CRAIG FREIMOND
Writer/director
Craig completed his Drama degree at Wits University in 1988. Since then, he has worked as a writer and director in theatre, television and film. Craig initially worked as a theatre director, directing over twenty stage productions.
In 2004, he wrote and directed his first feature film, the black comedy, Gums & Noses which was adapted from his play of the same name. Gums & Noses won the Apollo Film Festival Award for best feature in 2004.
His play The King of Laughter won three Naledi awards in 2004, including best new play, best director and best-supporting actor. Craig worked on several TV comedy series including the irreverent sketch show Not Quite Friday Night and the sitcom Scoop Schoombie. He co-created and directed two seasons of the improvised comedy series Sorted with Robbie Thorpe. Sorted which was nominated for an international Emmy award for comedy.
In 2009 Craig wrote and directed his second feature film Jozi, a comedy about the highs and lows of a comedy writer in Johannesburg.
In 2010 Craig directed the drama Death of a Colonialist by Greg Latter for the stage. The play won three Naledi awards, Best production, Best Actor for Jamie Bartlett and Best Director.
In 2012 Craig wrote and directed his third feature film, Material, a comedy drama about a young Muslim man who works in his father’s material shop but dreams of being a stand-up comedian. The film had an extremely successful theatrical run and won five 2013 SAFTA awards including, best actor, best supporting actor, best director, best sound design and best film. The film is currently playing on Netflix internationally.
Craig has worked on the Rhythm City (daily drama) writing team for twelve years as a writer, a story and script editor.
Craig wrote and directed his fourth feature film, the true-life drama Beyond the River with Heartlines and Quizzical Pictures, the film was released in April 2017. It had a fantastic theatrical release, was nominated for several awards and has played at festivals across the globe.
He was a co-writer on the feature film Vaya, directed by Akin Omotoso, which played at Toronto, Berlin and many other big festivals and garnered several awards.
Craig wrote and directed the sequel to his film material called New Material was released in cinema in 2021. He is currently developing several new film projects, including the madcap political satire Weekend Special. Innocent, a human drama about a street child in Durban developed with Blonde to Black Pictures and Lesedi, a new feature script based on the Life Esidemi saga with Harriet Pearlman.
Craig’s writing work in Nigeria includes story lining the TV series, Castle & Castle . He wrote episodes one and two of the smash hit Nigerian series Blood Sisters for Netflix. He has just finished writing episode one of season two of Blood sisters 2.
He wrote the feature film Oloture and the sequel Oloture – the journey for Netflix.
New television projects in SA include BENEATH, a true-life crime series with Ochre Pictures. With Ochre pictures and M-net, he is writing a pilot based on the Krugersdorp murders, called Devil’s Town.
Craig directed his first feature-length documentary 57, which screened on SABC in 2022. The film takes a deep dive into SA’s chronic murder rate (57 a day) and was catalysed by the murder of young actor Sibusiso Kwinana.
Craig is reaching completion on his second feature documentary THIS IS UKRAINE, which he started with long-time producing partner Ronnie Apteker in 2018. It is a five-year journey of an eclectic group of people living in Kyiv and grappling with what Ukrainian identity means from peace into war and beyond.
Craig’s current theatre work includes his one-man play, A Vegan Killed My Marriage, featuring Aaron Mcllroy, it has played at the Hilton and Grahamstown festivals, as well as the Baxter and Theatre on the Square. It picked up two awards at the Grahamstown festival.
Craig directed Rosalind Butler’s new play Expelled at the Baxter and Market Theatre to critical acclaim and packed houses earlier this year.
Craig has just finished directing six episodes on season two and three of a hit Netflix series in Cape Town.
He is currently in development of a new true crime drama series with Netflix.
