ZAHEER GOODMAN-BHYAT | PRODUCER BIOGRAPHY
Zaheer was educated in Johannesburg where he attended Sacred Heart College and completed his tertiary education at the University of the Witwatersrand. His love affair with entertainment began as a young boy when he used to shoot 8mm films on a home movie camera before the advent of video.

A precocious entertainer, Zaheer began performing professionally in theatre productions at the age of 12 and was quickly spotted and taken under the wing of iconic protest-theatre producer Barney Simon. Zaheer produced his first theatre show at the Market theatre under Barney’s tutelage at age 16 and has never looked back.

In 2007 Zaheer financed and produced the film of the best selling novel CONFESSIONS OF A GAMBLER that premiered in competition at the Dubai Film Festival, and played in official selection at the Miami and Dublin film festivals. Zaheer also produced the hit TV series JACOB’S CROSS with The Bomb Shelter which screened in 23 countries. In 2008 Zaheer produced a new concept TV show for TV Norge and NBC. The show was the highest rated show ever in Scandinavia and Zaheer produced season 2 in 2008/9.

In 2009, Zaheer Produced A film adaptation of the Broadway hit play by Athol Fugard. Set in South Africa in 1950 this autobiographical work is a poignant look at human relationships and the formative experiences of the man Time magazine called “The greatest living playwright in the world today”. The film is directed by Emmy Award winner Lonny Price and stars Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland, Charlie and the Chocolate factory, August Rush) and Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction, Mission Impossible).

In 2005 Zaheer was employed by Ochre Media to re-conceptualize the television soap opera “Scandal”. Within the first month of flighting of his first episode, the show’s ratings more than doubled, and the show’s ratings eventually quadrupled under his tenure.
In addition to his long-form work, Zaheer also regularly produces big budget commercials. Some of his more recent clients were COCA-COLA (European campaign) and ERICSSON, SWEDEN (Worldwide campaign).

Since 2001 Zaheer has been using his extensive knowledge of financial engineering (acquired while working for some of the most prestigious banks in South Africa and Europe for nearly 10 years) to create financing solutions for the film industry. By 2003 he started his own production company to exploit his unique talents as producer.

Based on his success, the National Film and Video foundation identified Zaheer as one of the top producers in South Africa and asked him to be their representative at the prestigious Cinemart Producer’s Lab at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in February 2006. The Ontario Media Development Corporation selected Zaheer to participate in their inaugural International co-production forum at the Toronto film Festival. In the same year, two of Zaheer’s feature film projects were officially selected for the STRATEGIC PARTNERS co-production market in Halifax, Canada, and a further project was officially selected for the co-production forum at SITHENGI, Cape Town.

In March of 2005 Zaheer was selected to participate in the inaugural SEDIBA feature film development forum run by the NFVF and AVEA and funded by the SABC and the BRITISH COUNCIL. In June 2005 he was elected as Co-chair of the South African Scriptwriters Association (SASWA) and in August of the same year was elected to the board of the Cape Film Commission to represent the creative voice of independent filmmakers, and in March 2008 he was elected to the board of the Independent Producers Organization of South Africa.

The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences welcomed Zaheer as a member in 2008 and also selected him to participate as a juror in the 2008 Emmy Awards. In 2009 Zaheer participated on the jury of the BANFF Mountain festival awards.

JUSTINE SOLOMON
Justine has been highly competitive from an early age and her commitment to excellence stems from her training as an Olympic Synchronized swimmer.

Her two passions have always been Drama and Business so after attending the Waterfront theatre school she moved to England where she became the regional and international Sales and marketing director for a multinational business where she traveled regularly to New York and Atlanta to establish the international franchise. Knowing that this was not the future she wanted, she returned to South Africa where she enrolled into AFDA, the South African Film School.

Studying first cinematography and producing and then specializing in Producing, Justine graduated at the top of her class with her film, “Elsie’s Kwota,” winning Best Film, with a BA degree in Motion picture medium and the Dean’s List Award.

After AFDA, Justine began to work in the industry, finding her feet at the biggest commercial production house in the country Moonlighting Commercials where she climbed the ranks quickly. This allowed her to segue in to her first love feature film.

Justine was employed by Spier films to work on “Master Harold…and the boys,’ for Zaheer Goodman–Bhyat. After completing the film and assisting with ADR and post, Justine took up a permanent position as Development Executive for Spier Films and Light and Dark Films. In this capacity, Justine has produced the award-winning digital short film, “Ice Board”, which has been shown at a number of international film festivals in South Africa and abroad.

Justine now works in script development, and production, co producing films for the International and Local markets, from scheduling to budget preparation and casting. In October 2010, Justine embarked on her first outing as associate producer on a feature film - SKEEM, written and directed by Tim Greene and produced by Zaheer Goodman-Bhyat.

Early in 2010 Justine was accepted into the prestigious SPARK program - aimed at providing a space for young film professionals to further their screenwriting skills. She completed the course in September 2010 and plans to enroll for the Masters program in the near future.

ANNEKE VILLET
Anneke is a Johannesburg native who comes from a long line of successful artists and scientists. She started writing poetry and prose at the age of 7 and at high school she conceptualized and organized her school's first week-long cultural festival. She was also awarded the "Best Actress" award in.

Her two great loves have always been writing and performance and at 18 she went to the University of Stellenbosch, where se studied Drama for four years and completed an honors degree in 2002, specializing in Physical Theatre. She also spent two years as a principal performer at The Focal Joint Physical Theatre Company in Stellenbosch, under the creative direction of Samantha Pienaar and Lanon Prigge. After taking two gap years to the UK, she returned to Johannesburg to pursue a career in film and television. Her first break came in the shape of "Dit wat stom is" - a 13-part drama series produced for M-Net and KykNet by Frans Marx Films. She played the recurring role of Zelda Davel, alongside such acting legends as Elzabe Zietsman and Trudi Taljard.

Wanting to further her knowledge of film and theatre, Anneke enrolled at the University of the Witwatersrand and completed Masters courses in playwriting, screenwriting and directing. During her time at Wits she wrote a three act play and a feature length screenplay. She also wrote, choreographed, directed and produced "STILL HERE" - a 30 minute Physical Theatre film - the first of its kind in the university's history.

Re-entering the industry in 2007, she took a job at Studio Zoo Broadcast Communications in Randburg, where se spent just over a year writing, directing and producing promos for DStv. Exhausted and disillusioned, she decided to take a break from television and spent 18 months teaching Speech and Presentation Skills for adults at The Voice Clinic in Rosebank and Drama to Gr 3 - 7 students at Crossroads Remedial School in Victory Park.

In March 2010, Anneke relocated to Cape Town to play a decisive role in the set-up of Radio Houtstok in Big Bay. On a gut-feeling, she applied for an internship at Light and Dark Films and - to her delight - got the job. She now works as a researcher, writer, assistant and on occasional publicist for Light and Dark Films. She also works as a freelance publicist for Rhythm Records, which produces such illustrious acts as Die Antwoord, fokofpolisiekar and aKING.

MILLICENT LUGEDLE
Millicent was born in Johannesburg and grew up in the Transkei. As a relative youngster, she moved to Cape Town and went to the Perseverance school in Belhar. After leaving school, she started working in the film industry on a freelance basis and has never looked back.

Milli is a member of a film industry family (her husband has also been active in the industry for over a decade) and she has worked for many of the large film service companies and production companies in Cape Town, most notably Moonlighting, Film Africa and Two Oceans. Her credits span a myriad of genres and comprise over 30 projects for film and television, including the major international features, "Racing Stripes", "Ask the dust", "10 000BC", "The Scorpion King", "Last House on the Left", "Starship Troopers 3: Marauder" and "Lost Future". It was during the production of "Lost Future" that Milli met Zaheer Goodman-Bhyat, who immediately recognized that her experience would add great value to Light and Dark Films. Without hesitation, he invited Millicent to join his team.

In March 2010, Millicent left the freelance arena to join Light and Dark Films as a full-time employee. She has described this move as a "great pleasure" and a "real blessing", because it allows her to spend quality time with her three children, without sacrificing her career.