Girley Charlene Jazama is a Namibian actress, scriptwriter and film producer.[1] Girley was nominated for the AMAA 2020 award for Best Actress in a Leading Role as Sylvia in 'The White Line.[2] Actress and illustrator.[3] Her dream was to be the first Namibian Actor to win an Oscar. She was nominated for Best Supporting Role in Theatre for the 2014 Namibia Film and Theatre Awards. She acted in various Theatre and Film productions with international and local directors in Namibia. Girley can speak in both Indian and Nigerian accents. She has a Bronze Teacher Certificate in Ballroom and Latin. She lives and breathes the characters portrayed on stage and in film. She is interested in making a career of her passion. She in any acting projects that will help her progress as an actress and gain experience from experts in the industry. She has her eye set on Oscar and is willing to go the extra mile to see that dream come to pass. In 2017, Girley joined 99FM as the Content Director, where she came up with all conceptual content for the radio station.
Girley Jazama | |
|---|---|
 Jazama at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival | |
| Born | |
| Occupation | Actor • Film producer • Screenwriter |
| Years active | 2005 - date |
| Known for | Baxu and the Giants (2019) The White Line (2019) |
Career
A Hollywood Immersive alumna, Girley Jazama has been acting in film, television, and theatre productions since 2005.
She won the Sotigui Award for Best Southern African Actor as well as the Sotigui D’or Award in 2020 at the Sotigui Awards for her role as Sylvia Kamutjemo in “The White Line”.
Girley is a versatile writer and broadened her scope of writing when she formed part of the team of Scriptwriters for the Ties That Bind, a Namibian television series, and played a leading role in the series.
In 2012 she attended a writing workshop on Children’s Literature with Veronique Tadjo, a renowned writer, poet, novelist, and artist.
She believes in harnessing her skills to evolve with an ever-changing industry by acquiring knowledge and attending training with the Vega Brand Communications School for Brand Contact Planning, Brand Identity & Creative Development.
She holds a Writing for Web (Internet Production Pathway Workshop) certificate from RNTC and SACOD.
Girley is a versatile writer and broadened her scope of writing when she formed part of the team of Scriptwriters for the Ties That Bind, a Namibian television series, and played a leading role in the series.
In 2012 she attended a writing workshop on Children’s Literature with Veronique Tadjo, a renowned writer, poet, novelist, and artist.
She believes in harnessing her skills to evolve with an ever-changing industry by acquiring knowledge and attending training with the Vega Brand Communications School for Brand Contact Planning, Brand Identity & Creative Development.
She holds a Writing for Web (Internet Production Pathway Workshop) certificate from RNTC and SACOD.
In the same year, she was nominated for the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for her role in “The White Line”, which she also co-produced.
She won the 2021 Best Actor in a Leading Role award at the Garden Route International Film Festival for her role in “The White Line”.
“The White Line” was in consideration for the 94th Academy Awards (Oscars) as well as the 79th Golden Globe Awards.
“Baxu and the Giants”, the award-winning short film, which she co-wrote and co-produced was the first Namibian film to stream on Netflix.
She starred in “Under the Hanging Tree”, written and directed by Perivi Katjavivi. In January 2023 the movie was internationally premiered at the 2023 International Film Festival Rotterdam.
She played Kezia Kambazembi in “Measures of Men”, directed and written by Lars Kraume (The People vs Fritz Bauer). In February 2023 the movie was internationally premiered at the 73rd Berlinale.
“Under The Hanging Tree” is Namibia’s first submission to the 96th Academy Awards (Oscars) in the international feature film category.
She was exposed to the art of acting at Karibib Private School. One of her first roles was in ‘The Lion King’, a play performed at Karibib Private School, directed by her drama teacher, Ms. Heidi Thal. She also performed as James Brown at the school’s musical to the degree that her parents didn’t realize it was her.
In 2008, she was one of the seven writers selected by the production company, Optimedia, to write its new soap titled, "The Ties that Bind", for the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation. This production was Namibia's first homegrown television series.
In 2009, she played the role of "Schülerin" in the German language film, "Liebe, Babys und der Zauber Afrikas".
Jazama was the lead actor in the 2019 movie, "The White Line" in which she played the role of "Sylvia". In July 2019, the movie was internationally premiered at the 40th Durban International Film Festival and in many other film festivals worldwide.
Her 2019 29-minute-long short film, “Baxu and the Giants” which she co-produced alongside Andrew Botelle and directed by Florian Schott, was celebrated by the Namibian film industry as the first Namibian film on Netflix.
In March 2020, the movie was nominated at the RapidLion International Film Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa for the "Best Humanitarian Film" award. It then premiered in the USA at the San Francisco Independent Short Film Festival and later in September of the same year at the Namibian Theatre & Film Awards 2019, where it received seven nominations. Also, the film received other nominations and awards.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Three and a Half Lives of Philip Wetu | Nailoke | |
| 2010 | Cries at Night | Niece | |
| 2012 | 100 Bucks | Maria | |
| 2016 | Underneath the Sky | Sky | Lead Actor |
| 2018 | The White Line | Sylvia Kamutjemo | Lead Actor |
| 2020 | The Game | Ndanki | Lead Actor |
| 2020 | Save The Rhino (promo) | Narrator | |
| 2021 | Under The Hanging Tree | Christina Mureti | Lead Actor |
| 2021 | Measures of Men | Kezia Kambazembi | Female Lead |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | The Ties That Bind | Pretty | |
| 2009 | Liebe, Babys und der Zauber Afrikas | Student | |
| 2013 | Um Himmels Willen | Schwester Alma |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Bewitched Tree | Ndeshi | |
| 2006 | Olivia Toyeta | Bubbles | |
| 2007 | God of Women | ||
| 2007 | Everyman | Angel | |
| 2014 | Revere Them Those Men | Divine Edison |
Crew Member
| Year | Title | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | The Ties That Bind | Scriptwriter (Episode 12) | Series |
| 2017 | More Than Mining | Scriptwriter, Production Manager | Documentary |
| 2018 | The White Line | Producer | |
| 2019 | Land Rights for the Urban Poor | Director, Scriptwriter | Documentary |
| 2019 | Baxu and the Giants | Co-writer, Co-producer, Production Manager | Short Film |
| 2020 | Watering The Tree | Sound Recordist | Documentary |
Nominations
| Year | Festival | Title | Nomination | Notes | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Namibian Theatre and Film Awards | Revere Them Those Men | Best Supporting Actor | Stage | Nominated |
| 2019 | Namibia Theatre and Film Awards | The White Line | Best Narrative Film | Feature Film | Nominated |
| 2019 | Namibia Theatre and Film Awards | Baxu and the Giants | Best Narrative Film | Short Film | Nominated |
| 2019 | Namibian Theatre and Film Awards | The White Line | Best Female Actor | Feature Film | Nominated |
| 2019 | Africa International Film Festival | Baxu and The Giants | International Short Film | Short Film | Nominated |
| 2020 | Roxbury International Film Festival | Baxu and the Giants | Best Short Film | Short Film | Nominated |
| 2020 | RapidLion Film Festival | Baxu and the Giants | Best Humanitarian Film | Short Film | Nominated |
| 2020 | Pan African Film Festival | Baxu and the Giants | Best Narrative Short | Short Film | Nominated |
| 2020 | Africa Movie Academy Awards | Baxu and the Giants | Best Short Film | Short Film | Nominated |
| 2020 | Africa Movie Academy Awards | The White Line | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Feature Film | Nominated |
| 2020 | Africa Movie Academy Awards | The White Line | Best Film in an African Film Language | Feature Film | Nominated |
Awards
| Year | Festival | Title | Award | Notes | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 7th African Emerging Filmmakers Awards | The White Line | Best Feature Film | Feature Film | Won |
| 2019 | Namibian Theatre and Film Awards | The White Line | Audience Choice | Feature Film | Won |
| 2019 | San Francisco Independent Short Film Festival | Baxu and the Giants | Best Foreign Narrative | Short Film | Won |
| 2020 | Waka Kids Choice Award | Baxu and the Giants | Top TV show / Program / Movie | Short Film | Won |
| 2020 | Luxor African Film Festival | The White Line | Special Jury Mention | Feature Film | Won |
| 2020 | AfryKamera African Film Festival | Baxu and the Giants | 3rd Place, Afroshorts Audience Award | Short Film | Won |
| 2020 | 7th Africlap Festival | The White Line | The Kilimanjaro Award for Best Feature Film Fiction | Feature Film | Won |
| 2020 | Académie des Sotigui | The White Line | Sotigui D’or | Feature Film | Won |
| 2020 | Académie des Sotigui | The White Line | Best Southern Africa Actor | Feature Film | Won |
| 2021 | Global Indie Film Fest | Baxu and the Giants | Best Long Short Film | Short Film | Won |
| 2021 | Garden Route International Film Festival | The White Line | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Feature Film | Won |
In Consideration
| Year | Awards | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 79th Golden Globe Awards | The White Line | In Consideration |
| 2022 | 94th Academy Awards | The White Line | In Consideration |
| 2024 | 96th Academy Awards | Under The Hanging Tree | In Consideration |
References
External links
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