Centurion student Talita Brits wins global attention with one-take drama ‘Ongeluk’

A young South African filmmaker is heading to Hollywood after her one‑take student film, Ongeluk, rose above more than 8,400 global entries to secure a place in the 2026 Sony Future Filmmaker Awards. Centurion’s Talita Brits, 24, will join four other finalists in Los Angeles for a week of masterclasses at Sony Pictures Studios ahead of the gala ceremony on 11 June. Brits told BizNews about the chaos of shooting a high‑stakes, low‑budget film in a single take and why she gravitates toward stories that push audiences to confront uncomfortable ethical choices. Her next project, part of her honours research at the Open Window Institute, explores one of filmmaking’s most sensitive challenges: how to portray suicide responsibly. She hopes her work will help young people speak more openly about mental health, depression, anxiety and cyberbullying.