Great films can begin with an ordinary story. Around a family dinner table. On a taxi ride home. On a school sports field. Or in a neighbourhood where someone believes their story is worth telling.
Those everyday moments are at the heart of Mense Made Movies, Vuma’s creative platform for this year’s kykNET Silwerskerm Film Festival. Inspired by the belief that extraordinary films can emerge from ordinary South Africans when given the chance to be seen and heard, the campaign celebrates the people and communities behind every great story.
As part of the festival’s 14th edition, Vuma is extending the experience beyond Camps Bay through community focused events. A free screening will bring South African films closer to local audiences, creating an opportunity for communities to experience local stories together, while a filmmaking workshop in Woodstock will give aspiring creators the chance to learn from industry professionals and explore how digital tools are opening new opportunities.
Together, these initiatives show that the future of South African film is shaped long before a movie reaches the big screen. It begins in communities, with lived experiences that deserve to be shared.
“For Vuma, connectivity is about bringing people closer to the experiences, opportunities and stories that matter to them,” says Simon Butler, Chief Commercial Officer at Vuma. “Through Mense Made Movies, we are helping to bring the Silwerskerm experience into communities, giving local audiences the opportunity to come together and experience South African film closer to home. By connecting people to these experiences, we are also reinforcing our belief that connectivity can open doors to creativity, culture and opportunity.”
Mense Made Movies reflects Vuma’s broader purpose of building a more connected South Africa. Beyond expanding fibre access and connecting more than 1,000 schools to free high speed internet, the campaign highlights how connectivity can support creativity, culture and opportunity.
Because when people see stories made by people like them, something powerful happens: they realise their own stories are worth telling too.
As the kykNET Silwerskerm Film Festival celebrates the country’s best filmmakers this August, Mense Made Movies will honour where great film experiences begin with ordinary South Africans and the communities that inspire them.