The creative industry is abuzz as the Namibian Theatre and Film Awards (NTFAs) return after a six-year hiatus. The nominees were announced at a media conference in Windhoek on Wednesday. The awards ceremony will take place at the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN) on 28 March under the theme ‘A New Season: A celebration of Transition, Resilience, and Growth.’
“The National Theatre and Film Awards are making a comeback after a six-year absence. This break was necessitated by the global Covid-19 pandemic, a period that disrupted industries worldwide,” NTN general manager Alma Ulamba says.
“The creative sector was particularly affected – stages went dark, productions were postponed, and livelihoods were interrupted. Yet, even in those difficult years, creativity endured. Today, we return not simply to resume an awards ceremony, but to restore recognition.”
Due to the six-year break, the number of eligible film and theatre productions is substantial. Between late 2019 and December 2025, Ulamba says there were a total of 26 theatre and dance productions on Namibia’s stages, including both independent and NTN productions.
“In recognising this period, we made a deliberate decision that there would be no vacuum period. Every eligible production created since the last awards in 2019 was considered,” Ulamba says.
The 26 productions were evaluated across 15 competitive categories by an independent panel of five adjudicators with decades of artistic, academic and industry experience. The theatre panel comprises Anchen Wille, Emelda Gawas, Perminus Matiure, Ernst Steynberg and Suzette van der Smit.
“Judges attended live performances where possible and assessed eligible filmed productions in line with NTN policy. Adjudicators recused themselves from any production in which they were involved, and all NTN employees were ineligible for competitive awards, ensuring independence,” Ulamba says.
She says the depth of talent made shortlisting particularly challenging and necessitated the evolution of the NTFAs actor awards, as well as a new performance category.
“The best actor category features six nominees instead of the usual three, reflecting the exceptional standard of performance during this cycle. As the creative industries evolve, so too must the awards that recognise them,” Ulamba says.
“This evolution has led to an expansion of the NTFA categories, most notably the introduction of dance as a recognised genre for the first time,” she says.
“In line with principles of inclusivity and artistic equity, performance awards are not divided by gender. Actor and dancer awards are open to all performers, regardless of gender, recognising excellence based purely on merit and performance.”
Reflecting on the film submissions, Namibia Film Commission (NFC) chairperson Esther Beukes notes the influx of impressive bodies of work, as well as an improvement in storytelling, technical execution and creative confidence.
“A total of 54 Namibian films across all formats, produced between September 2019 and November 2025 were submitted. Fourty-Five were eligible for entry into the NTFA and 19 were nominated,” Beukes says.
The films were adjudicated by an independent film jury comprised of Zellmari Brandt, Florian Schott, Obed Emvula, Ockert Jansen and Selima Henock. The films were separately viewed and rated on FilmFreeway, which also served as the official submission and evaluation platform.
“This was followed by a series of structured deliberation sessions, during which the jury collectively reviewed scores and category eligibility, culminating in the final selection of nominees we witness today,” Beukes says.
“These films are evidence that Namibia’s film industry has continued to evolve,and innovate even in the absence of a national awards platform. The NFC responded to this resilience and growth by expanding the award categories in order to embrace that progress.”
New film categories include best newcomer director, best supporting actor male and female, best costume design and make-up and best web series.
“[These] awards recognise the wide range of skills that contribute to filmmaking and acknowledge the increasing professionalism across the value chain,” Beukes says. “We congratulate all the nominees and look forward to celebrating with you at the NTFA ceremony on 28 March.”
For the full list of nominees follow the NTFA on social media.
–martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com
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