Layla Swart
Layla Swart obtained a post-graduate degree in Film Theory and Practice at UCT in 2009. Layla Swart hails from the complex Cape Flats of Cape Town, and at the age of 28 started her own film and television production company called Yellowbone Entertainment. In a very tough and historically white male dominated sector, Layla has built a company that is now among the most lauded and recognised film and television production companies on the continent. At 35, Layla has produced 6 high end feature films and one of the largest ever 100% South African television series entitled Blood Psalms. On all of these multi-award winning productions Layla was the sole producer. She has raised over 200mil ZAR and created over 6000 jobs in 7 years. Layla is the youngest minister appointed council board member of the National Arts Council of South Africa and was the sole speaker representing the film and television sector at the President’s inaugural Investment Summit in 2018. In 2022 Layla opened the Post Office, the first 100% black owned, youth and woman run Post Production Facility and has been approved as a trusted vendor by Amazon Prime, Netflix, Multichoice, SABC and Viu. Layla has a passion for the upliftment of women of colour and 80% of her permanent staff contingent are black female youth. Layla’s work has primarily been in under serviced provinces such as the Eastern Cape, she has, with great tenacity forged new spaces and safe spaces for historically disadvantaged individuals and SMMES to thrive in this sector. Layla was the first producer to get the Eastern Cape Development Corporation to fund the film and television sector, and has successfully closed deals with the National Empowerment Fund, The Industrial Development Corporation and the National Film and Video Foundation. Layla is an empathic, bold and determined young leader who has built two successful companies through a pandemic and against all odds. She is truly a pioneer, a trailblazer and an ardent advocate for transformation.
Layla Swart is the only film producer from the continent to have two films consecutively selected to represent South Africa at the Academy Awards (Oscars) in the Best Foreign Language Category in 2019 and 2020 respectively. She was recognised in 2019 at the South African Film and Television Awards where she won the Youth Achiever SAFTA. Layla’s films have won over 15 SAFTAS.
She won the Durban International Film Festival Best Short Film Award and The Cape Town International Film Festival’s Best Feature Film award. Layla’s films have been at Cannes, Toronto International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival and FESPACO (Africa’s oldest film festival). Layla is represented by CAA (Creative Artist Agency) which represents some of the worlds best talent.
She has currently raised 33mil ZAR to fund the work of 30 first time female filmmakers from historically disadvantaged backgrounds, in partnership with the KZN film commission, the NFVF and the SABC. She continuously strives to give a voice to the voiceless and to promote skills development in the sector.