Lesedi Mphothwe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lesedi Motswana is a film director, producer, screenwriter, and festival director. She is the co-founder and Festival Director of the Bantu Film Festival, an independent pan-African film festival based in Botswana. She is also the founder of Butterscotch Productions, a production company operating under the mandate of advocacy through film. Her work spans short films, documentaries, and television productions, and she is a member of both the Global Impact Producers Alliance (GIPA) and the Women in Film Guild Botswana.[1]
- AFDA Film School (BA Motion Picture Medium, Honours)
- Associate Degree in Broadcasting and Impact Producing
- Film director
- Producer
- Screenwriter
- Festival director
- Bantu Film Festival
- Cell 10
- Butterscotch Productions
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Education
Mphothwe holds a Bachelor of Arts in Motion Picture Medium (Honours) and an Associate Degree in Broadcasting and Impact Producing, both from AFDA Film School.[1]
Career
Mphothwe founded Butterscotch Productions with a focus on advocacy-driven storytelling. Her directorial debut was the short film Cell 10 (2022), which she also produced. The film went on to receive four official selections at film festivals during its festival run. Earlier production credits include the short film Hidden Scars (2019) and the television magazine show BW Markets (2020).[2]
Her television production credits include Botshelo Jo Season 5 (Botswood Studios) and Lights Off (New Look Studios), as well as additional short films including Finding Her Song and the documentary Testimony.[1]
She has served as a juror for international film festivals including the Mpumalanga International Film Festival and the U.S. Documentary Residency, Botswana.[1]
Bantu Film Festival
Mphothwe is a co-founder of the Bantu Film Festival, an independent film festival in Botswana dedicated to pan-African cinema. The festival, which she directs, focuses on strategic partnerships, capacity building through workshops and masterclasses, and celebrating authentic African narratives for local and international audiences.[1]
The festival's third annual edition was held in October 2024 under the theme Unifying Africa through Cinema. Speaking at the opening, Mphothwe described the festival as more than a film screening event, framing it as a cultural experience intended to give African stories a space to be told, heard, and celebrated globally. That edition featured 30 films selected from various African countries, including three from Botswana spanning drama, documentary, and short film formats.[3]
The festival received support from the Okavango Diamond Company (ODC), whose representative described it as a key driver for capacity building and economic development in Botswana's film sector.[3]