MTF alumna Nomvuselelo Dlamini builds Seamless Cut, mentors next generation of South African filmmakers

A 2019 MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) alumna and co-founder of production company Seamless Cut, Dlamini knows the reality of the gaps between productions. One project ends, another has not yet begun and the question of where the next pay cheque will come from can be difficult to ignore.

But rather than allowing that uncertainty to stall her, Dlamini has found a way to keep moving, she says.

“Coming up with new concepts, coming up with new ideas, becomes part of how you keep your skill alive,” drawing on storytelling not only as her creative outlet but as the foundation of her career.

That persistence has also formed the way she approaches the industry and the people coming up alongside and behind her.

Through the MTF alumni network, Dlamini has had the opportunity to work alongside filmmakers from different cohorts, including alumni who went on to participate in the MultiChoice Extended Cut programme. Her experiences included working as a line producer on Eyes on Lens Films’ Ukukhanya kwe Christmas, a festive film produced for Mzansi Bioskop (now available on DStv Stream), and as production manager on Zethu’s Tales’ Motho Waka, a South African romance film that premiered on Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161).

For Dlamini, these collaborations became more than credits on a production. They became opportunities to learn, exchange knowledge and recognise the value of an industry where filmmakers can support one another.

Working with Zethu’s Tales, in particular, gave her an appreciation for the value of calmness under pressure. She says the experience taught her how staying level-headed can help when it comes to troubleshooting the inevitable challenges that arise during production.

Her experience with Eyes and Lens offered something different. “a reminder of the importance of ambition.”

After spending years in the industry, Dlamini admits that “it can be easy for the business side of filmmaking to become the priority,” but adds that working with a younger generation constantly reminds her of the ambition and excitement that comes with simply wanting to be a filmmaker and storyteller.

It is this exchange between generations that makes the MTF alumni community particularly meaningful for her.

Dlamini describes working with younger alumni as “passing on the baton”, something she felt honoured to do after experiencing that same support from filmmakers who came before her.

That idea of passing knowledge forward is also reflected in her experience of the MultiChoice Extended Cut programme. For Dlamini, one of the programme’s greatest strengths is that it gives rising filmmakers something the industry does not always allow.

Once filmmakers leave an internship and enter the industry, she says, there can be pressure to have everything figured out. Extended Cut provides an opportunity to learn on the job, make mistakes and develop a clearer understanding of who they are as producers and company owners.

That space to learn is particularly important in an industry where experience is often built project by project. Dlamini’s own journey reflects that process of continuing to write and work across productions by learning from other filmmakers and gradually developing her own path as a producer and company owner.

That space to learn is particularly important in an industry where experience is often built project by project. Dlamini’s own journey reflects that process by continuing to write and work across productions, while continuing to learn from other filmmakers and gradually develop her own path as a producer and company owner.

Her advice to MTF alumni navigating the space between projects is to build relationships.

“Network, go on other alumni sets, build relationships,” she says, stressing that the industry is built on relationships and that filmmakers cannot afford to work in isolation.

Dlamini shared that, “showing up and building relationships can make all the difference”, particularly for filmmakers trying to find their way into the next opportunity.

“Whenever you go somewhere, even if it’s just to shadow, make sure you leave a mark. That’s how you move from being in the gap to getting your next project.”

Dlamini reminds us, that the journey does not end when a filmmaker graduates from MTF. It continues through the relationships built, the lessons shared and the opportunities created for those coming next.

For Women’s Month, Dlamini’s journey offers a reminder that growth in the creative industries is not only about making it through the gaps. It is also about continuing to create, remaining ambitious, learning from those around you and “when the opportunity comes, pass the baton forward.”