Passionate for Film
Andre Velts is, primarily, a creator. He looks at art as a way of life instead of a career choice. If anything, the life of an actor, producer, director chose him. In his capacity as Director, Velts has worked with several crews—a large number of people who will attest to the value he brings to the industry and how humbly sincere he is about his craft.
He studied drama at Performing Arts and Lifestyles and is in his final year of his Master’s Degree in Fine Arts, Motion Pictures Medium. Having directed, produced, and acted since 2004, the energy, customs, and the very heart of the field have become a part of him—as is natural for somebody with nearly two decades of experience on the ground.
He debuted as an actor in 2006, his first international role in the film The Raven. From there, he went on to portray a wide range of characters across vastly varying narratives: Tunnel Ratz, unfolding in the palpable recreation of the Vietnam War; KykNet TV dramas such as Donker-land, Bloedbroers, Sterlopers, and more; the role of Ruan in the film Koringberg, which he also produced.
In 2014, he directed his first feature film, Knysna, which is full of heart. Velts is particularly proud of the 90 minute TV film, Hartstog (2017), which was nominated at the SAFTAs. IMDb mentions that he is best known for The Pro (2015), Knysna (2014), Raaiselkind (2017) — all nominated at SAFTAs for Best Film and Best Score.
‘Die Pro’ portrays a surfer navigating the death of his best friend; ‘Knysna’ is a gentle narrative of hidden identities and life choices that tend to snowball; ‘Raaiselkind’ narrates the tale of a young autistic child who is found dead in the bathtub, leaving his mother, Ingrid as the prime suspect.
Velts’ most effective skill lies not only in the beautiful stories he spins or the characters he so deftly portrays but also in the soft, empathetic, and non-mainstream lens he brings to his stories.
His recent endeavours in TV films (50 minutes) include Apocalypse, Fladder, Mike and Mavis, and many more. The list goes on endlessly — quite literally.
He isn’t just a director, but a thespian too. His love for expressive artforms not limited to a specific industry makes him a versatile creator. Andre Velts holistic approach is not just limited to his art, but his personal life too. His website bio showcases clips from his work and snaps of the real off-screen life of Andre Velts because that is essentially who he is: a man whose life is indistinguishable from the world of storytelling.
