Girley Charlene Jazama is a Namibian actor, scriptwriter and film producer.[1] Girley was nominated for the AMAA 2020 award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her role as Sylvia in 'The White Line.[2]

Girley Jazama
Born
OccupationActorFilm producerScreenwriter
Years active2005 - date
Known forBaxu and the Giants (2019)
The White Line (2019)

Career

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A Hollywood Immersive alumna, Girley Jazama has been acting in film, television and theatre productions since 2005.

She won the Sotigui Award for Best Southern African Actor as well as the Sotigui D’or Award in 2020 at the Sotigui Awards for her role as Sylvia Kamutjemo in “The White Line”.

In the same year she was nominated for the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a leading role for her role in “The White Line”, which she also co-produced.

She won the 2021 Best Actor in a leading role award at the Garden Route International Film Festival for her role in “The White Line”.

“The White Line” was in consideration for the 94th Academy Awards (Oscars) as well as the 79th Golden Globe Awards.

“Baxu and the Giants”, the award-winning short film, which she co-wrote and co-produced was the first Namibian film to stream on Netflix.

She starred in “Under the Hanging Tree”, written and directed by Perivi Katjavivi. In January 2023 the movie was internationally premiered at the 2023 International Film Festival Rotterdam.

She played Kezia Kambazembi in “Measures of Men”, directed and written by Lars Kraume (The People vs Fritz Bauer). In February 2023 the movie was internationally premiered at the 73rd Berlinale.

Under The Hanging Tree” is Namibia’s first submission to the 96th Academy Awards (Oscars) in the international feature film category.

She was exposed to the art of acting at Karibib Private School. One of her first roles was in ‘The Lion King’, a play performed at Karibib Private School, directed by her drama teacher, Ms. Heidi Thal. She also performed as James Brown at the school’s musical to the degree that her parents didn’t realise it was her.

In 2008, she was one of the seven writers selected by the production company, Optimedia, to write its new soap titled, "The Ties that Bind", for the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation. This production was Namibia's first homegrown television series.

In 2009, she played the role of "Schülerin" in the German language film, "Liebe, Babys und der Zauber Afrikas".

Jazama was the lead actor in the 2019 movie, "The White Line" in which she played the role of "Sylvia". In July 2019, the movie was internationally premiered at the 40th Durban International Film Festival and in many other film festivals worldwide.

Her 2019 29-minute-long short film, “Baxu and the Giants” which she co-produced alongside Andrew Botelle and directed by Florian Schott, was celebrated by the Namibian film industry as the first Namibian film on Netflix.

In March 2020, the movie was nominated at the RapidLion International Film Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa or the "Best Humanitarian Film" award. It then premiered in the USA at the San Francisco Independent Short Film Festival and later in September of the same year at the Namibian Theatre & Film Awards 2019, where it received seven nominations. Also, the film received other nominations and awards.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2009 Three and a Half Lives of Philip Wetu Nailoke
2010 Cries at Night Niece
2012 100 Bucks Maria
2016 Underneath the Sky Sky Lead Actor
2018 The White Line Sylvia Kamutjemo Lead Actor
2020 The Game Ndanki Lead Actor
2020 Save The Rhino (promo) Narrator
2021 Under The Hanging Tree Christina Mureti Lead Actor
2021 Measures of Men Kezia Kambazembi Female Lead

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2008 The Ties That Bind Pretty
2009 Liebe, Babys und der Zauber Afrikas Student
2013 Um Himmels Willen Schwester Alma

Stage

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Year Title Role Notes
2006 Bewitched Tree Ndeshi
2006 Olivia Toyeta Bubbles
2007 God of Women
2007 Everyman Angel
2014 Revere Them Those Men Divine Edison

Crew Member

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Year Title Position Notes
2008 The Ties That Bind Scriptwriter (Episode 12) Series
2017 More Than Mining Scriptwriter, Production Manager Documentary
2018 The White Line Producer
2019 Land Rights for the Urban Poor Director, Scriptwriter Documentary
2019 Baxu and the Giants Co-writer, Co-producer, Production Manager Short Film
2020 Watering The Tree Sound Recordist Documentary

Nominations

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Year Festival Title Nomination Notes Result
2014 Namibian Theatre and Film Awards Revere Them Those Men Best Supporting Actor Stage Nominated
2019 Namibia Theatre and Film Awards The White Line Best Narrative Film Feature Film Nominated
2019 Namibia Theatre and Film Awards Baxu and the Giants Best Narrative Film Short Film Nominated
2019 Namibian Theatre and Film Awards The White Line Best Female Actor Feature Film Nominated
2019 Africa International Film Festival Baxu and The Giants International Short Film Short Film Nominated
2020 Roxbury International Film Festival Baxu and the Giants Best Short Film Short Film Nominated
2020 RapidLion Film Festival Baxu and the Giants Best Humanitarian Film Short Film Nominated
2020 Pan African Film Festival Baxu and the Giants Best Narrative Short Short Film Nominated
2020 Africa Movie Academy Awards Baxu and the Giants Best Short Film Short Film Nominated
2020 Africa Movie Academy Awards The White Line Best Actor in a Leading Role Feature Film Nominated
2020 Africa Movie Academy Awards The White Line Best Film in an African Film Language Feature Film Nominated

Awards

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Year Festival Title Award Notes Result
2019 7th African Emerging Filmmakers Awards The White Line Best Feature Film Feature Film Won
2019 Namibian Theatre and Film Awards The White Line Audience Choice Feature Film Won
2019 San Francisco Independent Short Film Festival Baxu and the Giants Best Foreign Narrative Short Film Won
2020 Waka Kids Choice Award Baxu and the Giants Top TV show / Program / Movie Short Film Won
2020 Luxor African Film Festival The White Line Special Jury Mention Feature Film Won
2020 AfryKamera African Film Festival Baxu and the Giants 3rd Place, Afroshorts Audience Award Short Film Won
2020 7th Africlap Festival The White Line The Kilimanjaro Award for Best Feature Film Fiction Feature Film Won
2020 Académie des Sotigui The White Line Sotigui D’or Feature Film Won
2020 Académie des Sotigui The White Line Best Southern Africa Actor Feature Film Won
2021 Global Indie Film Fest Baxu and the Giants Best Long Short Film Short Film Won
2021 Garden Route International Film Festival The White Line Best Actor in a Leading Role Feature Film Won

In Consideration

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Year Awards Title Status
2022 79th Golden Globe Awards The White Line In Consideration
2022 94th Academy Awards The White Line In Consideration
2024 96th Academy Awards Under The Hanging Tree In Consideration

References

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  1. ^ Mouton, Rinelda (September 9, 2020). "Girley Jazama bags Sotigui nomination". The Namibian. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  2. ^ "Girley Jazama". MLASA. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
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