Top films and filmmakers nominated for the prestigious RapidLion Award
The nominees for RapidLion 2017 have been announced. The winners of this prestigious award will be announced at the RapidLion Awards Ceremony on 1 March 2017. All of the nominated films will be screened during RapidLion 2017, also known as The South African International Film Festival from 5 March – 12 March 2017 hosted by the Market Theatre.
The In-Competition section of the festival awards excellence, innovation and supreme storytelling in 
film. RapidLion aims to make the RapidLion award the pinnacle achievement of any filmmaker from Africa, the BRICS countries and the African diaspora. The design of the award speaks to the embodiment of excellence in a beautiful fusion of the Andinkra symbol of excellence and a lioness in full flight. The RapidLion nominees for 2017 are:
Best Student Film:
- Never a Next Train – Director: Devon Delmar
- The Good Son – Director: Tomisin Adepeju
- Post – Director: Jesse Brown
- Dog – Director: Sivan Raphaely
- Mandlakhe – Director: Charles Matthews
Best International Short
- The Call (South Africa) – Director: Zamo Mkhwanazi
- Ume Hamamah (United Arab Emirates) – Director: Hameeda Al Rahbi
- Shun (China) – Director: Lavi Shiyun Hu
- Guillo (Germany) – Director: Carlos Andres Lopez
- Redeploy (USA) – Director: Nuria Dixon
- La Voce/ Voiceless (Canada) – Director: David Uloth
Sound Editing
- Paul Moshkin – Through the Mist (Russia)
- Shantanu Yennemadi – Bajirao Mastani (India)
- Basiami Segola, Charlotte Buys – Noem My Skollie (South Africa)
- James Mather – A United Kingdom (United Kingdom)
Music (original song)
- Barry Gibb for Angels – Shepherds and Butchers (South Africa)
- A.M Turaz for Ab Tohe Jane Doongi – Bajirao Mastani (India)
- Piet van Wyk for Hello Adriaan – Mignon Mossie Van Wyk (South Africa)
- Bhaskar Dutta for The First Cadenza – The Violin Player (India)
Film Editing
- Rajesh Pandey – Bajirao Mastani (India)
- Maxim Schastnaya, Philip Konyashov – Through the Mist (Russia)
- Simon Beesley – Noem My Skollie (South Africa)
- Apurva Asrani – Aligarh (India)
- Jonathan Amos, John Gregory – A United Kingdom (United Kingdom)
- Antonio Ribeiro – 93 Days (Nigeria)
Cinematography
- Sudeep Chatterjee – Bajirao Mastani (India)
- Sergei Eremin – Through the Mist (Russia)
- Satya Nagpaul – Aligarh (India)
- Zenn van Zyl – Noem My Skollie (South Africa)
- Sam McCurdy – A United Kingdom (United Kingdom)
- Avik Mukhopadhyay – The violin Player (India)
Best Actor in a Leading Role
- Manoj Bajpayee – Aligarh (India)
- David Oyelowo – A United Kingdom (United Kingdom)
- Vladimir Kondaurov – Through the Mist (Russia)
- Steve Hofmeyr – Treurgrond (South Africa)
- Ranveer Singh – Bajirao Mastani (India)
- Dann-Jacques Mouton – Noem my Skollie (South Africa)
Best Actress in a Leading Role
- Jana Strydom – Treurgrond (South Africa)
- Bimbo Akintola – 93 Days (Nigeria)
- Deepika Padukone – Bajirao Mastani (India)
- Khabonina Qubeka – Dora’s Peace (South Africa)
Best Original Screenplay
- Apurva Asrani – Aligarh (India)
- John W. Fredericks – Noem My Skollie (South Africa)
- Maksim Schastnev, Phillip Konyashov – Through the Mist (Russia)
- Paul S. Rowlston – 93 Days (Nigeria)
- Bauddhayan Mukherji – The Violin Player (India)
Directing
- Sanjay Leela Bhansali – Bajirao Mastani (India)
- Daryne Joshua – Noem My Skollie (South Africa)
- Hansal Mehta – Aligarh (India)
- Darrell Roodt – Mignon Mossie Van Wyk (South Africa)
- Maksim Schastnev – Though the Mist (Russia)
- Amma Asante – A United Kingdom (United Kingdom)
- Steve Gukas – 93 Days (Nigeria)
Best Humanitarian film
- I am Congo (Gabon/Ecuador) – Directors: David Mboussou, Juan Ignacio
- Skulls of my People (South Africa) – Director: Vincent Moloi
- In the Shadow of the Hill (Australia) – Director: Dan Jackson
- Naija Beta (Ghana) – Director: Arthur Musah
- Touch of an Angel (Poland) – Director: Marek Tomasz Pawlowski
- 12 Months (USA) – Director: Charysse Tia Harper
Best Documentary Feature
- Touch of an Angel (Poland) – Director: Marek Tomasz Pawlowski
- Skulls of my People (South Africa) – Director: Vincent Moloi
- In the Shadow of the Hill (Australia) – Director: Dan Jackson
- Marina Abramovic in Brazil – The Space in Between (Brazil) – Director Marco del Fiol
- Russian Woodpecker (USA) – Director: Chad Gracia
Best of South Africa
- Treurgrond – Producers: Christianne Bennetto, Samuel Frauenstein, Andre Frauenstein Snr
- Noem My Skollie – Producers: David Max Brown, Moshidi Motshegwa
- Dora’s Peace – Producers: Dumi Gumbi, Gabriella Kalarytis, Konstandino Kalarytis
- Mignon Mossie Van Wyk – Producers: Christianne Bennetto, Samuel Frauenstein, Dries Maree Andre Frauenstein Snr
Best of BRICS
Winner – Best of South Africa
Bajirao Mastani (India) – Producer: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Through the Mist (Russia) – Producer: Anton Kuznetsov
Best of Africa and the Africa Diaspora:
Winner – Best of South Africa
A United Kingdom (United Kingdom) – Producers: Brunson Green, Charlie Mason, David Oyelowo, Justin Moore-Levy, Peter Heslop, Rick McCallum
93 Days (Nigeria) – Producers: Steve Gukas, Pemon Rami, Bolanie Austen-Peters, Dotun Olakunri
Best Film Overall
Winner – Best of South Africa
Winner – Best of BRICS
Winner – Best of Africa and the African Diaspora
We are very excited about the upcoming RapidLion Award Ceremony 2017 where we will be hosting filmmakers exclusively, like the Oscar Ceremony does. The exciting thing for movie lovers is that the RapidLion winning films will be screened at The Market Theatre from the 5thto the 12 of March, just a few days after the ceremony”, said Eric Miyeni of RapidLion.
RapidLion has partnered with the Department of Arts & Culture, S.A. Tourism, Brand SA, the Gauteng Film Commission, the Johannesburg Film Office, Trace Urban, Callsheet, TicketPro, The Market Theatre Foundation, The Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Wits School of the Arts Film And Television, Eagles Academy and The Ngakane Family to bring The South African International Film Festival to the city.
Tickets are now available at www.tickepros.co.za. For more information and the schedule of films visit www.rapidlion.co.za. Stay in touch on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RapidLionFilm/ or Twitter @RapidLionFilm
