Barakat and Gaia win big at 2022’s 10th Silwerskerm Film Festival | Channel

Vinette Ebrahim in Barakat.

EVENT: Silwerskerm Film Festival Awards

Barakat was the biggest winner at Saturday night’s 10th Silwerskerm Film Festival Awards, scooping six prizes including best screenplay, with Gaia making a second-place haul of five awards and the drag-artist thriller Stiekyt snagging three wins. 

The veteran TV and film industry executives – the former kykNET boss Karen Meiring and director of M-Net channels Jan du Plessis – were both honoured with special awards for their contributions over decades to growing South Africa’s local industry.  

On Saturday night Barakat, filmed in Afrikaaps which was South Africa’s official submission for Best International Feature at this year’s 94th Academy Awards, snagged Silwerskermfees wins for best screenplay, with Vinette Ebrahim who won as best actress and June van Merch as best supporting actress. 

Barakat also took home best original music score (Kyle Shepherd), best costume design (Ayesha Khatieb), and best production-design (Sumaya Wicomb). 

Gaia, the first eco-horror film in Afrikaans, won best screenplay, with Jaco Bouwer snagging best director for Gaia, with the film also winning best makeup and hairstyling (Sulani Saayman), best sound design (Tim Pringle) and best editing (Leon Visser). 

Stiekyt saw Paul du Toit win best actor, with the Homebrew Films produced feature film that also snagged category wins for best supporting actor (Albert Pretorius) and best cinematography (Eduan Kitching). 

Leemtes en Leegheid won as the best film in the short film category. 

Gaia by Jaco Bouwer will screen at the festival on Friday, 25 March.

Below are the 10th Silwerskermfees main award show winners: 

FEATURE FILMS 

Best feature film

Gaia 

Best screenplay

Barakat 

Best director

Jaco Bouwer (Gaia) 

Best actor

Paul du Toit (Stiekyt) 

Best actress

Vinette Ebrahim (Barakat) 

Best supporting actress

June van Merch (Barakat) 

Best supporting actor

Albert Pretorius (Stiekyt) 

Best production design

Sumaya Wicomb (Barakat) 

Best editing

Leon Visser (Gaia) 

Best cinematography

Eduan Kitching (Stiekyt) 

Best original music score

Kyle Shepherd (Barakat) 

Best makeup and hairstyling

Sulani Saayman (Gaia) 

Best costume design

Ayesha Khatieb (Barakat) 

Best sound design

Tim Pringle (Gaia)  

A scene in Stiekyt.

Photo supplied

SHORT FILMS 

Best short film

Leemtes en leegheid 

Best screenplay

Jordy Sank, Terence Makapan (Leemtes en leegheid) 

Best director

D.W. Smith (Diana Mills Smith) (My Beskermer) 

Best editing

Regardt Visser (Die Horries) 

Best cinematography

Justin Youens (Barber) 

Best actor

Marlo Minnaar (Aan/Af) 

Best actress

Carla Smith (Skyn) 

Best ensemble cast

Skyn 

Best original music score

Ryno Posthumus (Bennie Bingo) 

Best production design

Baber 

Best existing work

Ekstasis 

Special mention

My beskermer 

Screenplay-search winners

Mariska Denysschen

Jan Kampen

AnnMaree Barry

See all Silwerskerm Film Festival coverage here.