Michael Duffett

Michael Duffett

Michael Duffett (1956–2021), sometimes known as Mike Duffett, was a South African documentary filmmaker and television producer, best known for his social-issue and investigative work for the M-Net actuality programme Carte Blanche.

Biography

Duffett was born in 1956, the youngest of the three sons of Jean and John Duffett, and the family settled in Rondebosch, Cape Town, in 1962. He was educated at Diocesan College (Bishops), matriculating in 1974. After school and national service he briefly worked as an estimator before taking a BSocSci degree at the University of Cape Town, majoring in social work.

He joined the Department of Social Welfare and Development, working as a probation officer in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and was later appointed director of the Drug-Counselling Centre in Observatory, Cape Town. In 1995 he combined his interests in film and social issues by forming the production company Face 2 Face Films, based at The Warehouse in Green Point, and also did commercial work for the V&A Waterfront. By 2002 he was producing inserts for Carte Blanche, which became the main vehicle for his social-issue documentaries. He married Najma Solomon in about 2009 (to be confirmed), and died on 2 May 2021.

Work and awards

Duffett's documentary work for Carte Blanche ranged widely across social issues, including his films on Ellen Pakkies and on Cape Flats gang life. His report on the annual whale slaughter in the Faroe Islands was the centrepiece of the Best International News Magazine award made to Carte Blanche at the Genesis Awards in Hollywood (2016; a source elsewhere dates this to 2015 — to be confirmed).

His individual journalism awards included:

2007: Webber Wentzel Bouwens Legal Journalist of the Year (Electronic Category), Runner-up — The JD Group.

2009: Citadel Breaking News Electronic Award — Debt Admin.

2010: Winner, Webber Wentzel Journalist of the Year Award (Broadcast Category) — Ellen, his documentary on Ellen Pakkies.

2012: Citadel Words on Money Journalism Awards, Best Feature — Where's the Money?.

2015: Webber Wentzel Legal Journalist of the Year Award (TV Category), Runner-up — Carte Blanche.

2017: Discovery Health Journalist, Best TV Health Journalism — Doctors' Working Hours.

Sources

https://www.odunion.com/news/passing-of-friends/938/938-Michael-Duffett-1974O-1956-

https://m-net.dstv.com/show/carte-blanche/awards

https://m-net.dstv.com/show/carte-blanche/news/remembering-the-man-michael-duffett/news

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