2019

Jannous Nkululeko Aukema is a filmmaker and composer based in South Africa. He has worked in a wide range of genres and forms, from narrative fiction to documentary, theatre and multi-media installation. His past projects as writer-director include the short narrative film, Until The Silence Comes (2018 - 24min), and the award winning short documentary film Deliver Me (2021 - 25min, Best Short Film - African Human Rights Film Festival). His films have screened at a variety of prestigious film festivals, including Aesthetica Short Film Festival, Encounters South African International Documentary Festival and Shnit International Short Film Festival amongst others. 

As an interdisciplinary artist, his sound design work alongside Haroon Gunnn-Salie received critical acclaim, including winning the coveted FNB Art Prize for Gunn-Salie’s sonic multimedia installation work, 'Senzenina' (2018 - 16min), which explores the 2012 Marikana massacre of miners through a sonic narrative combining archive, choral and string composition and sound design. 

His soundtrack composition work includes numerous theatre shows and films. Film composition includes projects like Everything Must Fall, which focuses on the Wits Student movement of 2015-17 (IDFA 2018, Vaclav Havel Award - One World Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Best Documentary Film - Cape Town International Film Festival, South African Film and Television Award SAFTA for best documentary film), How To Steal A Country (2019), which focuses on the state capture of South Africa, and has already screened at IDFA (2019) and numerous other film festivals, as well as winning a SAFTA for best sound and best documentary. He has also worked on short narrative fiction films such as ‘n Doop Om Stilte (2023, Best Short Film Silwerskerm Film Festival) and Ekstasis (2020), which has screened at several prestigious international film festivals, picking up awards including Best Director at the New Renaissance Film Festival.

Sound composition for Theatre productions include among many others: A Faint Patch of Light (2019, National Arts Festival Ovation Award), A Howl In Makhanda (202​1, won Best Original Composition - Fleur du Cap)​, Droomwerk (2023 NAF Main Stage), Khongolose Khommanding Khommissars (Standard Bank Young Artist Award For Theatre Production 2023), Neighbourhood (2024, Baxter Theatre) and Metamorphoses (2024, Baxter Theatre) .

Jannous is currently developing his first feature film project, whilst continuing his work as a sound artist in many different platforms. His work pivots around the themes of ancestral memory, social-justice, migration and post-coloniality.