First African Edition of Ciclope

ciclope africa

WORDS Amelia Brown


The first-ever African edition of the international moving-image festival Ciclope was held in Cape Town at the glorious Zeitz MOCAA.

Ciclope festival and awards ceremony is hosted annually in Berlin, Germany, as a way to recognise and reward exceptional craft in moving image.

Now in its eighth year, it’s been held in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo, Sydney and now Cape Town, and serves as a platform for directors, creatives, artists, producers and brands to celebrate exceptional work, share knowledge and be inspired.

The African festival, which received over 150 submissions across 16 categories, was hosted at the Zeitz MOCAA on 10 April 2018. Eighteen winners were awarded: 12 in the Branded Content category, which included sub-categories like Animation, Casting, and Cinematography; five winners in the Special Categories, which included Low Budget, Long Form and Music Video; and the Grand Prix winner, Beats by Dre, which was directed by Terence Neale, produced by Park Pictures and created by agency JohnXHannes New York.

Video credit: Beats by Dre on YouTube

The local jury was comprised of the likes of Fran Luckin, Chief Creative Officer of Grey Africa, Alistair King, founding partner and Chief Creative Officer of King James, and Mbithi Masya, Director at Fat Rain Films – all who spoke at the festival – amongst others.

Production Company of the Year was awarded to 03:07, who were also the production company behind the “On the Road” Volkswagen advert that won for Direction (90 seconds and over) recognising industry stalwart – and festival speaker – Kim Engelbrecht, known for his highly emotive ads.

Video credit: 0307 on Vimeo

“Jury members were impressed by the quality of work submitted across the continent; submissions which showcased not only innovative and creative execution – but importantly – technical expertise,” says Ciclope Director Francisco Condorelli. “This year’s entries have set a high benchmark for future regional legs, and we are encouraged by the success of the inaugural African edition of Ciclope, as well as the support received from the local industry.”

The winners in each category, as well as the Grand Prix winner, will receive an automatic entry to the flagship festival, which will be hosted in Berlin later this year. Read more and get a full list of the winners, here.