4 x 30 sec / DV Pal / English
In development

Substance Films was approached by the Montrose Foundation in February 2009 to collaborate, as media partner, on a series of public services announcements to be broadcast to South African audiences. The purpose of these PSA’s are to raise awareness around the disease of addiction, reduce stigma surrounding the disease and remind addicts - and friends and family of addicts - that there is help available for addition in the public sector. The PSA’s will be supported by a highly informative website (containing information on addiction and getting help) and they will use the power of the South African celebrity to hold viewers’ attention.

1 x 40 min / DV Pal / English
May 2010

ACTS stands for Advise, Counsel, Test, Support and is a new protocol for nurses and lay counsellors in the Western Cape to offer accelerated HIV counselling and testing to clients in the public health care service. Substance Films was approached by Matchboxology, the media partner of ACTS, to produce a training video for health care workers. The video will incorporate the feel of a typical South African soapie and tell the story of both the health care worker and their clients and how ACTS can change and improve lives. The video will also include testimonies from nurses and lay counsellors who have used ACTS.

TBC / DV Pal / English
March 2010

Streetfootballworld, Sony and FIFA approached Substance Films to assist with the filming of a technical training video for the "Siyakhona" photographic project. This project teaches people in communities to provide media documentation of the work being done by organisations (such as Football For Hope). We began working on this project in October 2009 and the project was completed in March 2010.

1 x 30 min and 1 x 20 sec / DV Pal / English
January 2010

In November 2009 Substance Films was invited to pitch to produce a 30 minute TV show for Windhoek Lager on the adventure promotion run, by Windhoek Lager, in Namibia from October 2009. Substance Films won the pitch to work with freelance director Bryan Traylor. We travelled to Namibia in early December 2009 to document this amazing desert experience, which was also the grand prize for three mystery winners. The final product was broadcast on Namibian TV on 22 January 2009.

VNR and 2 x 10min/ HD / English
December 2010

Substance Films was chosen by Football For Hope to video document the opening of the historic Football For Hope Centre in Khayelithsa in December 2009. We covered the event in HD and we supplied Football For Hope and FIFA with footage for media reels for distribution to international media. We will also complete two short films to promote the event. The first film is a general introduction to the centre and the concept of Football For Hope in South Africa and the world ahead of the World Cup 2010. The second film is a 10-minute exploration of young children, from the GRS and FFH programmes, speaking openly and honestly about sex and HIV.

4 min 30 sec / DV Pal / English
September 2009

Substance Films produced an important video for Grassroot Soccer’s to help them promote the organisation at conferences and stakeholder meetings. Substance Films worked with Grassroot Soccer to explain the important work, that the organisation does in 18 countries around the world. We used a combination of footage from the Grassroot Soccer SKillz Training DVD and the Test Your Team event that Substance Films documented, on behalf of Grassroot Soccer, in July 2009.This video was completed in October 2009 and will contribute to raising funds and investments in Grassroot Soccer.

86 mins / DV Pal / English
May 2009

Grassroot Soccer is an inspirational not for profit organisation that uses the power of soccer to teach children about life-skills, healthy living and HIV/AIDS. One of Grassroot Soccer’s programmes is “Skillz” – an educational curriculum that helps coaches teach children important health and life lessons through various practices. Substance Films produced the 86 minute training DVD for Skillz Coaches to use in South Africa and beyond. Production took place from April 2009 to September 2009. As a result of the success of the production of this DVD Substance Films was made the exclusive video service provider to Grassroot Soccer.

1 x 30 sec / 16mm / Dutch
March 2009

Substance Films Line Produced an international television commercial, for Fort Films and Global Star Media in April 2009, about Remia Party Sauces in Holland. This commercial was shot on location in Hout Bay, Cape Town, with a local crew. The international clients were extremely pleased with the high quality result.

6 x 60 sec / DV Pal / English, isiXhosa and isiZulu
August 2008

In 2008 Yvette Lambrecht and Cassidy Fine produced the television commercial campaign for the Siyayinqoba Beat It! Television show awareness messaging around HIV behaviour change communication. The PSAs were directed by young up and coming directors, including Yvette Lambrecht, and production took place between April and July 2008. Each of the 6 PSAs carries a stand-alone message for HIV awareness but all 6 work together as an inter-connected story. The PSA’s were broadcast on SABC 1, 2 and 3, the Community Television channels and through RankTV at taxi and train stations.

1 x 52 min / DV Pal / English and other
February 2010

Dying To Stop tells the story of two South African addicts with no money and little state assistance as they embark on an emotional and spiritual journey of discovery and maybe, recovery. Dying to Stop is a 2 x 52 minute documentary series that explores treatment accessibility to South African addicts who cannot afford private rehabilitation and have to rely on state resources. The first episode, funded by the Open Society Foundation – South Africa, completed post-production in February 2010. The second will commence development in 2010 pending further finance. Both episodes can be viewed individually and as part of a series. The first episode is set in Cape Town and features a young alcoholic woman and her battle to access state treatment as well as the rock bottom she experiences while awaiting treatment.

1 x 52 min / HD / English
In production

An art for prostitutes, bikers and sailors - SIX Skin dispels the myths around tattoos by exploring the tattoo world and its sub-cultures at the southern most tip of Africa. The story centres around the thriving and diverse tattoo community and the characters whose lives are marked by their tattoo experience.

1 x 52 min / HD / English
In development

Ashika was born to a South African mom and Japanese dad. After ridicule and social isolation for being Aino – a mongrel – Ash returned to South Africa with her mother and never saw or heard from her father again. Lotus Blossom is Ashika's journey from the coast of Cape Town to the small villages in Japan, all in the hope of meeting her father.

4 x 52 min / HD / English
In development

This series of documentaries looks at four major issues that exist in South African maternal health. These four issues are: the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV; cervical cancer; gender based violence and illegal abortions. This series highlights important issues regarding the rights of women in South Africa. These rights issues are often discussed and explored at a grassroots level but never thought glamorous enough to be told on TV. Substance Films wants to tell these stories and make not only South Africa but the world aware of the health challenges faced by South African women.

6 x 52 min/ HD / English
In development

African Art explores the trade of African art and artefacts internationally and on the continent. From a haze of mystified origins – an intimate look at the people and places in a tight, but vast network of trading that transform African artefacts of use and ritual into Western objects of art and consumption.

1 x 52 min / HD / English
In development

Protected by a wall of mountains, with only one road entering up a treacherous mountain path of the Cedarberg, lies a nameless community of eccentric people. Their diversity makes living together difficult and, to complicate matters, they all share their majestic mountain retreat with a nocturnal predator… the Cape Leopard.