It also gives participants backstage access and sessions tailored to each of their career goals. Long before production and filmmaking, Lategan was an intern at a film company in Atlanta, Georgia, in the US. While acquiring experience at Independent Media of Georgia, she assisted families with babysitting to sustain herself.

On her return to South Africa, she made her way into the creative industry with the help of a family she had previously babysat for. Creative industry She enrolled at the then Natal Technikon, now the Durban University of Technology. “I worked as a waitress and a promotions girl to pay for the rest of my studies,” Lategan said.

Driven by a burning desire for greater creative freedom and expression, Lategan carved out her own space in the industry and launched her first business, Ace Up Post Production. With that in place, she went on to co-found Spitfire Films – a bold step influenced by her husband, Andrew Kyriakou. This played a key role in her path to building something of her own.

Lategan co founded Spitfire Films first 360 degree content company Spitfire, under Lategan’s leadership, has positioned itself as a leader in the creative industry, becoming the first 360-degree content company in South Africa. “We are a very tight family and have a very specific culture. We all work hard and we are very proud of our work,” she said.

As an executive producer, Lategan’s role is aimed at bringing ideas to life on screen. Her daily responsibilities include extensive problem-solving, managing productions and working closely with directors. “It’s not always pretty, but I spend a lot of my day being a creative problem-solver and to me, being a creator of any kind is the best thing,” she said.

One of the most memorable highlights in Lategan’s career was when she worked as a producer on the Investec Pororoca project, which proved to her that she could be taken seriously and marked a turning point. Mentorship crucial “I went to film in the Amazon jungle with a tiny budget and crew and made a big impact,” she said. For Lategan, mentorship plays a crucial role in her journey.

She perceives it as both a privilege and a responsibility to help young creatives find opportunities to enter the industry. “I feel it is my responsibility to give young people the chances I had,” Lategan said. With her partner, Baleseng Makola, she continues to mentor young creatives at Spitfire Films and help empower them.

Lategan said being a creative requires embracing vulnerability and growth within a team. Creativity requires embracing vulnerability and growth “I love seeing my team grow and them helping me grow.” Representing SA at the festival marks a career milestone for her. “I look forward to learning how to communicate on a global stage with other cultures and being able to come home and pass on my knowledge and, hopefully, inspire other women and LGBTQ+ creatives,” she said. “I have a hunger to learn and this will be a mind-opening and game-changing experience for me, not only in my career but as a mother of three creative minds and a wife to a creative film director,” she said.