'Shirley Adams', first feature of 2009 Associate Oliver Hermanus and co-written by 2008 Screenwriting Associate Stavros Pamballis, won all three top awards at the South African Film and TV awards on Saturday: Best Film, Best Director for Hermanus and Best Actress for Denise Newman. Shirley Adams was a very unusual LFS graduation project - a feature, shot in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town on a very tight budget and co-financed by Roland Emmerich. The film has been selected for many international festivals, including Locarno and Toronto, winning first prizes at Dubai and Amiens and two prizes at Durban. Hermanus has also been nominated for the Ingmar Bergman International Debut Awards 2009. Last week Hermanus was at the Berlinale speaking on a Talent Campus panel, while six other Associates attended the week as Talents. Hermanus said: "An LFS education is not limited to the technical skills that produce new filmmakers, it is an education that challenges you to find your voice and make it heard."
