Thendo Brilz

Heroes in Communities, Sport, Arts & Culture

Nominee's Province:
Limpopo

Age:
27

Project Name/Description:

More info:

When Thendo Brilz realised, as an Urban Brew Studios intern, that she did not have the opportunity to do most of the things that she was passionate about and that she had very little to no creative input, she took the decision to start her own production company. This dissatisfaction came after the first production assistant job for a BET Africa show a few weeks after her graduation from AFDA in 2017. That is how Brilz Films was founded. As a soft-spoken person, the best way the producer, director and writer expresses herself is through writing. “I'd spend a lot of time by myself just writing stories and letting my imagination run wild, not knowing that I could have a career as a filmmaker. I always thought my only options were journalism, teaching English or authorship, because there was no information on filmmaking in the township. I then found out about AFDA, applied and the rest is history,” explains Brilz. The 27-year-old realised that there were so many talented young people in Venda who - because of lack of knowledge and exposure - were sitting at home, not knowing where to go or what to do with their talents. “I’m happy to have helped some realise their potential and hope to continue doing so,” she says.