South African Film Director and Creative Producer (Penguin and Paw Paw Films).

Roberta Durrant is a creative director/producer of television and film. She has created and directed/produced several long running, award winning drama series and sitcoms for South African broadcasting. She also has a reputation in the industry for training and mentoring many aspiring writers, directors, editors and producers.
Roberta Durrant graduated from Stellenbosch University, South Africa with a BA degree in Drama. For the first ten years of her career she acted and directed in theatre and film, firstly in South Africa and from 1977 in London where she worked with Stephen Berkoff, at the Young Vic Theatre and at The Edinburgh Festival achieving a Fringe First for Don Juan and Pieter Dirk Uys' Paradise is Closing Down which she directed.
Roberta created and produced 65 one-hour episodes of the popular drama series, entitled Home Affairs. Home Affairs tells the stories of six women from separate universes searching for their true identity in South Africa. Home Affairs has been a finalist in the drama category at the International Emmys four times between 2007 and 2010 in both the best drama category and best actress category. In 2007 Home Affairs was a finalist at Banff (Canada), Rose d'Or (Switzerland).
Roberta is acclaimed for her work in democracy education. In 1994 she created the comedy drama Khululeka to educate first time voters. Khululeka was first commissioned by the Matla Trust, a trust fund set up by Former President Nelson Mandela for democracy education. Khululeka went on to become SABC's flagship democracy education programme for sixteen years. The last series was produced in 2009 in a run-up to the 2009 national elections.
Roberta, together with the Center for Applied Legal Studies at Wits, also instigated, initiated and created Future Imperfect, hosted by Prof Dennis Davis. Future Imperfect continued to be screened for six years till 2000. Roberta also initiated and created together with the Department of Constitutional Affairs, 39 episodes of Constitutional Talk to educate South African voters about the new constitution. In 2004, she was approached by the SABC to create and produce The Roundtable, which focused on the key challenges South Africa would face over the next ten years. Roberta produced this series in consultation with the Harold Wolpe Trust.
Roberta is probably best known to South African audiences for the popular sitcoms ‘Sgudi ‘Snaysi (It's Good It's Nice); Going Up, About Us; Madam & Eve,; SOS; Fishy Feshuns; Going Up Again; Mazinyo dot Q and Stokvel. These productions have had several seasons (many still airing) and many have won local and international awards for best comedy.
Internationally Madam & Eve achieved a Rose in the prestigious 2002 Golden Rose awards in Switzerland for best sitcom from over 30 submissions from around the world. About Us, a four part comedy sketch show produced for SABC 2 received an honourable mention at the international Golden Rose Festival in the comedy category in 2005. In 2004, Stokvel was the runner-up in the sitcom category at in the International Emmy Awards in New York. This marked the first time in the history of South African television that a local programme made the finals at the International Emmys. In 2011, Roberta will produce the 8th season of the ever popular Stokvel.
Together with SABC Education and the Parliamentary Millennium Project Roberta produced African Sky Stories in 2005 and 2007- to communicate the rich heritage of African legends inspired by the constellation of the stars.
Roberta has produced several award winning documentaries.
Roberta has produced two feature films, Inside Out, successfully distributed in South Africa by Ster Kinekor and internationally by Icon Entertainment, and Skilpoppe, based on the award-winning novel by Barry Hough and part of M-Net's Local Movie of the Month initiative. Roberta is currently in production with her 3rd feature film, Felix.
Penguin and their sister company, Paw Paw Films have won several local awards for their programming. For example, in 2010, Penguin and Paw Paw achieved 7 local SAFTA awards for excellence in television production. Paw Paw's legal drama series, Sokhulu and Partners, won best drama and was nominated for an International Emmy Award in 2009 in the drama category.
Roberta has served as a member of the National Executive Committee of the Independent Producer's Organization for many years. She is a past President of Women in Film, she has been invited as a guest lecturer to both the University of Cape Town and AFDA.


KEY CREDITS AS CREATIVE PRODUCER:

Drama series:
- Home Affairs
- Sokhulu and Partners
- Izingane Zobaba
- Shooting Stars
- Montana
- Gabomotho

Comedy Drama series:
- ‘Sgudi ‘Snaysi (It's Good It's Nice.)
- Going Up
- S.O.S
- Madam and Eve
- Stokvel
- Mazinyo.Q
- About Us
- Fishy Feshuns
- Velaphi
- Deeltitel Dames

Democracy Education series:
- Khululeka
- Future Imperfect
- Constitutional Talk
- The Round Table

Feature Films:
- Inside Out
- Skilpoppe
* Félix (2013): won Durban International Film Festival Audience Award / In 40 Southern African cinemas on 13 September 2013.

Source:
http://penguinfilms.co.za/robertacv.html

Other filmo-biography
Roberta has produced and directed many drama series and sitcoms in South Africa. Her productions have received international recognition, including:
-Finalist Drama International Emmy (Sokhulu and Partners - 2009)
-Semi-finalist Drama International Emmy Awards (Home Affairs - 2006)
-Finalist Banff Canada (Home Affairs - 2007)
-Rose d'Or Switzerland (Home Affairs - 2007)
-Finalist Drama International Emmy Awards (Home Affairs - 2007)
-Second Prize Best Sitcom Golden Rose Awards Switzerland (Madam & Eve - 2002)
-Runner-up Sitcom in International Emmy Awards New York (Stokvel - 2004)

Her filmography as creative producer includes:
-Inside Out (distributed by Ster Kinekor and Icon Entertainment)
-Skilpoppe (M-Net Movie of the Month)
-Felix (to be released in South Africa in September 2013)

Roberta has produced and directed several award-winning documentaries, including The Silent Enemy, Penny Siopsis, Sheila Cussons, and A Shahib in South Africa.

She has created many of South Africa's long-running, award-winning, high-end longform drama series, such as Khululeka, Home Affairs, Montana, Izingane Zobaba, Sokhulu and Partners, and Shreds and Dreams, to name a few.

Roberta is probably best known to South African audiences for her popular sitcoms Sgudi Snaysi, Going Up, About Us, Madam & Eve, SOS, Fishy Feshuns, Going Up Again, Mazinyo dot Q, Stokvel, Sies and Chandies.

In 2012 she received a lifetime achievement award for her contribution to the South African film and Televsion industry from The National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa at The South African Film and Television Awards.

Source:
www.felixthemovie.com/film-crew/