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/ 4 December 2009

Vuka! Award winners 2009

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The M-Net VUKA! Awards reward and nurture South Africa’s filmmaking talent while providing vital exposure to social causes and charities. See some of the winners below.

Vuka! Awards 2009: Conflict Diamonds

A medical examiner pulls blood soaked diamonds like bullets from the body of a young man. Young & Rubicam from Cape Town said: “Most people don’t know that if their diamonds are untraceable, they are probably blood diamonds — meaning they were sourced illegally and often violently.”

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Vuka! Awards 2009: 21st Birthday

One of three beautifully crafted commercials for the Industry Association For Responsible Alcohol Use (ARA), which all featured at the Vuka! Awards and won in the best script category. The ads all focus on the anguish the families of those who overindulge are subjected to.

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Vuka! Awards 2009: A Home for Every Heart

A clever concept that sees a toy being chased away by other toys until it finds a place where it belongs and feels at home. Vega’s Alexander Sudheim said: “A lot of TV ads for charities attempt to scold or shock viewers. We wanted to tell a story that represented the children in Thokomala and that has a happy ending.”

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Vuka! Awards 2009: Moses

A baby is put in the river in a basket by its family in order to save it in this powerful PSA. Says Editor Allan Shelley: “I am not sure why I thought of Moses. He’s not technically an orphan. And then I thought what if he was not rescued from the river? What if lots of mothers had the same idea to save their children from the wrath of the Pharaoh?”

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Vuka! Awards 2009: The Silent Killer

The silent killer in this instance is obesity. Director Grant Paul Roy said: “Not only is this silent killer permeating it’s way into every tier of our society but it’s doing so completely undetected. South Africa is one of the top five most obese nations in the world.”

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Vuka! Awards 2009: The Last Piece

Creative Director Oli Payn said: “The team wanted to honour a unique charity that doesn’t always get the praise and recognition it deserves. We believe the PSA is special in that it captures the life and difficulties faced by a blind person, both literally and in a conceptual nature.”

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Vuka! Awards 2009: It’s Getting Hot in Here

Under the blazing glare of the sun a woman starts stripping off her clothes. The tagline reads: “If it gets any hotter, we are all going to be sorry!” Copywriter Taryn Scher explained: “We needed a very simple concept that would convey the effect global warming would have on all of us.”

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Vuka! Awards 2009: Experiment

A powerful portrayal of an illegal futuristic experiment where needles remove someone’s memories with the message that heroin steals the user’s soul. Creative Director Garreth Bird said: “We wanted to create negative reinforcement by connecting the desire to experiment with the resultant loss of spirit and control.”

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Vuka! Awards 2009: An Empty Conversation

Two men drink at a shebeen but they have very little to talk about. Creative Director Themba Nkabinde said: “I am a keen observer of human behaviour. People laugh when they see this commercial because it reminds them of their own experiences. What makes it funny is that people laugh at the awkwardness of the situation rather than a gag.”

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