Abelone Films Project 'FORGIVNESS' Nominated a 29th Annual Webby Awards

FORGIVENESS has announced that it has been nominated for Best Independent Shortfilm, Video & Film, in the 29th Annual Webby Awards. Hailed as the 'Internet’s highest honour' by The New York Times, The Webby Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), is the leading international awards organisation honouring excellence on the Internet.

IADAS, which nominates and selects The Webby Award Winners, is comprised of Internet industry experts including Amelia Dimoldenberg, host and producer of Chicken Shop Date and founder of Dimz Inc; Todd Kaplan, chief marketing officer at Kraft Heinz; Jaime Teevan, chief scientist at Microsoft; Shannon Sharpe, NFL Hall of Famer and host of Club Shay Shay & NightCap; Stephan Pretorius, chief technology officer, WPP; Marine Notté, head of international TV at Hulu; Cara Cusumano, festival director of The Tribeca Film Festival; Deborah Archer, president and CEO of the ACLU; Jay Shetty, host of On Purpose; Ahmir Thompson (Questlove), DJ and producer; Gerald Youngblood, chief marketing officer, Lenovo; Bob Carrigan, CEO of Audible; Kimberly E. Paige, EVP and CMO of BET; Katie Couric, Journalist; and Quinta Brunson, writer, director, and actor.

“Nominees like FORGIVENESS are setting the standard for innovation and creativity on the Internet,” said Nick Borenstein, general manager of The Webby Awards. “It is an incredible achievement to be selected among the best from the nearly 13,000 entries we received this year.”

As a nominee, FORGIVENESS is also eligible to win a Webby People’s Voice Award, which is voted online by fans across the globe. From now until April 17th,

FORGIVENESS fans can cast their votes here. 

Winners will be announced on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025, and honoured in a star-studded show at Cipriani Wall Street. Winners will have an opportunity to deliver one of The Webby Awards’ famous 5-Word Speeches. Past 5-Word Speeches include: Kim Kardashian’s 'Nude Selfies Till I Die'; Prince’s 'Everything You Think is True'; Steve Wilhite’s 'It’s Pronounced 'Jif' not ‘Gif’; NASA’s 'Houston We Have A Webby'; and SZA’s 'The Internet Scares Me. Thanks.'

The passion project FORGIVENESS directed by Felix Julian Koch and produced by Abelone Films follows the emotional journey of a South African man coming from a harsh background, marked by violence and imprisonment. It symbolises the disconnection in modern society, emphasising the critical importance of forgiveness for personal and emotional growth.

“The Film 'Forgiveness' serves as a symbol for the prevailing intolerance and disconnect between individuals in our modern society, and as a poignant reminder of the imperative need for forgiveness. Drawing inspiration from a story rooted in the heart of the Cape Flats, a region often overlooked and overshadowed by the bustling beauty of Cape Town, it sheds a light on a community frequently shrouded in tales of violence and despair”, says Felix Julian Koch.

The Cape Flats, nestled between the airport and the vibrant city, remains a realm unfamiliar to many, often glimpsed at a distance from the confines of a passing vehicle on the highway. Yet, behind this veil of anonymity lies a harsh reality – a landscape marked by gang activity and hardships. Ultimately the Forgiveness Crew Initiative has grown out of the passion project, supporting local youth getting a foot in the film industry.