MultiChoice Namibia teamed up with famed South African director, producer and KykNET commissioning editor Muneera Sallies to host a masterclass for women in the local film and TV industry, themed: “Owning your professional space”. 

Sallies has been part of the Multi-
Choice Namibia local content project Ombura, as a fiction commissioning editor, assisting with script-writing and casting this year. 

This award-winning filmmaker has been a part of the arts for many years, making significant contributions to the film and television industry. 

She started her career at an early age as an actress, having taken part in many theatre, television and film productions. Born and raised in Cape Town, Sallies made her big-screen debut at the age of 15 when she was the lead in the documentary film ‘Through The Eyes Of My Daughter’, and a year later debuted as the lead actress in the feature film ‘Don’t Touch’. 

Both films received great reviews and awards at various local and international film festivals. At the masterclass, Sallies encouraged the audience to tell stories that move, inspire, touch and provoke their audience to engage with themselves internally and externally, transporting and living within the space and world created on screen. 

She also highlighted how important it is for filmmakers to “know and embrace their roots” in order to capture the essence of Namibian culture. 

“Learn from every environment you step into,” Sallies said. “Break the hierarchy. It starts with us.”

Other topics discussed at the masterclass were boundaries, gender pay gaps, safety on sets, the importance of networks and supporting local communities. 

“Create the ethos of how you run your productions,” said Sallies, “it’s important to set a positive tone when on set. Talent and skill will only get you so far. It is everything else that gets you there – hard work, hours and owning your space.”