The Aquila Collection is celebrating a significant year of creative achievement after its in-house content and marketing team earned four honours across two specialist tourism film festivals in South Africa and Brazil.
The recognition includes one winning film and two Silver Awards at the International Tourism Film Festival Africa 2026, followed by a further international win for The Heart of an African Safari at the fifth Finisterra Brasil Film Art & Tourism Festival 2026.
The results recognise the team’s ability to translate Aquila’s wildlife, landscapes, conservation work and guest experiences into compelling films capable of competing alongside tourism productions from around the world.
Three honours at the International Tourism Film Festival Africa
At the eighth edition of the International Tourism Film Festival Africa, held in Johannesburg in June, Aquila received recognition for three productions:
- Elephant Encounters – Winner
- Golden Hour in the Karoo – Silver Award
- Summer Safari at Aquila – Silver Award
The three films were recognised in the festival’s Tourism Services section, with the honours received on stage by Aquila content team members Jade Pretorius and Ruvarashe Zimuto.
The 2026 festival attracted 438 entries from 47 countries, of which 174 productions were shortlisted and 102 received awards. Films were assessed by a 46-member jury drawn equally from the tourism and film industries, reflecting both their technical quality and their effectiveness as destination marketing content.
Founded in 2019, ITFFA honours innovative audiovisual content connected to the tourism and travel industry and brings together filmmakers, tourism organisations and destination marketers from Africa and the wider international community.
International recognition in Brazil
The team’s success continued internationally when three Aquila films qualified for the fifth edition of the Finisterra Brasil Film Art & Tourism Festival 2026. The Heart of an African Safari, created by Jade Pretorius and Ruvarashe Zimuto, was subsequently named among the festival’s winning films.
The production tells Aquila’s story through its people, wildlife and landscapes, presenting a safari as more than an encounter with Africa’s iconic animals. It reflects the reserve’s broader journey of restoration and the role responsible tourism can play in supporting conservation and protecting natural heritage.
Finisterra Brasil is an international specialist festival dedicated to films that promote tourism in its many forms. The festival recognises destination, wildlife, environmental, cultural and human-interest storytelling, together with technical disciplines such as cinematography, direction, editing, narration and innovation. It is promoted by the Arrábida Film Commission Association under festival director Carlos Sargedas.
The recognition places Aquila’s locally produced content alongside winning tourism films from countries including Portugal, Germany, Spain, Poland, Italy, Greece, Nigeria, Croatia, Australia and the United States.
Celebrating the people behind the content
Aquila Collection Commercial Head Johan van Schalkwyk said the combined achievements represented important recognition for the team responsible for communicating the Aquila brand to domestic and international audiences.
“These four honours are an important achievement for our content and marketing team and demonstrate that locally created tourism content can compete successfully on both the African and international stages.”
“Our films are not simply promotional videos. They tell the stories of our wildlife, people, landscapes and conservation journey, while helping international audiences understand the purpose and experiences behind the Aquila Collection.”
“Jade, Ruvarashe and the wider team have worked with commitment, creativity and a genuine understanding of the brand. These awards belong to them, and we are incredibly proud to see their work recognised alongside outstanding tourism productions from across the world.”
Van Schalkwyk added that strong destination content has become increasingly important in a competitive international tourism environment.
“Travellers often experience a destination for the first time through a screen. Authentic storytelling gives them a reason to pause, connect emotionally and ultimately travel. These films support our commercial objectives, but they also allow us to share the conservation and restoration stories that sit at the heart of Aquila.”
The four festival honours strengthen Aquila Collection’s growing portfolio of tourism, conservation and sustainability recognition and underline the value of investing in original, locally produced destination storytelling.
