South Africa

Brian Tilley came to film from theatre in 1981 to work on independent documentaries. In 1985 he was a founding member of the Video Collective VNS/Afravision, which made documentaries about social and political issues. Brian Tilley has won several awards for both his documentary and fiction film work. Fruits of Defiance (1990), a film about the mass defiance campaign and the release of Nelson Mandela, won first prize in the Third World section of the Montreal Television Festival. His documentary work has covered a history of the ANC, the sex industry in Johannesburg and several episodes of Parklife Africa, a Discovery series set in the Kruger Park. His feature work includes the drama series The Line aka In a Time of Violence (1994) which he wrote and directed. Broadcast all over the world, it won a merit award at the 4th festival of African Cinema in Milan in 1994 and two South African Artes Awards for screenplay and director. His short film Lucky Day (1998), which he wrote and directed, was selected for the Best of the Fest at the 1999 Edinburgh Film Festival and won best short film at the Southern African Film Festival.

Filmography

A Test of Strength ()
Bitter Roots (1986)
Zilima Ziya Etsheni / Compelling Freedom (1987)
Fruits of Defiance (1990)
Hlanganini: A Short History of COSATU (1991)
Ulibambe Lingashoni / Hold up the Sun (1992)
Mzwakhe Mbuli: The People’s Poet (1993)
In a Time of Violence (1994)
Joburg Stories (1997)
Lucky Day (1998)
Ma vie en plus (2001)
Behind the Badge (2002)
History Uncut (2004)
Crossing the Line (2005)