Engaged actor couple Cindy Swanepoel and Craig Urbani both picked up awards at the 17th annual Saftas (South African Film and Television Awards) on Saturday night. This event was held in the Gallagher Conference Center in Midrand.
The couple announced their engagement in December 2022 after seeing each other on the set of Domestics met in which Urbani played the role of Jeremy Gavins and Swanepoel played the role of the strict dr. Starring Annelize Roux.
Swanepoel was nominated for best actress in a soap opera, while Urbani won the award for best supporting actor in a drama series for his role as Ezra in Makoti broke loose.
The couple joke that they are going to turn their golden Safta statues into bedside lamps.
“No look, the wind has been properly taken out of our sails. It’s nice to be able to be proud of each other and share in each other’s joy. It still feels a bit unreal for both of us,” Swanepoel told RNews.
Recognition for lifetime contribution to the South African media and entertainment industry goes to the Carte Blanche-presenter and journalist Derek Watts, as well as the award-winning Afrikaans filmmaker Koos Roets.
Watts’ daughter Kirsty, who lost his battle with cancer on 22 August this year, received the award on his behalf.
“What a privilege to accept this award on behalf of a remarkable father, journalist and human being. As a family we were always very proud of his achievements and we want to thank Safta for honoring him for his remarkable work and career. I know that this award would have meant the world to him,” said an emotional Kirsty on the Safta stage.
Roets (80), a filmmaker and cinematographer known for movies such as Faan’s train (2014), Rooster with the red shoes (2017) and The Sergeant and the Tiger Moth (1973) in turn received a standing ovation and said that he hopes to “make more movies into my 90s” like the American actor and director Clint Eastwood.
Among the evening’s big awards count Lavishwhich was named best TV drama, and the ecological thriller Gaiawhich walked away with the Safta for best feature film.
Several Afrikaans productions and artists were also awarded with these prestigious awards this year.
Nico Scheepers’ hit series Dark forest earned him the award for best director for a TV drama, while this series’ sound technicians won the award for best sound in a TV drama.
The kykNET comedy Hotel ‘s fifth and final season ended on a high, with James Borthwick being named best actor in a TV comedy.
Hotel ‘s production team also received the statuettes for best sound, art direction and cinematography for a TV comedy during the technical awards on Friday evening.
The prize for best sound, as well as best direction in a TV soap opera, goes to the Afrikaans soap opera Southeast ‘s directing team, consisting of directors Eriena Niemand, Shirley Ellis, Romano Gorlei and Richard September awarded.
Jarrid Geduld made Safta history on Saturday night and became the first actor to receive the award for best actor in a feature film for a second time.
The Arendsvlei-actor and director won the Safta statuette in 2019 for his role as Abie Pakkies in The story of Ellen Pakkies won and Saturday night the same award for his role in the action movie Indemnity taken home
In addition to Cindy Swanepoel, Odelle de Wet and Charlie Bouguenon also have Domestics held his name high and received the awards for best actress and actor for supporting roles in a TV soap, respectively.
Sex in Afrikaans was named the best structured or documentary reality series. This documentary series holds the record for an Afrikaans series with the most viewers on Showmax on the first day of its release and was produced by Rian van Heerden’s company, Provoco.
The musician Peach van Pletzen won the award for best original soundtrack for a TV drama for the Netflix series Playful – in which Arnold Vosloo plays the main role – taken home.
Visit Safta’s Facebook page for a full list of the winners.
