Henk Pretorius
Henk Pretorius
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Henk Pretorius is a multi-award-winning and commercially successful director whose ability to make emotionally resonant films, across multiple genres and in a diversity of settings, has earned him an enduring place in the independent film industry.
The South African-raised Pretorius established himself as a significant force in his home country through several beloved features that saw him being selected by the noted publication, the Mail & Guardian as one of the Top 200 Young South Africans in 2013. A highlight was Fanie Fourie's Lobola (2013) (2013) which won a brace of awards, including the Golden Space Needle Award (Seattle International Film Festival award for Best Film), Best Comedy (Sedona International Film Festival) and the Audience Award (Jozi International Film Festival). Among the projects that followed was Leading Lady (2014), the second highest-grossing South African film in 2014.
Still, in spite of this critical and commercial homegrown success, Pretorius was driven to expand his multi-talents to a new territory and he made the move to the United Kingdom where he's now based.
Unsurprisingly for a creative emerging from a country with as much diversity and complexity as South Africa, Pretorius has been able to immerse himself in the UK film market with ease, conviction and agility. Bringing with him an ability to see the world through different interpersonal perspectives, he is telling stories that are easily identifiable as British yet are unmistakably global in their impact.
Most recent of these are dramatic science fiction Forever Young (2023), and the action-comedy Young Gun, based on Pretorius's original screenplays - one a poignant and captivating story about resisting and embracing ageing and the other a kinetic, fast-paced film about alienation and the challenges to provide for your family as an illegal immigrant. These films showcase a director able to tell a visual story while getting the best out of his cast and crew, and have Pretorius' authentic signature, ensuring they leave a lasting impact on the viewer. Both films reveal that he's not left behind the comedic gifts that turned him into a South African hitmaker: while Young Gun mines a winning, quintessentially British funny seam amidst the action, Forever Young (2023)'s poignancy is subtly tempered with wit.
Since his move to London, Pretorius has amply demonstrated his ability to work with, and draw the best out of, a range of internationally recognisable acting talent. On Young Gun this included, Alexis Rodney (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Gentlemen),Shayne Ward (The X Factor UK winner) and Jill Winternitz (The Sandman). Pretorius also directed Katie McGrath (Supergirl, Jurassic World) and Gil Bellows (The Shawshank Redemption) on Leading Lady (2014) and Bernard Hill (Lord of the Rings, Titanic), Julian Glover (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Star Wars), Stephanie Beacham (Dynasty), Diana Quick (The Duelists, The Death of Stalin), Mark Jackson (The Orville) and Amy Tyger (The Fountain) on Forever Young (2023).
Pretorius' most significant producing relationship is with Llewelynn Greeff, who co-founded Dark Matter Studios with him in 2013 in the UK. But he has a strong connection to many other producers, among them Cassian Elwes who executive produced Forever Young (2023) and Young Gun, Kweku Mandela (President Nelson Mandela's grandson) who was a producer on Fanie Fourie's Lobola (2013) along with Lance Samuels, and Gareth Jones who executive produced Forever Young (2023), Young Gun and The Unfamiliar (2020).
Forever Young (2023) and Young Gun especially confirm Pretorius' talent as a storyteller of originality and verve that were first evident in 2008 when he wrote, directed and executive produced his debut film Bakgat! (2008). The success of that film gave birth to the first-ever Afrikaans trilogy, making good on the promise of his BA Drama Degree (2003) that he earned with distinction from the acclaimed AFDA film school in Johannesburg, South Africa (which has since twice honoured him as alumnus of the year).
With Forever Young (2023) and Young Gun now waiting to follow globally acquired The Unfamiliar (2020) (2020) into distribution, Pretorius is focused on taking his already considerable experience and successes from the independent terrain onto a more expansive creative stage that can make full use of his varied talents. The kid who wrote his first story in grade one (about an elephant who loses his trunk and forms a mutualistic relationship with a worm) and who cut his teeth in front of the camera is eager to bring his multiple skills, his long-standing integrity and his burning passion to stories for a bigger audience.
The South African-raised Pretorius established himself as a significant force in his home country through several beloved features that saw him being selected by the noted publication, the Mail & Guardian as one of the Top 200 Young South Africans in 2013. A highlight was Fanie Fourie's Lobola (2013) (2013) which won a brace of awards, including the Golden Space Needle Award (Seattle International Film Festival award for Best Film), Best Comedy (Sedona International Film Festival) and the Audience Award (Jozi International Film Festival). Among the projects that followed was Leading Lady (2014), the second highest-grossing South African film in 2014.
Still, in spite of this critical and commercial homegrown success, Pretorius was driven to expand his multi-talents to a new territory and he made the move to the United Kingdom where he's now based.
Unsurprisingly for a creative emerging from a country with as much diversity and complexity as South Africa, Pretorius has been able to immerse himself in the UK film market with ease, conviction and agility. Bringing with him an ability to see the world through different interpersonal perspectives, he is telling stories that are easily identifiable as British yet are unmistakably global in their impact.
Most recent of these are dramatic science fiction Forever Young (2023), and the action-comedy Young Gun, based on Pretorius's original screenplays - one a poignant and captivating story about resisting and embracing ageing and the other a kinetic, fast-paced film about alienation and the challenges to provide for your family as an illegal immigrant. These films showcase a director able to tell a visual story while getting the best out of his cast and crew, and have Pretorius' authentic signature, ensuring they leave a lasting impact on the viewer. Both films reveal that he's not left behind the comedic gifts that turned him into a South African hitmaker: while Young Gun mines a winning, quintessentially British funny seam amidst the action, Forever Young (2023)'s poignancy is subtly tempered with wit.
Since his move to London, Pretorius has amply demonstrated his ability to work with, and draw the best out of, a range of internationally recognisable acting talent. On Young Gun this included, Alexis Rodney (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Gentlemen),Shayne Ward (The X Factor UK winner) and Jill Winternitz (The Sandman). Pretorius also directed Katie McGrath (Supergirl, Jurassic World) and Gil Bellows (The Shawshank Redemption) on Leading Lady (2014) and Bernard Hill (Lord of the Rings, Titanic), Julian Glover (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Star Wars), Stephanie Beacham (Dynasty), Diana Quick (The Duelists, The Death of Stalin), Mark Jackson (The Orville) and Amy Tyger (The Fountain) on Forever Young (2023).
Pretorius' most significant producing relationship is with Llewelynn Greeff, who co-founded Dark Matter Studios with him in 2013 in the UK. But he has a strong connection to many other producers, among them Cassian Elwes who executive produced Forever Young (2023) and Young Gun, Kweku Mandela (President Nelson Mandela's grandson) who was a producer on Fanie Fourie's Lobola (2013) along with Lance Samuels, and Gareth Jones who executive produced Forever Young (2023), Young Gun and The Unfamiliar (2020).
Forever Young (2023) and Young Gun especially confirm Pretorius' talent as a storyteller of originality and verve that were first evident in 2008 when he wrote, directed and executive produced his debut film Bakgat! (2008). The success of that film gave birth to the first-ever Afrikaans trilogy, making good on the promise of his BA Drama Degree (2003) that he earned with distinction from the acclaimed AFDA film school in Johannesburg, South Africa (which has since twice honoured him as alumnus of the year).
With Forever Young (2023) and Young Gun now waiting to follow globally acquired The Unfamiliar (2020) (2020) into distribution, Pretorius is focused on taking his already considerable experience and successes from the independent terrain onto a more expansive creative stage that can make full use of his varied talents. The kid who wrote his first story in grade one (about an elephant who loses his trunk and forms a mutualistic relationship with a worm) and who cut his teeth in front of the camera is eager to bring his multiple skills, his long-standing integrity and his burning passion to stories for a bigger audience.
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