Monika Amunyela
The return of the Namibian Theatre and Film Awards (NTFAs) 2026 made a statement on Saturday at the National Theatre of Namibia after a six-year hiatus.
The highly anticipated event brought together Namibia’s creative community for an unforgettable evening that celebrated excellence, resilience and growth. The awards delivered a visually stunning red-carpet experience, with guests daring to explore contemporary African elegance through earthy tones and textures.
The ceremony honoured outstanding achievements across 36 categories. Categories in film included best newcomer director, which was scooped by Laudika Hamutenya; best feature film, which was taken by the Desert Films crew for their outstanding feature film ‘Speel aan’, winner of the audience choice award, the ‘Skeleton Coast’ movie; and best sound and music in a film, which went to Ginge and David Benade.
While the theatre categories included best director in theatre, this was taken by Ndayola Ulenga; best script for theatre went to Rodney Agarose for ‘Naked Spaces’; best stagecraft: make-up went to Eathen Madison; and finally, the winner of best original score and sound design in theatre was scooped by Eslon Hindundu.
A major highlight of the evening was the presence of internationally acclaimed actor Hakeem Kae-Kazim, who attended as Guest of honour. His address inspired audiences with reflections on storytelling and perseverance: “I can see that the spirit lies in you, so please keep dreaming, keep creating, keep making us proud…the films and play that we celebrate tonight are proof that you are part of the solution.”
In a separate exclusive interview with New Era, Kae-Kazim noted the importance of telling authentic African stories. “We are responsible for telling these stories…from our perspective as truly pan-African stories…these stories come in different ways, shapes and guidance, good and bad, but they need to be told,” he said.