Sonneblom Film Studios

Sonneblom Film Studios or Sonneblom Films is a South African film and television production company based in Randpark Ridge, Johannesburg best known for producing Afrikaans feature films, television dramas, and literary adaptations.

Referred to as Sonneblom Ateljees in Afrikaans.

The company

Sonneblom Films is a South African production company founded in 1974 by filmmaker Katinka Heyns. The company has been closely associated with adaptations of major Afrikaans literary works, particularly those written by Chris Barnard and Dalene Matthee. Although the company has worked throughout South Africa, it has long been associated with the country's Afrikaans film industry and has produced feature films, television films, documentaries, and television drama series. Its productions have earned both national and international recognition, including South Africa's first submission for the Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

Titles

1974: 'n Sonneblom uit Parys

1979: Phoenix & Kie

1985: Dirk Hoffman

1985: Donkerhoek

1988: Fiela se Kind

1990: Simon en Sandra

1992: Die Storie van Klara Viljee

1992: The Angel, the Bicycle and the Chinaman's Finger

1994: Grondbaronne

1995: Viva!

1995: Sleurstroom

1997: Paljas

2008: Fees van die Ongenooides

2012: Die Wonderwerker

2017: Die Rebellie van Lafras Verwey

Projects

Luisterverhale

A project undertaken by Katinka Heyns and Sonneblom Ateljees, in partnership with LitNet and sponsored by the Dagbreek Trust. (The Luisterverhale project seeks to have short stories by well known Afrikaans authors are read by professional actors for transmission.)

Awards

Sonneblom Films has produced a number of award-winning films. Among the best known is Paljas, which was selected as South Africa's official submission for the 70th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category, the first South African feature film to be submitted in that category. Die Wonderwerker also received multiple awards at the South African Film and Television Awards.

Sources

https://artefacts.co.za/main/Buildings/bldgframes_mob.php?bldgid=9115

IMDb. Sonneblom Films – Company Credits (Advanced Title Search) https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?companies=co0040671, accessed 30 June 2026.

IMDb. Paljas (1997) – Company Credits https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0125317/companycredits, accessed 30 June 2026.

IMDb. Die Wonderwerker (2012) – Company Credits https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2396847/companycredits, accessed 30 June 2026

IMDb. Grondbaronne (1994) – Company Credits https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1387847/companycredits, accessed 30 June 2026.

Wikipedia. Katinka Heyns https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katinka_Heyns, accessed 30 June 2026.

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