[imagesource: Cindy Lee Director/Facebook]

A compelling South African short film, The Last Ranger, has received widespread international recognition and earned numerous awards at prestigious film festivals all over the world.

The film, directed by Cindy Lee (Desert Rose, The Girl from St. Agnes) is written and produced by Darwin Shaw, Will Hawkes & David S Lee and tells the gripping story of rhino poaching and conservation efforts in South Africa. It is the second instalment in the anthology When The World Stopped.

The Last Ranger has thus far received multiple accolades, including Best Narrative Short Film at the Pan African Film Festival, San Diego International Film Fest and Cordillera Film Festival, and qualifying for an Oscar nomination in the Best Live Action Short Film category at the 2025 Academy Awards.

In addition to all this, it has received other honours at prestigious festivals, including Best Screenplay and Best Actress for Liyabona Mroqoza and Avumile Qongqo. These include the Pretoria Film Festival, American Conservation Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, and Indianapolis Shorts.

The plot revolves around Litha (Liyabona Mroqoza), who is exposed to the delights of a wildlife reserve by the sole remaining ranger, Khuselwa (Avumile Qongqo). Their voyage takes a deadly turn when they are attacked by poachers, sparking a fight to save the rhinos and eventually revealing a heartbreaking secret.

Director Cindy Lee says ‘This being my first short film, I wanted to create a story that resonates in South Africa and across the world. I am honoured that the film is sparking important conversations on conservation, social change, and empowerment.’

‘It is a remarkable feeling to see the positive reception this film has garnered on the international film festival circuit.’

‘The fact that this story is told in IsiXhosa yet resonates with international audiences, speaks to the universal relevance of this urgent issue.’

To illustrate just how well the film has been received, here’s a list of all the awards to date:

Pan African Film Festival BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM – *qualified the film for eligibility at the Academy Awards (Oscars)

● Toronto International Women Film Festival BEST NARRATIVE SHORT

● LA Independent Women Film Awards BEST NARRATIVE SHORT and BEST YOUTH ACTRESS (Liyabona Mroqoza)

● Atlantic Film Festival BEST ACTRESS (Avumile Qongqo) and BEST SHORT SCRIPT

● International Images Film Festival for Women BEST NARRATIVE SHORT

● Cascade Festival of African Films OFFICIAL SELECTION

● Pretoria Film Festival BEST SCREENPLAY, BEST ACTRESS, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, PRODUCTION DESIGN

● Portland EcoFilm Festival FINALIST

● American Conservation Film Festival GREEN FIRE AWARD and AUDIENCE AWARD

● Cleveland International Film Festival THE CLOVER AND MAGGIE AWARD WINNER and AUDIENCE AWARD BEST SHORT FILM RUNNER UP

● Blackstar International Film Festival BEST SHORT FILM and BEST YOUTH ACTRESS

● Salute Shorts Film Festival HONOURABLE MENTION 2024

● Indy Shorts International Film Festival AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD BEST NARRATIVE DRAMA 2024

● HollyShorts Film Festival FINALIST BEST FILM 2024

● Heartland International Film Festival BEST OF FEST SPECIAL SCREENING

● Cordillera International Film Festival WINNER BEST DRAMA SHORT

● San Diego International Film Festival BEST DRAMA SHORT 2024

● Hells Half Mile Film and Music Festival GRAND JURY PRIZE BEST SHORT FILM; AUDIENCE AWARD BEST SHORT; BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE

That’s a hell of a lot of praise.

[source:getaway]