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South African film-maker wins at Cannes Film Festival

5 July 2016

This is my favorite film I have directed to date!!!! https://t.co/B2tldarcAb thanks so much to @greatbigstory pic.twitter.com/9a4M1849q3

— Dan Mace (@Dan_theDirector) May 23, 2016

Cape Town film-maker Dan Mace's two short documentaries, Mine Sniffing Rats and Gift have both won second prize in different categories at the Cannes Film Festival's Young Director Awards.

Mine Sniffing Rats, a frenetically edited and succinct film about the explosive-detecting rats of Mozambique, won silver in the Changing the World Frame by Frame category.

Gift, an energetic vignette about a brassy youth on the streets of Cape Town, came second in the Short Film category.

Thrilled about the two accolades and recognition, Mace believes the short film format is growing in popularity. He attributed the growth to online channels like YouTube and the ease of technology needed to make films: "(There) are youngsters that shoot and edit pieces (that are) amazing. The level of film is increasing."

This accessibility and spirit of experimentation could offer opportunities for budding South African film-makers to leave a global impact on the industry.

Mace's other projects, available to watch on his YouTube channel Dan the Director, includes music videos, nature documentaries and experimental films.

Follow Dan on his various social media profiles for more on his film philosophy and advice on getting started:

Tweets by Dan_theDirector

Another one of my life goals ticked!! Went free diving with dolphins off the coast of east Africa. What's something you have always wanted to do? Goals are super important to have! Tell me below 👇🏼 This is a screen grab from one of my new films coming out soon so the quality isn't the greatest but it's the moment that I wanted to share with you!

A photo posted by Dan Mace (@danthedirector) on Jun 17, 2016 at 7:52am PDT

Source: EWN