• A team of former AFDA students have been honoured with a nomination at the 2025 Academy Awards.
• The locally produced short film is The Last Ranger and follows a “gutwrenching” portrayal of rhino poaching.
• Directed by Cindy Lee, the film is mostly in isiXhosa and sees a female game ranger fighting poachers.

A film made by South Africans and produced internationally has received a nomination for Best Short Film at the 2025 Academy Awards. It’s called The Last Ranger, and follows the story of a woman game ranger in the Eastern Cape as she struggles between stopping rhino poaching and the needs of her community.

The news of the Oscars nod has stirred local politicians and the film industry to congratulate the filmmakers for the achievement, again noting the depth of local film production talent.

Local media house IDIDTHAT.co explains that the film is “nothing less than a heartbreaking masterpiece. It’s compelling, gut-wrenching, and beautifully crafted, earning its rightful place as a 2025 Oscar nominee.”

You can watch the trailer for the short film below:

The film was made by former students of AFDA, South Africa’s best known film and media production institution. It was directed by Cindy Lee and produced by Adam Thal while a third alumnus, James Adey served as its director of photography.

AFDA has produced a number of award-winning filmmakers in the past.

“This nomination not only recognises the hard work and dedication of our team but also shines a spotlight on the burgeoning film industry in South Africa. We are thrilled to be playing a part in putting South African storytelling on the global stage, and we can’t wait to see the impact this film will continue to make.” said producer Thal in a blogpost from the school.

“To have an isiXhosa film about rhino poaching in the running for an Oscar makes me so proud!” said director Lee.

“This film is unique and deserves to go all the way,” she added.

Aside from this year’s Academy Awards, the film has received numerous accolades and awards, including the Green Fire Award at the American Conservation Film Festival (ACFF) and Best Short Narrative at the San Diego International Film Festival, among others.

“We hope that The Last Ranger not only showcases the high calibre of our South African creatives, but also showcases the beauty of South Africa’s natural heritage, including our wildlife,” said Dion George, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment.

“We will be watching the Oscars with great anticipation on 2 March 2025 in the hopes that they will bring the Oscar home.”

[Image – Photo by David Clode on Unsplash]