Bioskoop Turns Ten Years Old

A Decade of Bioskoop

The idea for Bioskoop emerged at the end of 2014 after I could no longer work as a pilot due to medical reasons. After trying my hand at a few different fields, I realised I needed to focus on something I was passionate about. Aside from flying, movies were my greatest love. It all started when I made videos for my school’s sports teams during my high school years. So, I began exploring the idea of learning more about the film industry.

At the same time, a friend, Ruben Scheepers, asked me if I wanted to teach myself how to build websites so that I could create one for the non-profit organisation Straatlig (now Stellenthombo). I took on the challenge and earned a few bucks after successfully creating Straatlig’s website.

During my research into the South African film industry, I realised there were very few websites providing information about it. Those that did exist (such as Screen Africa and The Callsheet) were only available in English. So, I created Bioskoop with the goal of filling this gap for the Afrikaans market.

Bioskoop’s first review was for the film Ballade vir ‘n Enkeling (2015). Stephan Meyer was kind enough to write it. In April 2015, I approached Anna-Marie Jansen van Vuuren to join the team. A former school friend, Melissa Tighy, who worked with her at RSG’s news and current affairs team, recommended her because she was an expert in the South African film industry. Despite her heavy workload, including freelance work for RSG news, teaching at the University of Johannesburg, and her PhD studies, she agreed to join the team. She conducted interviews with key industry players and covered stories about local films, which became the first news articles published on the website.

The team then grew, with Dee Theart initially joining as a text editor before lending her voice to the webisodes. Others who joined shortly thereafter included Martie Bester, Gerhard Ehlers, Roelof Bezuidenhout, Johan Jansen van Vuuren, and J.W. Hurter. However, life takes different paths, and some members have since moved on due to other work commitments.

The team that proudly remains at the helm of Bioskoop today includes Rick Bronkhorst, Anna-Marie Jansen van Vuuren, Dee Theart, Gerhard Ehlers, Roelof Bezuidenhout, and Justin Yoko. Yoko handles most of the filming for the webisodes, especially during the annual Silwerskerm Film Festival.

Now, Bioskoop is a full ten years old—a decade of South African film news, interviews, and reviews. Over time, we have realised that many students use the website for their assignments, and of course, industry professionals also enjoy our content. They frequently let us know when they disagree with a review! At Bioskoop, we believe in uplifting the industry, but our reviewers have the freedom to express their opinions (and critiques) on films, as this is the only way the industry can grow and foster debate.

And what became of my filmmaking dreams? After family and friends helped me pay for my first year of my BA in Film and TV Production, I realised how important it was to establish an organization that could support other students struggling to finance their studies. So, I asked the team if we could register Bioskoop as a non-profit organisation (NPO). In 2019, we officially founded the NPO, and today, we are working toward registering as a Public Benefit Organization (PBO). The goal is to raise funds for underprivileged South African film students—across all demographics. I have since completed my degree and developed several websites, including www.rimacon.co.za.

Currently, we are working hard on our new website at www.bioskoop.org. This website will be available in both Afrikaans and English. We decided to add English as a language option to make information about the South African film industry accessible to international readers as well.

If you would like to contribute to the NPO or find out more, feel free to email us at hi@bioskoop.org or send a WhatsApp message to +27723570605.

Anna-Marie Jansen van Vuuren & Rick Bronkhorst

Co-founders & Directors

From The Team

Dee Theart

Bioskoop stood the test of time, a decade of it – congratulations! It’s a real pleasure to be part of the team and to be able to celebrate and highlight Afrikaans films. There have been many highlights over the past 10 years. Highlights include chats on the red and blue carpets with our country’s brightest stars and legends. I especially think back on the humbleness of icons like Sandra Prinsloo, Tobie Cronjé, Marius Weyers, and the late Shaleen Surtie-Richards and Gerrit Schoonhoven. We look forward to celebrating many more film highlights and putting them in the spotlight on Bioskoop! 📽️

Gerhard Ehlers

Congratulations dear Bioskoop on your birthday — may the movies continue to touch us and be with us for many more years! Hip, hip, hooray! And along with this great celebration, Afrikaans officially turns 100 years old on 9 May.
Bioskoop: The great-grandchild of Afrikaans. 👏🏻👏🏻🥳

Roelof Bezuidenhout

Congratulations to the entire Bioskoop team on our 10th anniversary! 🎉 That’s how long Bioskoop has passionately and dedicatedly supported and promoted the Afrikaans film industry. As a team, we are incredibly proud of and grateful for our leader and founder, Rick Bronkhorst, whose vision and hard work made this platform possible. May the next decade bring even more success and growth – we look forward to many more years of insightful news, reviews, and videos that enrich the industry and the public! 🎬✨

Justin Yoko

I became aware of Bioskoop too late to start my journey with them on the ground floor. Yet, once I found out about the platform and what they wish to achieve with it, I knew I had to get involved somehow. Even though Afrikaans is not my first language, I thought the idea and the spirit of Bioskoop was something to behold. The goals that have been set out for Bioskoop excite me like nothing else really. I know if Bioskoop only achieves 10% of what it wishes to, it will truly help change lives.

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