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Meet The Young Filmmakers
Aphile-Aphile Sololo
I began studying at Rhodes University in 2013 as a Journalism and Media Studies student. I learnt the basics of news and creative writing and in my second-year was exposed to the Radio course, which I did not particularly like.
I also learnt a bit about Design and in third year, I was introduced to Television Journalism. I have since produced, co-produced, filmed and edited profiles, news pieces, an investigative documentary, arts pieces during the National Arts Festival and tried anchoring for a news satire programme. As a fourth year student, I have co-produced, co-filmed and co-edited a Public Service Announcement thus far.
My highlight as a fourth year has been spending days at a place I do not like (the beach) doing what I love (filming). After Rhodes University, I hope to find and tell compelling stories of extraordinary humans who are often mistaken as "ordinary" people.
Kayleigh Tuck
Kayleigh Tuck (22) is a fourth year television student, majoring in Journalism and Media Studies and English. She loves the outdoors, surfing, travelling and searching for adventure.
Her passion lies in filming, editing and producing documentaries. Her main television interests include human rights, woman’s rights, animal rights and the environment.
Kayleigh is the producer/director of the film Against The Current, a 24 minute documentary on the life of a black female surfer from Durban, Samukelisiwe Cele. In the future Kayleigh hopes to become a producer, travel the world as a freelance filmmaker and expand her television production skills.
Kellan Botha
Born in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, Kellan (22) has been an aspiring film-maker from an early age, making nature documentaries in the family garden and short comedic films throughout high school.
Kellan came to Rhodes in 2013, majoring in Journalism and Politics while acting as head photographer and part-time videographer for The Oppidan Press. Kellan continues to make short films and has no shortage of ideas for future projects.
Interests include nature, travel, politics, history and making as many bad puns as the class will tolerate.
Michael Dorfling
Michael Dorfling (22) is currently a student at Rhodes University doing a Bachelor of Journalism degree specialising in television production (documentary).
He was the head of video at Activate Online. Michael's interests include issues around rape, domestic abuse, and patriarchy, as well as corporal punishment in high schools and threats to the right of privacy and freedom of expression (especially online).
Michael has directed an award-winning documentary, DISRUPT, about the #RUReferenceList protests at Rhodes in April 2016, and was the writer an editor of Eina, a documentary about corporal punishment based on his personal experiences.
Nontobeko Gumede
Nontobeko Gumede (22) is an apsiring filmmaker who is currently studying her 4th year in Television, triple majoring in TV Journalism, Industrial Sociology and Organizational Psychology.
Her interests are in creative writing, photography, videography and editing. She is currently working for an online magazine 'MeandLeora' while working on projects such as 'Intombi Nto', a 24minute documentary of a young zulu girl who embarks the journey of womanhood and also addresses issues of mysogny and patriarchy.
Nontobeko hopes to have a successful future in the filmming industry while helping to create social change and make the world a better place through visual storytelling.
Sarah Knight
My name is Sarah Knight; I am a 22 year old Zimbabwean, fourth-year Television Student at Rhodes University, South Africa. I am presently completing my Honours degree on a student exchange at the University of York in England.
My desire in life is to be a ‘voice for the voiceless’ through film and video, sharing the truth and stories of people’s lives, adventures, and journeys from around the world in unique and creative ways.
My passion lies in learning and sharing about different people, their cultures and traditions which I explore through the lens of my camera.
I am a journalist, artist and dramatist capturing the world, and sharing the truth, one frame at a time.
Sebastian Burger
Sebastian (22) is an aspiring filmmaker, hobbyist photographer, and occasional journalist. Born in Joburg, raised in Durban, and in love with Cape town.
Likes Ice cream and making things. Sometimes calls Instagram Insta-geezy.
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Smangaliso Ngwenya
Smangaliso (22) is a young television journalist whose practice and interest is embedded in the creative arts and entertainment. He has acquired journalistic skills which he draws on in each opportunity to create and approach film in innovative ways.
He is a dancer and aspiring choreographer who choreographs through the medium of film and transposes it to multiple mediums such as using film as an artistic offering on any and every platform.
His films use the elements of choreography in their overall making- this gives his films a unique and fresh visual language, editing and shooting style and thus a unique output.
Stephanie Shumba
Stephanie Shumba (23) is a young fourth year Television producer. She began studying at Rhodes in 2012 and will be completing her studies this year in November. She has always had a passion for travel and storytelling and hopes to become a travel journalist producing her own show.
As the class representative for the television class, along with assistance from the class she managed to get funding for these documentaries to happen.
Each group managed to get enough money for them to follow their sources and their stories out of Grahamstown. She is also the producer for Eina which is a short 24-minute documentary about the effects of corporal punishment.
Zizipho Majavu
Zizipho (22) is a 4th year TV journalism student at Rhodes University. She is a filmmaker and on top of that a journalist. She is very interested in pursuing a career in investigative journalism and also looking out of an opportunity in news reporting.
"I am a hard worker, very committed, passionate about what I do, hopefully next year I am going to show the world what am really about. I believe I will change lives through storytelling and the journalism field is the perfect platform for doing exactly that."
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