Alumnus bags Best Student Film award

George Temba, an alumnus of the Tshwane University of Technology, won the Best Student Film award at the 2026 Joburg Film Festival for his film The Silent Inheritance.

George Temba won the Best Student Film award at the 2026 Joburg Film Festival. At the awards gala held at the Theatre on the Square in Sandton on Saturday, 7 March, the spotlight was shone on the bright future of the young and emerging talent that is driving South Africa’s film industry forward. The award recognises the exceptional standard of student entries, some of which are created using mobile devices, demonstrating unpolished talent and a commitment to filmmaking.

“This recognition is a significant milestone in my career, as it is my second award at the festival,” says Temba. “In 2023, I won the Young Voices Award, which recognises emerging talent. Winning a second award highlights my growth and shows that I’m on the right path, as it has never happened before that someone won an award twice in the youth-focused categories at the festival.”

The Silent Inheritance is an essay film blending fiction, non-fiction and experimental imagery to explore the unseen legacies shaping young men growing up without wealth or fatherly guidance. Guided by the meditative voice of an ancestral narrator speaking in Sepedi, the film reflects on identity, resilience and the quiet process of becoming. Rather than material wealth, it explores the inheritance that lies in the wisdom gathered along life’s journey.

Hailing from Jane Furse in Limpopo, Temba has just completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Motion Picture Production at the TUT’s Faculty of Arts and Design, Department of Visual Communication.

"My passion for writing stories sparked my interest in film. I used to write these stories in a notebook with a pen. Then I discovered TUT.”

“I had a great experience at TUT because the learning was very hands-on. I was exposed not only to learning theory, but also to an integrated practical application supported by Work-Integrated Learning towards the final six months of the course. Students who aspire to study at TUT will be exposed to a type of learning that prepares them for industry, which I think is what makes the institution stand out.”

Temba is currently an intern at eMedia's YFM division, working as a digital video content producer.

To watch the trailer for The Silent Inheritance, click here: https://youtu.be/7gDM_9mMgmE

• Motion Picture Production students received a two-day pass to the event and the JoBurg Film Festival founder, Tim Mangwedi, praised TUT for providing its students with access to such a dynamic experience. Meanwhile, the gala awards evening was lit up by performances from Performing Arts students.