Welcome Home, FAM: A Production Company Defying Industry Expectations
In an industry associated with high-pressure environments, overworking, and rigid hierarchies, South African production company FAM.films is rewriting the rulebook with a refreshing focus on humanity, integrity, and just purely good vibes.
Led by co-founders Aadil Dhalech and Mpho Twala, FAM.films emerged not from a desire to fill a gap in the market, but from a powerful ambition: to create commercials with pride, treat people well, and make creating ads a fun job again. Eventually, it turned out there was a gap in the market for all this.
What started as a collective of creatives looking to make ads “like the old days” quickly blossomed into a production house where kindness isn’t just a value, but a leading principle.
FAM.films’ team is not only multi-talented, it’s also a family – for the company, it’s paramount that everyone’s energy aligns, and collaboration is able to thrive under pressure. The company’s name itself is a testament to their ethos: it takes a family to make a film.
In a way, FAM.films isn’t reinventing the wheel – just fixing it, and helping it spin the way it was meant to spin from the jump. Committing to compassion and care in their work has made their work what it is today – a balance between cinematic storytelling and strong performance. Their ‘family’ attitude extends to crews, clients, and collaborators, beyond their own team, and it shows.
Looking ahead, FAM.films is poised for exciting growth. Potential plans to expand their footprint into Europe and Southeast Asia speak to their ambitions, and there is a possibility of adding a couple more directors to their close-knit team too. As they continue to cultivate young talent and push creative boundaries, the FAM is crafting a legacy not defined by industry accolades, but by the impact they leave on the people they work with.
LBB’s Zoe Antonov speaks to FAM’s founders to hear more about their work, attitudes and the ways they defy expectations.
LBB> Tell me about the start of FAM, and what gap it was filling in the market when it began.
FAM> We started Fam out of an urge to produce commercials in a way that we could be proud of. We weren’t really looking to fill a gap, we just wanted to do things right, do them nice, and treat people well. Turns out there was a gap in the market for that.
We weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel of production. We didn't want to be doing anything radically different. Instead we wanted to just be great humans, with a great vibe, with great branding for merch opportunities, and provide the simplest, yet greatest service to our clients and crew.
It started off as a group of people wanting to make ads with integrity and have fun – just like the old days, when everyone loved making ads. And the reason for starting FAM was, there wasn’t a FAM before that. We take cultivating young talent quite seriously – and not talent that we can commodify, but talent that's able to look after themselves within the industry.
LBB> Can you introduce the FAM? What are each of your roles, and what unique strengths do you bring to the company?
FAM> So, there’s Aadil and Mpho, the founders of FAM. Aadil is a director and sometimes an executive producer. Mpho is an executive producer, sometimes director. We have Gcobisa, our head of creative. Director Hallie Haller. And director and photographer Fhatuwani Mukheli.
Each of these people has their unique talents, that's a superpower I guess. But most importantly, they are good people, they are likeable, team players, and feel like home. And that ultimately the biggest thing for us, that everyone’s energy aligns with each other. Because, at the end of the day, when we’re all in the trenches and under pressure, we have to know that we are working with people that have a humanity about them. A few words about each of us:
Aadil – laid back, funny and a great teacher. Also incredibly driven, but not at the cost of anything else.
Gcobisa – She is still young, but she’s destined for greatness. She’s curious, doesn't leave any stone unturned, but most importantly, she has a very interesting perspective on things.
Hallie – comes from a multidisciplinary arts background. She has experience in sculpture / dance / music / theatre / media art. And she’s just cool, with some edgy sci-fi ideas which we hope to bring to life.
Fhatuwani – a multi-disciplinary creative, who draws inspiration from his childhood environment. The work he creates is inspired by his experience of being raised by his mother.
LBB> What does FAM.films represent, and how would you describe the culture you've built?
FAM> I’d like to think that FAM represents what the commercial production industry could look like, in addition to representing POC and minorities, of course. We believe that it takes a family – or a close-knit team – to make a film, and that’s how we’d like to treat our crew, agency, and staff. As a family. We represent kindness, or at least how we make commercials is with kindness and care for the humans behind them, as much as the care we put into the final product.
LBB> What do you think your combined 40 years of experience brings to the leadership of FAM.films?
FAM> Painful lower backs, bad eyesight and happy hearts.
Discernment, and the ability to make sure that we don't take ourselves too seriously and ensure that we create a great environment on set and in the boardrooms. Having worked at some of the best production houses and agencies before we started FAM, we’ve managed to hold onto what’s good and release what’s not for us.
LBB> Tell me about the point of the company's timeline at which its trajectory really changed, and why it was so pivotal.
FAM> For us, the big turning point was starting FAM in the first place. As soon as we made the decision to do so, it felt like it unlocked so many doors both work-wise, and creatively.
LBB> How has your past experience shaped the way you approach storytelling and filmmaking at FAM.films?
FAM> We’ve both had the ‘typical’ film industry experience, shouting middle aged white dudes, egos, hierarchies, and a lack of joy in the process. We both, separate from each other, always dreamt of running a production company that was the antithesis to the world we’d come from.
LBB> What challenges have you faced in building the company, and how have you overcome them?
FAM> I think, because we’re such a small tight-knit shop, balancing workflow and energy is our biggest problem. We want to do everything, but we physically can’t. The sad part is that to overcome that, we just have to say no to certain projects out of respect to that story. We made a promise to only do a job if we can give it our best. Never half ass two things. Whole ass one thing.
LBB> How do you see FAM.films evolving in the next few years? Are there any upcoming projects you’re particularly excited about?
FAM> We’d love to bring on another director, maybe two, but then close that door. We’re also gunning for a bit of a footprint in Europe (Mpho worked for Roses Are Blue / Caviar in Belgium in the early ‘00s) and South East Asia (Aadil is half Thai and misses the food).
LBB> What kind of work do you hope to be known for, and what impact do you want to have on the industry?
FAM> Work with heart, that’s cinematic, has strong performances, and that will sometimes make you laugh. We’re not looking to make an impact on the industry, just the people we work with.
LBB> If you could define FAM.films in just three words, what would they be and why?
FAM> Welcome home fam.
LBB> What are you most excited for in the coming year, for example certain trends/or tech advancements you're excited to implement.
FAM> Cheques. Mic drop.
