Final 9 — Production Shortlist

FW Film Treatments · University of Botswana & Ministry Partnership

9 shortlisted treatments ranked by ease of execution. Priority: micro drama (≤10 min). AI VFX editor available for complementary work. Historical full-set productions flagged separately.

Micro-Ready

Short Film

Feature / Epic

Full Rewrite Needed

⚠️ Note on The Science Guru

This treatment tested as Highly Likely AI-Generated in our detection analysis — zero Setswana, zero typos, perfect paragraph structure, aphoristic moral closings. Every other Botswana filmmaker in this batch naturally code-switches; its absence here is a strong signal. The core thriller concept (charismatic teacher hiding dark experiments) has potential, but the treatment requires a complete rewrite in the writer's authentic voice with Setswana dialogue and cultural grounding before it can be produced. Flagged below accordingly.

Tier 1 — Micro Drama Ready (≤10 min)

SHOOT NOW Complexity 3–4 · 2–7 days · Minimal logistics

Not Yet, Death

Abale

✓ HUMAN

Single minimalist interior set — a room, two chairs, a table. 5 speaking roles (Death, Life, Old Man, Young Woman, a Soul), zero extras. Contemporary/abstract philosophical drama. AI editor handles atmospheric lighting, shadow effects, soul-visualization accents. The chamber-piece structure is ideal for micro — condense to Scene 1 core dialogue between Death and Life. "LIFE happened" as a pun is the kind of voice that carries a film.

1 LOCATION 5 SPEAKING 3 DAYS AI: SHADOW + ATMOSPHERE

UB / Ministry synergies

UB Theatre Arts — casting from drama students, rehearsal space, dual stage+film output. UB Philosophy Dept — thematic alignment. Could premiere as a live theatre performance at UB, then film the staged version. Minimal ministry involvement needed — this is a pure UB creative production.

Micro viability

Excellent. Condense to Scene 1 core dialogue; eliminate Scenes 2 and 3 for micro. The Death-vs-Life philosophical duel, the book-of-pages conceit, and the darkly comic voice all survive compression. Core: Death and Life argue over a dying man's remaining pages. 8–10 minutes.

MICRO DRAMA

Also: Short 15–20min

3.0

Motho le Motho Sengwe

Ruby Ramabu

✓ HUMAN

One village compound in Radisele (2hr from Gaborone). 7 speaking roles, minimal extras. Period: 1985 — costumes and set dressing needed but contained to a single domestic location. Brenda Fassie music licensing required (or original period-style composition). AI editor: period colour grade + 16mm film stock emulation in the Djibril Diop Mambéty aesthetic the writer references. The Tlokweng bombing radio announcement transforms comedy into history — it's the emotional hinge.

1 LOCATION 7 SPEAKING 2–3 DAYS AI: PERIOD GRADE 1985 COSTUMES

UB / Ministry synergies

UB's own founding story. The Motho le Motho Kgomo cattle-levy initiative is UB institutional heritage. UB Communications/Marketing + History Dept + UB Archives are all natural co-production partners. 50th anniversary co-production candidate. Ministry of Tertiary Education co-funding interest. Botswana National Museum for period costume and material culture research.

Micro viability

Good. Reduce competitive exchanges to 2–3 peak moments. Trim mediating interventions. Keep the Brenda Fassie dance beat (essential tonal release) but make it brief. The radio bombing must stay — it's what gives the comedy weight. Core: Arrival → rivalry escalation → peak absurdity → Brenda Fassie → radio bombing. Achievable in 8–10 min.

MICRO / SHORT

Best at 15min

3.5

Bokspits: Life at the Edge

Jimmy Howard

~ BIO AI-POLISHED

Bokspits village — Botswana's southernmost settlement, deep Kalahari. 4 speaking roles (Mamikie, grandmother, visiting teacher, local elder), few extras. Contemporary. AI editor: aerial desert cinematography enhancement, harsh-light colour grade. Intimate grandmother-granddaughter drama about staying vs. leaving. The borehole-as-plot-device is grounded and local. Remote access is the only real logistic challenge.

1 REMOTE LOCATION 4 SPEAKING 5–7 DAYS AI: AERIAL + GRADE KALAHARI ACCESS

UB / Ministry synergies

UB Geography / Environmental Science — water scarcity research alignment. Ministry of Land + Water Affairs — borehole infrastructure documentation. Botswana Tourism Organisation — Kalahari heritage storytelling. Could double as documentary-hybrid with real community interviews.

Micro viability

Excellent. Already slim. Reduce student characters to 2–3. Focus intimate scenes between Mamikie and grandmother. Core: Girl must choose between the city and her grandmother's dying village when the borehole breaks. Clean 8–10 min.

MICRO DRAMA

Also: Documentary hybrid

4.0

Tier 2 — Short Film (15–30 min)

PLAN & SHOOT Complexity 5–7 · 10–18 days · Moderate logistics

Moxaxa

Molefi Moses Molefe

✓ HUMAN

Old Naledi township, Gaborone — Stera's one-room house, township streets, pursuit locations. 7 speaking roles, few extras. Contemporary crime thriller. Crime choreography needed for mugging and robbery sequences. Botswana jazz soundtrack elevates the tone. "General Fish" and the SOS Children's Village orphan backstory are hyper-local. Strongest commercial / local audience appeal in the shortlist.

3 GABORONE LOCS 7 SPEAKING 10–12 DAYS STUNT COORDINATION MINIMAL VFX

UB / Ministry synergies

UB Sociology / Social Work — poverty and crime cycles research alignment. Ministry of Youth Empowerment — urban youth narrative. Old Naledi community liaison needed for authentic township access. Crime genre has strong Southern African festival circuit potential.

Micro viability

Possible but tight. Cut extended pursuit sequences. Reduce secondary characters. Imply mob violence through sound/reaction rather than showing. Core: A broke hustler finds a briefcase, then discovers the owner is hunting him. Achievable at 10 min but breathes better at 15–20.

SHORT FILM

Expandable to feature

5.0

The Science Guru

Rikkie Molatlhegi

⚠ HIGHLY LIKELY AI

School location (lab, corridors, offices) + police station. 9 speaking roles, many student extras. Contemporary psychological thriller. AI editor: student crowd extension in wide shots, flashback/nightmare sequences. The core concept (charismatic teacher secretly experimenting on students) is strong genre material. BUT: Entire treatment requires complete rewrite. Zero Setswana, zero cultural texture, AI pitch-deck closing. The writer must develop this in their own voice with local specificity before production.

2 LOCATIONS 9 SPEAKING 12 DAYS AI: CROWD + FLASHBACKS FULL REWRITE NEEDED

UB / Ministry synergies

UB Education Faculty — school partnership for location access. UB Film Programme — student crew. Ethics in education thematic alignment. If rewritten with Setswana dialogue and Botswana school culture, this could partner with Ministry of Basic Education for school safety messaging.

Micro viability

Difficult. The investigation arc, multiple disappearances, police resolution, and aftermath need room. Could compress to a single discovery moment and immediate confrontation — but loses the slow-burn tension that makes the genre work. Better at 20–25 min short film.

SHORT FILM

After rewrite

5.0

Morero

Tshepiso Monnawaletsatsi

~ SECTIONS AI-POLISHED

Molepolole family homestead + cattle posts + grazing fields + village paths. 8 speaking roles, many extras for dual-family gatherings. Contemporary Bakwena lobola (bride-price) story. 8 trained cattle on-set for extended shoot — the single biggest logistic challenge. Night search sequences across multiple locations. Traditional Setswana music and ululations. AI editor: sunrise warmth, atmospheric mist.

4 RURAL LOCATIONS 8 SPEAKING 10 DAYS CATTLE LOGISTICS NIGHT SHOOTS AI: SUNRISE GRADE

UB / Ministry synergies

UB Anthropology / African Languages — Bakwena lobola cultural documentation. Ministry of Agriculture — cattle logistics support. Botswana Tourism Board — cultural heritage storytelling. Could also work as a cultural documentary hybrid exploring the Bakwena lobola tradition alongside the narrative.

Micro viability

Possible. Reduce family elders to 4. Condense night search to single location. Minimize village spectators. Streamline negotiations to two spokespeople. Core: A young man must find a lost cow before the lobola ceremony at dawn. Tight but achievable at 10 min. Better at 20.

SHORT FILM

Also: Documentary hybrid

5.5

Light in the Forest

Mphoentle

✓ HUMAN

Kasane / Chobe (900km from Gaborone) — forest, baobab tree, domestic home, school. 3 speaking roles + Mowana tree voice. Child actor (12yr) — guardian required, limited shoot hours. Fantasy VFX elements are central: enchanted world, talking tree, bioluminescent overlays. This is the one treatment where your AI VFX editor is essential — enchanted forest environment, Mowana's face animation, dream transitions. Needs script development: two stories (cyberbullying + nature fantasy) not yet fully integrated.

CHOBE REMOTE 3 + VOICE 7–10 DAYS AI: FANTASY ENV ★ CHILD ACTOR NEEDS SCRIPT DEV

UB / Ministry synergies

UB Psychology / Social Work — cyberbullying and youth suicide prevention. UB Biological Sciences / Botany — ethnobotany and plant medicine connection. Ministry of Youth Empowerment — mental health campaign. Ministry of Environment — Chobe conservation. Chobe District Council / Dept of Tourism — location access and co-promotion.

Micro viability

Marginal. The enchanted world must be reduced to a single scene or eliminated. Mowana becomes a voice heard from the baobab, no VFX face needed. The campaign/healer resolution told in one epilogue shot. Core: Bullied boy runs into the forest, meets an old man and a wise tree, returns changed. Works at 10 min but loses the fantasy genre — becomes grounded coming-of-age. Recommendation to writer: Decide if this is a fantasy film (needs proper budget) or a grounded drama (can be made now).

SHORT FILM

Also: YA Feature

6.5

Tier 3 — Deserves Larger Production

DEVELOP & FUND Complexity 6.8–8 · 18+ days · Major logistics & cultural consultation

The Queen Mothers

Tshepang Rawson

✓ MINOR AI SIGNALS

Multi-region historical epic. 5 distinct locations across Botswana: Ghanzi dunes, Tswapong sacred caves, Kanye kgotla courts, Ngamiland waterways, colonial encounter site. 4 queen leads + warrior ensemble + British colonial patrol extras. Early 20th century period — full traditional costumes, earth-toned textiles, ceremonial props, colonial-era military uniforms. Drone/aerial cinematography for landscape prologue. Ritual choreography. AI editor: colour grade for period aesthetic, atmospheric cave lighting, aerial stabilization. Cannot compress to micro — 4 queens across 4 regions is irreducible.

5 REMOTE REGIONS 4 LEADS + ENSEMBLE 18 DAYS HISTORICAL COSTUMES DRONE AERIALS COLONIAL EXTRAS

UB / Ministry synergies

UB History Dept — early 20th century Botswana queens research. Botswana National Museum — period costume, artifacts, historical accuracy review. Ministry of Youth, Gender and Sport — female empowerment narrative. District Councils (Ghanzi, Tswapong, Kanye, Ngamiland) — location access and cultural consultation. Dept of National Heritage — cave access (Tswapong). This is a national heritage film project requiring multi-ministry coordination.

Why it deserves investment

Female-led historical epic with no international equivalent. Four real queens using strategy and ritual to resist colonialism — a story only Botswana can tell. The visual imagination ("one eye visible" for Gagoangwe, "clandestine notes passed among caravan traders") is striking and specific. Strong Sundance/Berlin/Toronto festival positioning. Ideal co-production with international partners for budget scale.

SHORT → FEATURE

Best as feature epic

6.8

Polelo Yaga Serai

Kago Daniel Mochotlhi

✓ HUMAN

Highest complexity in the entire shortlist. Jungle Bogwera campsite — remote location. 5 speaking roles + 30–50 male extras in full traditional Dikgabe warrior costume (decorative beads, leather garments, feather decorations, ankle-worn accessories). Wooden spears, antelope horn props, medicinal powders. Constructed huts from branches and large leaves. Pre-colonial period. Large ceremonial bonfire with fire safety coordination. Night jungle filming. Choreographed group singing/chanting in Setswana. Traditional healer consultation mandatory. AI editor: fire enhancement, animal sound design, historical colour grade, dust/atmosphere.

JUNGLE REMOTE 5 + 30–50 EXTRAS 18 DAYS PRE-COLONIAL COSTUMES NIGHT FIRE SCENES CULTURAL CONSULTATION

UB / Ministry synergies

UB African Languages & Literature — Setswana ceremonial register. UB History / Anthropology — Bogwera initiation documentation. Dept of National Heritage / Botswana National Museum — ceremonial accuracy, costume reference, traditional props. Elder / Community Leaders — mandatory consultation for cultural protocols. Ministry of Youth — rite-of-passage narrative alignment. International festival appeal as a unique cultural document.

Why it deserves investment

The Bogwera traditional male initiation is a unique, culturally significant story unavailable in any other African film context. The writer's deep knowledge of the ceremony (specific ritual objects, ceremonial hierarchy, the ngaka/healer role) is clearly authentic — this is not researched; it is known. The central twist (the janitor's son, not the chief's son, is the true heir) is genuinely surprising. The fire ritual escalating to injury has dramatic power. International festival potential is high. But: this requires feature-level crew support even as a short film.

SHORT → FEATURE

Needs feature-level support

8.0

🤖 AI VFX Editor — Where It Adds Most Value Across the 9

★ Light in the Forest — Enchanted world environment, talking tree face animation, bioluminescent overlays, dream transitions. The one treatment that truly needs AI VFX to work at all.
Motho le Motho Sengwe — 1985 period colour grade, 16mm film stock emulation in the Mambéty aesthetic. Subtle but transformative — turns a micro budget into period cinema.
Not Yet, Death — Atmospheric shadow effects, ethereal lighting, soul visualization accents. Elevates the abstract philosophical tone.
The Science Guru — Student crowd extension in wide shots, flashback/nightmare sequences. Standard post-production augmentation.
Bokspits — Aerial desert enhancement, harsh-light colour correction. Polishes landscape cinematography.
Polelo Yaga Serai — Fire enhancement, animal sound design, historical grade. Complementary only — the ceremony demands practical authenticity.
Queen Mothers — Aerial stabilization, cave atmospheric lighting, period colour grade. Complementary only — the costumes and locations do the work.

Where AI VFX doesn't help: Moxaxa and Morero demand grounded realism. Digital shortcuts would undermine their cultural and emotional integrity. Keep these practical.

🏛 UB & Ministry Partnership Map — Final 9

UB Theatre Arts → Not Yet Death (casting + rehearsal + dual stage/film), all micro dramas (rehearsal space, student actors)
UB History / Archives → Motho le Motho Sengwe (1985 UB founding story — this IS a UB film), Queen Mothers (early 20th century research), Polelo Yaga Serai (Bogwera documentation)
UB Anthropology / African Languages → Polelo Yaga Serai (Bogwera ceremony), Morero (Bakwena lobola protocols)
UB Psychology / Social Work → Light in the Forest (cyberbullying + youth mental health)
UB Sociology → Moxaxa (poverty/crime cycles), Bokspits (rural depopulation)
UB Film Programme → All 9 (student crew training across all productions)
Ministry of Youth Empowerment → Light in the Forest (mental health), Moxaxa (urban youth), Polelo Yaga Serai (rite of passage)
Ministry of Tertiary Education → Motho le Motho Sengwe (UB institutional story — co-funding candidate)
Ministry of Agriculture → Morero (cattle logistics support)
Ministry of Environment → Light in the Forest (Chobe conservation)
Dept of National Heritage / National Museum → Queen Mothers + Polelo Yaga Serai (costumes, artifacts, accuracy)
Botswana Tourism Organisation → Bokspits (Kalahari), Light in the Forest (Chobe)
District Councils → Queen Mothers (4 districts), Bokspits (Kgalagadi), Light in Forest (Chobe)

📅 Suggested Production Sequence

Start with lowest complexity to build crew experience, then scale:

Phase 1 (Month 1–2): Shoot Not Yet, Death (3 days) + Motho le Motho Sengwe (3 days) — both micro-ready, builds UB crew pipeline
Phase 2 (Month 2–3): Shoot Bokspits (7 days) — micro drama, remote location experience
Phase 3 (Month 3–5): Shoot Moxaxa (12 days) + Morero (10 days) — short films, Gaborone + rural
Phase 4 (Month 4–6): Science Guru rewrite period — writer develops authentic script with mentorship
Phase 5 (Month 5–7): Shoot Light in the Forest (10 days) — short film with AI VFX pipeline, Chobe expedition
Phase 6 (Month 8+): Begin pre-production on Queen Mothers + Polelo Yaga Serai — feature-scale development, funding applications, cultural consultation