Jarryd Coetsee | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1982-08-05)5 August 1982 (age 42) Pretoria, South Africa |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, filmmaker |
Jarryd Coetsee (born 5 August 1982) is a South African writer and filmmaker. His short film,The Suit won numerous international awards.
Coetsee was born inPretoria where he attendedPretoria Boys High School. When he was 19, he was a Semi-Finalist in the Chesterfield Writers' Fellowship originated atSteven Spielberg'sAmblin Entertainment inLos Angeles. He completed aMaster of Arts in Screenwriting at theLondon Metropolitan Film School (Met Film School) atEaling Studios, part of theUniversity of West London. Initially, he was accepted into aMaster's program in Filmmaking but chose to shift his focus to Screenwriting midway through. Coetsee was awarded a merit scholarship from theOppenheimer Memorial Trust for his talent and portfolio, as well as the Voices That Matter Scholarship, aimed at supporting diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in the screen industries.
Before his studies in London, Coetsee was accepted into theUniversity of Oxford to pursue aMaster of Studies (MSt) in the History of Art, and was a finalist for theChevening Scholarship of theBritish Foreign and Commonwealth Office. However, he chose to follow his passion for screenwriting and filmmaking.
Coetsee also holds aMaster of Arts Degree in English Literature which he passed withcum laude distinction from theUniversity of Stellenbosch, where he authored a thesis on themes of identity in the 1970s East Africantravel literature ofTrinidadian authorShiva Naipaul. Additionally, he has aBachelor of Arts with Honors in Film Studies from theUniversity of Cape Town and studiedFilmmaking andFilm Production at South African institutions, includingAFDA (the South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance) inCape Town, and South Africa's oldest film school, the Motion Picture Academy at Pretoria Technikon (now theTshwane University of Technology). Coetsee has contributed to the industry as a juror at the Scotland African Film Festival inGlasgow andEdinburgh.[1][2][3][4][5]
His short film,The Suit,[6] won numerous international awards[7] including the Best Short Film Award at the11th SAFTAs[8] and has been shown in 83 cities and towns in over 20 countries.[9] The film features performances byTony Award-winnerJohn Kani andAtandwa Kani.[10] Three of the film festivals for which it was selected areOscar qualifiers (Urbanworld Film Festival,Pan African Film Festival and BronzeLens Film Festival).[11][12][13] Coetsee was the only filmmaker from Africa selected by theAcadémie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma[14] for its prestigious[15]Les Nuits en Or 2017 (Golden Nights 2017)[16] which saw him participate in film-related programmes in France, Italy and Greece, and receiving an award fromUNESCO at its headquarters, theWorld Heritage Centre, inParis forThe Suit which was selected as one of the thirty top short films from around the world.[17]
| Year(s) | Title(s) | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Studio(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Suit | Jarryd Coetsee | Luke Sharland | Mandala Films |