonje Fraser, as well as the audience choice award, voted on during the recent The Film Week.

Rooted in lingering colonial history and its resulting horrors, Perivi Katjavivi’s ‘Under the Hanging Tree’ bagged best cinematography and best supporting actress honours for Renier de Bruyn and Roya Diehl, respectively.

This year’s film winners included Tim Huebschle’s gritty crime drama ‘#LANDoftheBRAVEfilm’, which won best editor for Haiko Boldt, best costume design and make-up for Kulan Ganes and best sound and music for Ginge and David Benade.

Inchiology Studios’ comedic and zany ‘Tsek’ nabbed the award for best web series. Othilia Mungoba won best documentary for ‘The Weight of Tomorrow’, and best supporting actor went to ‘Lubinda’s’ Harmony Ahalwa.

Tipped as this season’s young filmmaker to watch, Laudika Hamutenya was awarded best newcomer director for his work on ‘Emanya’ and ‘LUNA’.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

For his lifelong contribution to the development of Namibia’s film and audiovisual scene, Tarah Shinavene earned special recognition.

The film awards also recognised filmmaker Girley Jazama for her role in ‘Measures of Men’.

The film winners were pulled from 19 nominated films dating back to 2019, before the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic forced the Namibian Theatre and Film Awards into a six-year hiatus.

During his keynote address, guest of honour and international film and theatre star Hakeem Kae-Kazeem reflected on this challenging period and highlighted the resilience of artists.

“A pandemic shut us down, stages went dark, livelihoods disappeared, and many of us were thrown into a dark and really scary place. You guys did not give up. You did not surrender,” said Kae-Kazeem.

“I know it’s not easy. We’ve all been there. We share your struggle. And there are many of us, artists like myself and audiences around the world, that look at your work and are filled with awe.”

While local film production has picked up pace in the years since the pandemic, local theatre has been slower to recover. This year’s theatre nominees were drawn from a pool of 26 productions produced between late 2019 and December 2025.

Though ‘Naked Spaces’ scooped all the actor awards minus best newcomer actor, which was awarded to Ethan Januarie in Jonathan Sasha’s ‘Die Stoep’, other productions shone with regard to stage craft and direction.

Ndayola Ulenga won best director for her thrilling adaptation of ‘The Wasp’, and Patrick Sam scooped best production design/set design for his work on Keith Vries’ phenomenal ‘Coming Home Dead’. Best stage technician went to Richard Richter and Marvin Khoeseb for ‘Aoni //Aes’.

Best stagecraft: costume and wardrobe design was awarded to the late Cynthia Schimming and Lizette Kavari for ‘Hereroland’, and best score and sound design went to Eslon Hindundu for ‘Youth Orchestras of Namibia: Otjihambarere’.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Hindundu also received a special recognition award for his work in theatre. Lifetime achievement awards were bestowed on Jenny Schuster for her contribution to dance and to the late David Ndjavera for his profound impact on Namibian theatre.

Making history as the inaugural winners of the newly established dance category, Ombetja Yehinga Organisation (OYO) won every dance award.

Best lead dancer went to Desmond Kamerika for ‘Remembering Johnny’, best newcomer dancer was awarded to William Goaseb for ‘The Little Prince’, and Sydney Farao was this year’s best supporting dancer. OYO’s Phillipe Talavera additionally won best choreographer for ‘A Picassiana Dance’.

“I just want to share this with every one of you who has ever been in an OYO production for the last 25 years. This is our journey. This is all of us together,” said Talavera in his acceptance speech.

Reflecting the creative industries behind the awards, the NTFAs also featured an excerpt from Vries and Sam’s ‘Coming Home Dead’, as well as a dance performance by Justina Andreas accompanied by musicians Fernando Pius and guitarist Imms Nicolau.

Nicolau also presented a live score for an emotional in-memoriam. The segment remembered late, great artists such as theatremakers Ndjavera, Frederick Philander, Schimming, Jarimbovandu Kaputu, Denise Gouw and journalist Jonathan Sam.

Artists Oshosheni Hiveluah, Simon Wilkie, Christian Polloni and Peter Basson were also honoured for their contributions to film.

“It reminds us that the art we create can surpass our physical existence,” said Nghipandua of the moving interlude. The awards show host also made an impassioned plea to corporate Namibia to invest in the arts.

This year’s Namibian Theatre and Film Awards were presented by the National Theatre of Namibia and the Namibia Film Commission (NFC) in partnership with the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation alongside various sponsors.

“I must extend my deepest gratitude to our co-hosts, our partner and a special thanks to our sponsors and others who recognise that investing in the arts is an investment in the soul of Namibia,” said NFC chairperson Esther Beukes.

The theme of this year’s NTFAs was ‘A New Season: Celebrating Transition, Resilience and Growth’.

“As we step into this new season, let us do so with the confidence that our stories are worthy of the world’s attention,” said Beukes.

“Our transition is ongoing, our resilience is proven, and our growth is unstoppable.”

– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com

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