BE PHAT MOTEL IS A BOUTIQUE FILM & MEDIA COMPANY BASED IN CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA.
Recognised for boldness and burning ambition, attention to detail and technical precision, Be Phat Motel has established itself as a creative leader, producing among the most progressive narrative work in the South African industry today and expanding the global outreach of African film, drawing on strong relationships with international producers, sales companies and festivals.
The Motel's portfolio includes high-end conceptual narrative and documentary films, shorts and TV drama series with international and South African partners. Noted projects are multi-award-winning debut feature Five Fingers for Marseilles and acclaimed short adaptation of Charlie Human’s celebrated novel Apocalypse Now Now, as well as a number of high-profile creative commissions. Upcoming highlights include prestige drama series co-production Acts of Man and a feature adaptation of Apocalypse Now Now.
Awards include five wins from eleven nominations at the 2019 African Movie Academy Awards for Five Fingers for Marseilles, including BEST FILM and BEST FILM IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE, as well as three wins from seven nominations at the South African Film and Television Awards and numerous festival awards. Apocalypse Now Now is the recipient of the 2018 SAFTA for BEST SHORT FILM.
Be Phat prides itself on its South-South coproduction focus. Past successes include Nepal-South Africa coproduction Kathaa ‘72 (The Story of ‘72).
From 2010 to 2020, Be Phat Motel programmed, creatively directed and facilitated the South African leg of the shnit Worldwide Shortfilmfestival, a festival of short film held in multiple cities around the world. Over ten years, shnit screened over 1500 short films, awarding $100,000 in global prize money, including approximately 300 South African and African shorts, which it took out into a global arena, breaking a number of today’s most celebrated filmmakers.
