The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture, and the custodians of the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs), has released a national call for jury members for the 19th Annual South African Film and Television Awards (#SAFTAs19).
The SAFTAs are reaching out to the country’s film and television industry to nominate and submit experienced, passionate, measured, and insightful industry practitioners to serve as members of the #SAFTAs19 Jury.
The #SAFTAs19 Jury will have the significant responsibility of upholding the integrity of the SAFTAs’ judging process and ensuring that judging is carried out in accordance with the highest standards of film and television awards.
The nominated individuals will also need to be actively involved in the judging process to ensure a credible outcome.
The SAFTAs jury process functions as follows:
- The jury application, verification and project evaluation process will be managed by the NFVF team where the NFVF’s appointed auditors, SNG Grant Thornton, will monitor the process from the evaluation of jury member applications to the resolutions on category nominees and winners.
- Once applications are submitted from the open call, the NFVF’s appointed auditors will evaluate all applications for compliance and will monitor the selection process of jury members.
- The list of selected jury members will remain confidential in accordance with the POPIA Act, where requests for the names of the jury members will not be entertained in order to comply with legislation and to protect the integrity of the process.
- Once selected jury members are appointed, they will be expected to declare their conflict of interest on projects they have been assigned to evaluate prior to commencing the jury evaluation process, in accordance with the NFVF’s Conflict of Interest Policy.
- Once selected jury members are appointed, they will be expected to declare their commitment to confidentiality and impartiality in the interests of protecting the integrity of the process.
- The SAFTAs have 102 categories, where 97 are evaluated by the SAFTAs jury and 5 discretionary award categories are evaluated by the SAFTAs Committee.
- The judging process will have 2 phases (nomination phase and selection of winners’ phase) where 97 categories will be deliberated on across 20 panels.
- Each jury panel will be comprised in a manner where they are diverse in terms of age, gender, experience, ethnicity and industry skills.
- Jury panels should ideally consist of an odd number of judges, with a recommended minimum of 7 and a maximum of 11 members per panel.
- It is preferred that 70% of the skilled members of a particular jury are practitioners working within the category they are judging to ensure technical and intellectually informed decision-making.
- The two phases of judging are:
- Phase 1: Individual project jury evaluations in determining category nominees
- Phase 2: Jury deliberations on all category submissions and to determine category winners
- The categories the jury will evaluate on are as follows:
| SAFTAs19 Categories Evaluated By the SAFTAs Jury for Nominees and Winners | ||
| No. | Craft/Main Show | Category |
| 1. | Craft | Best Achievement in Sound – Documentary |
| 2. | Craft | Best Achievement in Editing – Documentary |
| 3. | Craft | Best Achievement in Cinematography– Documentary |
| 4. | Craft | Best Achievement in Directing- Documentary |
| 5. | Craft | Best Made forTV Documentary |
| 6. | Craft | Best Documentary Short |
| 7. | Craft | Best Documentary Feature |
| 8. | Craft | Best Factual Programme |
| 9. | Craft | Best Current Affairs Programme |
| 10. | Craft | Best Structured or Docu Reality Show |
| 11. | Craft | Best Lifestyle Programme |
| 12. | Craft | Best Educational Programme |
| 13. | Craft | Best Children’s Programme |
| 14. | Craft | Best Student Film -Live Action |
| 15. | Craft | Best Student Film – Animation |
| 16. | Craft | Best Achievememt in Make-Up and Hairstyling-TV Comedy |
| 17. | Craft | Best Achievement in Wardrobe-TV Comedy |
| 18. | Craft | Best Achievement in Art Direction – TV Comedy |
| 19. | Craft | Best Achievement in Sound – TV Comedy |
| 20. | Craft | Best Achievement in Editing- TV Comedy |
| 21. | Craft | Best Achievement in Scriptwriting – TV Comedy |
| 22. | Craft | Best Achievement in Cinematography- TV Comedy |
| 23. | Craft | Best Achievement in Directing – TV Comedy |
| 24. | Craft | Best Achievement in Make-Up and Hairstyling – TV Drama |
| 25. | Craft | Best Achievement in Wardrobe– TV Drama |
| 26. | Craft | Best Achievement in Art Direction- TV Drama |
| 27. | Craft | Best Achievement in Sound-TV Drama |
| 28. | Craft | Best Achievement in Music/Original Score-TV Drama |
| 29. | Craft | Best Achievement in an Orginal Song -TV Drama |
| 30. | Craft | Best Achievement in Editing- TV Drama |
| 31. | Craft | Best Achievement in Cinematography-TV Drama |
| 32. | Craft | Best Achievement in Scriptwriting-TV Drama |
| 33. | Craft | Best Achievement in Directing- TV Drama |
| 34. | Craft | Best Made for TV Movie |
| 35. | Craft | Best Animation |
| 36. | Craft | Best Achievement in Make-Up and Hairstyling- TV Soap/Telenovela |
| 37. | Craft | Best Achievement in Wardrobe- TV Soap/Telenovela |
| 38. | Craft | Best Achievement in Art Direction- TV Soap/Telenovela |
| 39. | Craft | Best Achievement in sound- TV Soap/Telenovela |
| 40. | Craft | Best Achievement in Original Music/ Score-Telenovela |
| 41. | Craft | Best Achievement in an Orginal Song-Telenovela |
| 42. | Craft | Best Achievement in Editing-Telenovela |
| 43. | Craft | Best Achievement in Scriptwriting-Telenovela |
| 44. | Craft | Best Achievement in Scriptwriting-TV Soap |
| 45. | Craft | Best Achievement in Cinematography-Telenovela |
| 46. | Craft | Best Achievement in Directing-TV Soap |
| 47. | Craft | Best Achievement in Directing-Telenovela |
| 48. | Craft | Best Achievement in Make-Up and Hairstyling- Feature Film |
| 49. | Craft | Best Achievement in Costume Design– Feature Film |
| 50. | Craft | Best Achievement in Production Design- Feature Film |
| 51. | Craft | Best Achievement in Sound Design-Feature Film |
| 52. | Craft | Best Achievement in Original Music/Score-Feature Film |
| 53. | Craft | Best Achievement in an Original Song-Feature Film |
| 54. | Craft | Best Achievement in VFX in TV |
| 55. | Craft | Best Achievement in SFX in TV |
| 56. | Craft | Best Achievement in VFX in Film |
| 57. | Craft | Best Achievement in SFX in Film |
| 58. | Craft | Best Achievement in Editing- Feature Film |
| 59. | Craft | Best Achievement in Cinematography-Feature Film |
| 60. | Craft | Best Natural History and Environmental Programme |
| 61. | Main | Best Short Film |
| 62. | Main | Best Supporting Actor in a TV Comedy |
| 63. | Main | Best Supporting Actress in a TV Comedy |
| 64. | Main | Best Actor in a TV Comedy |
| 65. | Main | Best Actress in a TV Comedy |
| 66. | Main | Best Variety Show |
| 67. | Main | Best Entertainment Programme |
| 68. | Main | Best International Format |
| 69. | Main | Best Online Content |
| 70. | Main | Best Competition Reality Show |
| 71. | Main | Best Structured Soapie Reality Show |
| 72. | Main | Best Supporting Actor in a TV Drama |
| 73. | Main | Best Supporting Actress in a TV Drama |
| 74. | Main | Best Actor in a TV Drama |
| 75. | Main | Best Actress in a TV Drama |
| 76. | Main | Best Supporting Actor in Feature Film |
| 77. | Main | Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film |
| 78. | Main | Best Actor in a Feature Film |
| 79. | Main | Best Actress in a Feature Film |
| 80. | Main | Best Achievement in Scriptwriting – Feature Film |
| 81. | Main | Best Achievement in Directing – Feature Film |
| 82. | Main | Best Supporting Actor in a TV Soap |
| 83. | Main | Best Supporting Actress in a TV Soap |
| 84. | Main | Best Actor in a TV Soap |
| 85. | Main | Best Actress in a TV Soap |
| 86. | Main | Best Supporting Actor in a Telenovela |
| 87. | Main | Best Supporting Actress in a Telenovela |
| 88. | Main | Best Actor in a Telenovela |
| 89. | Main | Best Actress in a Telenovela |
| 90. | Main | Best TV Comedy |
| 91. | Main | Best TV Drama |
| 92. | Main | Best TV Soap |
| 93. | Main | Best Telenovela |
| 94. | Main | Best Feature Film |
| 95. | Craft | Best Youth Programme |
| SAFTAs19 Categories Evaluated By the SAFTAs Jury for Nominees and Winners Selected by Public Vote | ||
| 96. | Main | Best TV Presenter |
| 97. | Main | Most Popular Soap/Telenovela |
The Evaluation Criteria which Jury Members are required to meet is as follows:
- Industry practitioners with a minimum of 10 years’ experience and specialised skills in the film, tv and audiovisual industries.
- Applicants are required to send their CV’s and nomination letters to info@saftasonline.co.za.
- All submissions/nominations must include a profile of the nominee, along with a copy of their CV.
- If an application is not a self-nomination, an acknowledgement of the nomination must also be submitted.
- Previous SAFTAs winners are encouraged and welcome to apply.
- The deadline for applications is 19 September 2025.
- Both phases of the jury process will occur between October – December 2025.
- Jury members are expected to avail themselves throughout the process to ensure comprehensive deliberation on the submissions.
For any queries, please reach out to Stacey Takane at staceyl@nfvf.co.za.