Windhoek was alive with the spirit of creativity as the Namibian Theatre and Film Awards (NTFAs) returned to the city after a six-year hiatus.
The awards honoured the best of the industry at a red carpet event held at the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN) on Saturday, with attendees dressed in the country’s natural colours and contours.
Hosted by Josy Nghipandua and Skrypt, top honours went to Rodney Gariseb’s ‘Naked Spaces’ and Errol Geingob’s ‘Speel Aan’.
The productions won best staged production and best feature film, respectively, alongside multiple craft and actor awards.
Ombetja Yehinga Organisation’s ‘A Picassiana Dance’ won the best choreographer in theatre award for Philippe Talavera.
Best short film was awarded to ‘The B2 Passage’. ‘Tsek’ nabbed the honour of best web series, and this season’s outstanding documentary is ‘The Weight of Tomorrow’.
To celebrate the nominees, international star Hakeem Kae-Kazim delivered a rousing keynote address. The guest of honour’s speech considered the struggles of the pandemic and the resilience of artists in the face of unprecedented uncertainty.
“Six years ago, the world went through something terrible. A pandemic shut us down, stages went dark, livelihoods disappeared, and many of us were thrown into a really dark and very scary place.
“I included myself in that. It was a terrible, terrible time. But I know you guys did not give up,” he said.
“You did not surrender, and, like true artists, you found a way to dig deep. You kept creating, you kept going, and you came out on the other side. So tonight, we celebrate your resilience, your growth, your triumph.”
Reflecting on the theme of the awards, Namibia Film Commission (NFC) chairperson Esther Beukes took the stage to celebrate the artist’s ability to safeguard culture and to inspire.
“As the chairperson of the NFC, I am moved by this year’s theme: ‘Transition, Resilience, and Growth’. We’ve all felt the weight of the transitions.
“Since our last awards in 2019, the global landscape has shifted beneath our feet. Yet it was in the silence that our resilience was forged. While the world paused, our storytelling did not,” she said.
“Tonight is a celebration of that refusal to be silenced. Our nominees, your work does more than entertain – it holds a mirror to our society, preserves our heritage and challenges us to imagine a better Namibia,” Beukes said.
“Whether you walk away with a trophy or not, you are already winners because you’ve contributed to the cultural heartbeat of our nation.”
A bittersweet evening which recalled past challenges while looking eagerly to future, the NTFAs also included an in-memoriam segment, featuring musician Imms Nicolau.
The interlude remembered late, great artists such as theatremakers David Ndjavera, Frederick Philander, Cynthia Schimming, Jarimbovandu Kaputu, Denise Gouw and journalist Jonathan Sam.
Artists Oshosheni Hiveluah, Simon Wilkie, Christian Polloni and Peter Basson were honoured for their contributions to film.
For more on this year’s NTFAs, don’t miss Friday’s edition of The Weekender.
– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com
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