The Ntintili Factory

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The Ntintili Factory

The Ntintili Factory is a production company that produces television and film products for tv broadcasting and digital streaming platforms.

Its owner, Busisiwe Ntintili, is an award winning writer, director and producer for over 20 years.

06/08/2025

One thing's for sure: she can crochet you under the table.🎖 Meet Esmeralda in , coming to your screens on 7 September on Ch 161! 📺

29/07/2025

𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘: 𝟬𝟵:𝟬𝟬 - 𝟭𝟭:𝟬𝟬 𝗦𝗔𝗦𝗧

𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀: 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗹

Join the Writers Guild of South Africa for an essential workshop empowering writers to explore the dynamic world of short films and indie filmmaking! Discover how short films can be your powerful calling card, kickstarting careers, refining your storytelling, and giving you creative control.

𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀
Speakers: Dean Ravell and Stephen Nagel
Date: Saturday, 23 August 2025
Time: 09:00 - 11:00 SAST
Location: Online (The meeting link will be distributed via email. Please add [email protected] to your contact list)

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿:
* Writing for Shorts: Best practices for tight, impactful narratives.
* Writing Cinematically: How to use visuals to tell your story.
* From Page to Screen: Making the indie leap with practical production insights.
* Being an Independent Filmmaker in South Africa: Opportunities, challenges, and building your creative tribe.
* Lessons from the Trenches: Real-life examples, breakthroughs, and what to know before your first short.

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀

𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹
Dean Ravell is an award-winning screenwriter and director based in Cape Town, and a Writers Guild of South Africa council member. Holding an Honours Degree in Media, Theory and Practice from UCT and an Impact Film Producer certification, he has written and directed numerous short films, including Detour, Frozen Yoghurt, and Plunder. Dean co-founded BTG Productions and is currently developing a GBV-focused feature film with a leading South African production company.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗹
An award-winning screenwriter and director from Cape Town, Stephen Nagel crafts captivating, character-driven stories with powerful visuals. A UCT Screenwriting graduate, his films like MIA&I, Day Zero, and Protégé explore authentic human experiences across various genres. Stephen, co-founder of BTG Productions, is currently developing feature scripts and TV pilots, including a commissioned crime thriller for streaming.

NB: Registration is essential. WGSA members may attend free of charge. We also invite members of our sister organisations Safrea and DFA to attend free of charge. Non-members pay ZAR 75.00

RSVP here: https://forms.gle/wrdheLWcKLjZHuKB7

23/07/2025

just another day in this oligarchic-capitalist hellscape...😘

18/07/2025

Do tune in as Host Khensani breaks down Ntintili Factory's Saturday School Story Workshop programme!

15/07/2025

My journey with the mentoring spans over two decades. And there’s one truth I’ve come to understand deeply.

Relationships aren't built by accident. They’re built by intention. And shared values.

I was in my twenties when I gave my very first industry workshop. It was at the Durban International Film Festival, and I was representing the SABC. I had been asked to speak to a room full of 100 festival attendees. I had prepared my slides. Rehearsed my points. But when the day finally arrived, and I stepped in front of that crowd… I froze.

I looked out into the sea of faces, not sure how to begin. My heart was pounding. And then, I made a spontaneous decision — one that has stayed with me ever since. I picked out a few people in the audience, made eye contact, and simply asked:

“What did you do this morning?”

The answers were as ordinary and as extraordinary as life itself.

“I brushed my teeth.”
“I made breakfast.”
“I missed my flight.”
“I had to deal with a family emergency.”

And in that moment, the room changed. The tone shifted. People relaxed. We connected as human beings. People with messy mornings, anxious hearts, unexpected detours… people with stories.

That moment reminded me, and everyone else in the room, that storytelling always begins with authenticity. It set the tone for the entire workshop. And enabled me, through the intention of connecting with my audience, to engage with the shared value of why we were all there – to learn from each other.

And more than that — it shaped my entire approach to mentorship. And my work.

Today, I sit in the role as the Chair of the Writers Guild South Africa. And this lesson is even clearer:

Just as relationships aren't built by accident — neither is an industry.

An industry is built with intention. With shared values. With people who are willing to do the hard work — together.

At WGSA, our mission is to protect, empower and develop performance writers in South Africa. We are committed to the growth of our creative sector. To the innovation that will future-proof our storytelling. To the sustainability that ensures our artists aren’t just surviving, but thriving.

We are sitting on a continent rich in culture, story, talent, and innovation. But to unleash that potential — we have to move with intention.

And we have to align around shared values.

We must champion:
Industry Regulation
Fair play
Equity
Real transformation
And an unwavering dedication to our Craft.

And we must reject — at every turn — the forces that threaten to undermine us:
Exploitation
Gatekeeping
Racism and Misogyny
Corruption

Because every time we choose integrity over shortcuts, every time we choose collaboration over competition, every time we mentor someone, uplift a peer, open a door that was closed to us — We are building something. Not just a career. Not just a project. But a future. A legacy. An industry.

One intentional connection at a time.

14/07/2025

Writers Guild of South Africa and DFM 2025 present:

The African Aesthetic: What Makes African Stories Unique?

Date: Saturday, 19 July

Venue: Elangeni Hotel - Suite 5

Time: 13:30

The session explores whether films and series from the continent and its diaspora carry a distinctive narrative identity, like those of Hollywood, Bollywood, French, Italian and K-drama.

Join us for this boundary-pushing discussion on identity and cinematic voice.

08/07/2025

The WGSA, a continued key stakeholder and supporter of Durban Film Mart, is hosting a panel on what makes African Stories Unique at this year's Durban Film Mart. See you in 2 weeks!

07/07/2025

Next up on our Saturday School roster...

CHARACTER ARCS!

FULL DAY WORKSHOP
visit ntintilifactory.com to register

Audiences often don't remember the plot details of a story. But they never forget memorable characters. Dynamic characters can carry the emotions, themes and meaning of our stories through the choices they make.

But unforgettable characters are not just born out of thin air. They are meticulously crafted.

This workshop gives you the tools to craft characters that your audiences will fall in love with or love to hate or both. Lean how to develop character biographies with back stories and histories, wants and needs, strengths and weaknesses. And learn the techniques to give your characters active desires they are pursuing, stumbling blocks and how to fill their world with allies and enemies who will help or hurt them along their journeys.

Led by renowned Head Writer, Showunner and Executive Producer, Busisiwe Ntintili.

03/07/2025

We appreciate the interest in our Saturday School!

Here are answers to some common questions we have received.

For more information, visit www.ntintilifactory.com

02/07/2025

Ntintili Factory is excited to announce our latest show!

Justice has a new face and it’s not playing by the rules.

is coming to your screens on September 07 at 20:00 on Ch 161, Mzansi Magic.

01/07/2025

Welcome the WGSA 2025/2026 term council.

Address

Johannesburg

Website

http://www.ntintili.com/

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