Inspiring young actors of utmost importance to us – Ayanda Sithebe

Actor and producer Lala Tuku, along with Actor Spaces founder Ayanda Sithebe, are on the quest of unearthing fresh new talent and exposing them to the acting industry.

Anchoring on their aim of leaving no storyteller behind, Tuku and Sithebe plan to continue their purpose of inclusivity by uniting emerging filmmakers with established creatives.

They will spearhead this cause through their fifth annual Africa Rising International Film Festival (ARIFF) from November 24 to 27.

“Making it in the industry takes a lot of hard work, researching and understanding how the industry works… affiliating yourself with how the international industry works. Of course, there are so many Thuso Mbedus out there in the country waiting to be discovered,” said Sithebe.

“So, inspiring young actors with the vision that they too can be the next big star is of utmost importance to us.”

Despite having a dream to make it big, one of the few deterrents for most actors was gatekeeping which was fairly the norm back in the age-old South African acting industry, a narrative Sithebe believes has slightly shifted due to social media that helps give the ultimate access for young aspiring actors.

“Things are a lot better than when we first started. Before you had to go through several heads to get recognised as an actor or you’d struggle to figure out who the casting director is for a specific production.

“But this time around, it’s easier for the younger generation.  As a casting director, I get direct messages from young actors asking for my opinion on their acting videos all thanks to the power of social media.

“It’s also been easier for us as directors. If we are scouting for new and fresh talent, we can simply go to YouTube and watch monologues from various actors and unearth new talent.”     

While the future of cinematography for black filmmakers seems bright with all African blockbuster movies hitting the circuit, the 34-year-old casting director isn’t convinced that African directors haven’t tapped into their full potential as storytellers this can be seen by the way the international film market has taken over the narration of African stories. “We see this from movies such as Woman King and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which are African stories but told by a different eye which isn’t African,” he explains.

“We see this from movies such as Woman King and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which are African stories but told by a different eye... which isn’t African,” he said.

“We are so blessed with so many stories straight from our backyard that I think as storytellers we have to take it upon ourselves to tell and share them with the world. If we do this, we will indeed have a very bright future as African filmmakers.”   

Having been wide-eyed with drive and ambition when she first stepped into the acting, Tuku slowly realised there was more to the acting industry than what was above the surface.

Now a producer behind various shows, the seasoned actor with 20 years’ worth of experience wants to assist aspiring actors not to go through the hurdles she went through as a young actor.

Tuku says when she started out, the industry was male-dominated and very white compared to how it is now. “The space in which one could play was in front of the screen and because of the lack of access and information being behind-the-scenes was something one could only dream of,” Tuku said.   

As one of the females in the film industry, Tuku notes that the tide is swiftly shifting as more female representation is slowly taking up space in productions.

“The industry is all about the experience. If we (as producers) need to call a writer, we can usually contact people from our call list and at times female entrants don’t make the cut because of experience,” she explains.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about sending the elevator down to make sure we reach these women and grant them a seat at our table."

seemelam@arena.africa