Meet Kgosi Maleka

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kgosi Maleka. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kgosi below.

Kgosi, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

I keep my creativity alive by staying connected to that endless imagination I had as a kid. I’d throw myself around couches and beds, constantly creating new worlds in my head. Everything I watched—the most beautifully animated, fantastical worlds I desperately wanted to live in or the heart-wrenching, grounded, and sometimes violent films that showed me the fragility of the human condition—left a mark on me. Since then, I’ve always been on the hunt for stories and worlds I’ve never seen before.

That search never stops. I look for art that challenges me, music that stirs something deep, and life experiences that shape how I see the world. It’s all fuel for my creative fire. These things push me to imagine more, think deeper, and stay curious about what else is out there. Whether I’m writing, editing, or dreaming up my next idea, it’s that mix of fantasy, reality, and the constant desire to explore that keeps my creativity alive. I am always learning, always watching, always listening and always reflecting. Creativity is the product of inspiration, and inspiration is what keeps me alive.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Born in the most hard-to-pronounce town in South Africa ‘Vereeneging’, to being raised in the dead centre of the country Bloemfontein, which is a relatively small, dry arid, quiet town, often considered isolated from the hustle and bustle of South Africa’s bigger cities. You’d think I grew up with cowboys and tumbleweed…well I did, it is a small community surrounded by agriculture and herding livestock, often horses would trot down the street on the drive to school. Ideas started to flow. Life there felt slower, more contained, and somehow, a bit removed from the rest of the world. Growing up in Bloemfontein felt like living in a bubble, where the familiarity was both comforting and limiting. It was a very conservative town where art was mostly on the backburner so I began to appreciate nature and the vistas it provides. It was a visual feast, but that didn’t last long.

I eventually moved up north to Pretoria then Johannesburg, that move was a period of intense learning and growth for me.
I was exposed to new opportunities, experiences, and a much wider range of artistic and cultural influences. I began to see people who looked like me and liked the same things as me. There was an overwhelming pot of access to films and art, most weekends I had, I would go early in the morning to a cinema then follow it by a day’s worth of going to either museums or live performances and hanging out with like-minded people. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me realize how much more there was to see and learn. I think this transition—going from the isolation of Bloemfontein to the vibrancy of the north—helped shape my outlook as a filmmaker and storyteller, allowing me to blend a sense of rootedness with a curiosity for the wider world. During high school, we would make shorts on my Blackberry 8520. Often we’d recreate scenes like the Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris fight in The Way of the Dragon or even experiment with shots like taping my phone on a broom and suspending it over the first floor for the classic birds-eye view. Since then I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker.

I then grew up some more, Today, I currently reside in Brooklyn, New York City. I have taken all the things I have seen and experienced in life and culminated meaningful and inspiring moving images and audio to not just people who look like me but to all who are open to watching my films. My fondness has exceeded the realms of just short films, I’ve directed commercials, music videos and Live theatre. I’m a photographer too who has shot for musical artists; albums, singles and commercials, through this, has also sparked a love for DJ’ing where I’ve done mixes for online radio stations. I have a lot to learn and grow, currently, I’m floating between post-production on a short film and writing another.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Firstly, Curiosity is the driving force behind my growth as a filmmaker. From a young age, I’ve been captivated by the wide spectrum of stories, genres, and styles that different forms of media offer. Whether it’s the deep, imaginative storytelling in shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender or the surrealist visuals and intricate narratives in films like Pan’s Labyrinth, I’ve always been eager to understand how these worlds are crafted. This curiosity pushes me to explore genres I wouldn’t typically gravitate toward, like diving into the emotional intensity of films such as There Will Be Blood or the bold experimentation of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. These explorations shaped my approach to filmmaking, teaching me that growth comes from stepping out of my comfort zone and being constantly curious about new ways to tell stories.

Secondly, In today’s rapidly evolving world, staying up-to-date with technology is crucial for any filmmaker. The tools we use to create are changing constantly, and mastering these advancements allows us to produce work that is relevant and engaging. Look at how filmmakers like David Fincher have embraced digital filmmaking, pushing the limits of visual storytelling with movies like The Social Network, which not only captures a compelling narrative but also utilizes cutting-edge technology to create seamless digital effects. Virtual production, as seen in The Mandalorian, is another groundbreaking example where filmmakers blend real-time CGI with practical elements, creating immersive environments that once seemed impossible. As artists, we need to continuously learn and adopt these technologies to stay competitive and tell stories in ways that resonate with modern audiences. We’re no longer limited by what’s physically possible, and understanding these tools is key to unlocking new creative possibilities.

Finally, Empathy is perhaps the most powerful tool an artist possesses. As filmmakers, we’re in the business of conveying human experiences, emotions, and truths, and it’s only through deep empathy that we can truly connect with our audience. Films like Moonlight and The Pursuit of Happyness are perfect examples of storytelling rooted in empathy. These films immerse us in the characters’ worlds, allowing us to feel their struggles, joys, and pain on a profound level. Empathy allows filmmakers to craft stories that resonate emotionally, transcending barriers of culture, language, and background. It’s what allows us to step into another’s shoes and present their reality with authenticity. Without empathy, our stories lack depth, but with it, we can reach the core of what makes us human, creating art that not only entertains but moves people to think, reflect, and even change their perspectives.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I’m looking to collaborate with artists across various mediums! Whether you’re a filmmaker, writer, musician, or visual artist, I’d love to connect and create something unique together. I’m all about blending different creative styles and perspectives to tell compelling, off-beat stories and images that evoke real emotions.

If you’re passionate about pushing boundaries and are eager to work on something meaningful, let’s chat and see what we can create! you can find me on my website www.kgosimaleka.com or my Instagram @jerome.is.home

I’m currently between work in Johannesburg and New York.

Feel free to reach out!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Amelia Hammond
Tholwana Ngwenya
Alexis Montesinoss

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