During her latest film collaboration, Variations on a Theme, Annemarie took on the challenge of re-marketing the original project for both local and global audiences.

Through the success of the film's second release — winning top awards at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Joburg Film Festival — Annemarie proves the importance of collaboration, adaptability and balancing the vision of a filmmaker with what audiences are resonating with.

 

This film emerged through a fluid, collaborative process. How do you manage a project from a production standpoint when the story is still evolving?

This was a very unique process in that a lot of the film's narrative was shaped in post-production. On independent films, where time and budget are usually constrained, you rarely have the freedom to keep crafting the story in post to the extent that we did.

Each of these decisions had to be carefully weighed against very real budget constraints, requiring deliberate financial planning to make the most of limited additional shooting time, as well as close collaboration with the local KRAAL team in Kharkams to ensure logistical efficiency.

Beyond production, it was equally important to keep our post-production partners closely aligned throughout, maintaining trust and continuity each time we returned to refine the film.

This extended across Editorial, Grade and Sound, with teams like Refinery, Sound and Motion, and Stephen Abbott at Stealth Donkey helping us carry that process through to its final form.

The Directors had a clear vision, and our role as producers was to create the conditions that allowed that vision to fully emerge. At the same time, we were careful not to lose sight of the story's origins and to honour where it comes from. As the film evolved, that became an important anchor in the process.

 

With a structure as unconventional and experimental as Variations on a Theme, how do you approach the risk from a production perspective?

In some ways, the structure provided a very straightforward roadmap for the shoot. It was built around five days, with the same shots repeated daily. This was a deliberate creative choice from the outset, with the script itself mapped out in a spreadsheet, giving us a precise and repeatable framework to work within.

Those initial five days were produced by KRAAL as part of the NFVF Unsung Heroes project, and that foundation carried through into the later stages of the film. As the process evolved, we built on that structure rather than reinventing it.

From a practical point of view, the repetition meant that the cast and crew became very familiar with the rhythm of each day, which helped with efficiency on set. In a sense, the daily call sheet became the "theme", and the focus was on capturing the subtle variations that emerged within that framework.

 

In today's film landscape, how much of a project's success comes down to how the story is framed and presented to the public?

It's very important. While we didn't approach this film with a formal audience strategy from the outset, it's something we've become increasingly aware of through the process.

 

Through experience, we've learnt how important it is to frame the same project differently depending on who you're speaking to, whether that's a sales agent, distributor, investor, or within the festival landscape. Each requires a slightly different lens, even though the core of the story remains the same.


What role does festival strategy play in shaping how a film is ultimately received internationally?

Festival strategy plays a big role. For us, securing the right platform for a world premiere has become a key starting point, and from there we focus on strong national premieres before working our way into regional ones. It's a way of building momentum and giving the film the best chance to connect in each territory.

That said, while there's always a focus on A-list festivals, we've also learnt not to underestimate the value of smaller national and regional festivals. They can be incredibly important for building networks and creating real traction around a film.

We're also guided by where the film gets selected and where it resonates. Often that can be in places you didn't initially anticipate, which is why it's important to stay open and continue showing the work more widely. You never quite know who is in the room, whether that's audiences, programmers, or other industry partners, and those moments can really shape the life of the film.

We try to look at festival profiles, previous selections and attend information sessions where we can, as we're also still learning. It's all part of making more informed decisions while staying flexible. 


When working with a story that is deeply rooted in a specific place, how do you begin thinking about its resonance with international audiences?

We're fortunate to be creating films at a time where the specific is increasingly understood as universal. Jason and Devon often say that the story chooses them, and I think there's a lot of truth in that.

For us, it starts with making sure that, regardless of where the film might travel, the story, visual language, soundscape, every element, is crafted with clarity, quality and intention. 

Working with narratives that have historically been underrepresented, there is a responsibility to approach that with care and authenticity. That foundation is what allows a film to resonate more widely.

Cultural specificity doesn't limit a film's reach, it's often what defines it and allows it to stand out internationally.

At the same time, there are always access points for audiences, whether through emotion, theme, or shared human experience, that allow the work to connect beyond its immediate context. We are very often surprised, and delighted, at where films resonate.

 

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Interested in delving deeper into the behind-the-scenes of cinema? Check out Realism is the New Black: A Q&A With Abdul-Ghakeem Samaai — Part One .

*Image courtesy of contributor and Canva.