René van Rooyen

René van Rooyen is a director, screenwriter and co-owner of the motion picture company Red Letter Day Pictures. She graduated with distinction in BA Media, and majors in directing and screenwriting from AFDA. Her short film Nantes has been screened at dozens of festivals, including NIFF (Naoussa International Film Festival), DIFF (Durban International Film Festival) and SHNIT and won the South African Silwerskerm festival for best picture and director. Her short film Pathology was selected by South Africa's NFVF female filmmaker programme and premiered at DIFF. In 2015 she directed Mooirivier and co-wrote and co-produced Hollywood in my huis. She is also co-creator and director of the kykNET hit show Alles Malan and Alles Malan 2. Her feature Toorbos, funded by kykNET Films and the National Video and Film foundation, was released in May 2020. Through Red Letter Day Pictures she has co-written and co-produced Vaselinetjie, which received numerous accolades, including the best picture award at the kykNET Silwerskerm festival and best humanitarian film at Sedona International Film Festival. She has over 10 years’ experience directing various documentary and narrative works for kykNET, SABC, MNet and Mzansi Magic.

Alles Malan 2 op kykNET: ’n onderhoud met René van Rooyen

Naomi Meyer, René van Rooyen kykNET Portaal 2021-12-01

"[Ons] wou baie graag ’n verhaal vertel wat die hele gesin, van oud tot jonk, saam voor die televisie sit. Iets alledaags, waarmee die algemene kyker hulself kon vereenselwig en hul families raaksien."

Toorbos: ’n onderhoud oor die film

Maryke Roberts, René van Rooyen Film 2020-11-17

Rene van Rooyen, wat nie net die draaiboek geskryf het nie, maar ook die regisseur is, het ook ander blye nuus: Die film is Suid-Afrika se amptelike inskrywing vir die gesogte Beste Internasionale Vollengte-film-toekenning by die 2021 Academy Awards. Maryke Roberts het met haar ’n onderhoud gevoer.

Regisseur gesels oor Toorbos by Toyota US Woordfees 2020

Marli van Eeden, René van Rooyen Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees 2020-03-05

"Wat my eerste opgeval het van die boek, was Dalene se sensitiewe en diep-ondersoekte verkenning van die vroulike protagonis se psige. Jy bewonder haar vir haar vasberadenheid in haar soeke na persoonlike vryheid soos dit afspeel teenoor die konflik tussen haar aardse boswêreld en die mens se behoefte vir vooruitgang." 

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