Fanney Tsimong
Director

Fanney started working in the music industry at the age of 15 as a dancer and has since moved to being a choreographer and has worked with a number of South African artists as dancer and/or choreographer. Fanney was given the rare opportunity to work on the South African launch of superstar Janet Jackson, both as an event organizer and South African dancer – an event, which won him a golden disc award.

Fanney has also worked extensively within the South African music industry as an artist promoter for EMI South Africa, club and tour promoter for Brenda Fassie, choreographer and dancer for TK, Brenda Fassie and Andile on tour and for music videos, and as production assistant, road manager and promoter for Nativz Music and Entertainment. His introduction into film and television began as a production assistant for both the annual gay and lesbian film festival and the encounters documentary festival.

Fanney, under mentorship from Underdog, received the 'Raw Talent' award for his PSA at the 2003 Vuka Awards, which also won him a scholarship to one of the finest film schools in the country (AFDA) where he was awarded a certificate for directing and script-writing. He was also nominated in the new-comer category for the 2004 Vuka awards. Since then he directed and produced a number of short films: Mountain Shade, A page from my Journal, both films having been screened at the Out In Africa film festival and London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, and Finding the Power of Rain, Bull’s Eye, A Hobo’s Luck for Create SA and Consulting Dynamic. In 2005 he directed a mini documentary for Out In Africa (Silenced) under project 4more and screened at the Brazil Mix and Out In Africa Film Festivals.

Fanney also worked as camera assistant for an SABC 3 documentary Flush and as camera assistant for Oscar nominated film Hotel Rwanda. He also took part at the Sithengi talent campus 2004. Fanney has also just completed a 13 part series of Intimate Connexionz (2005) as creative/series director and executive producer. He also conceptualised the idea. He was responsible for the creative elements of the show and set designing, created the look and feel of the show and was ultimately director and co-creator of the talk show, Intimate Connecxionz. Black Beulahs represents a collaboration with Underdog Productions which has been well received everywhere it has been screened, and had cinemas filled to capacity at OIA and at the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.

Nhlanhla Ndaba
Production Manager

Nhlanhla worked as a musical line-up producer and backstage director on a number of events, such as the Miss Gay Soweto pageant and Miss Confidence South Africa (a pageant for people with disabilities). He has also worked as production assistant for the encounters documentary festival and on music video concepts for Brenda Fassie and Andile, organised the artist line-up for the launch of the gay and lesbian festival 2003, and has conceptualised and contributed to CD cover for one of the late Brenda Fassie’s last albums, Mali. Nhlanhla has also edited a number of articles written by the company for Campus Times and the Mail & Guardian newspapers.

Nhlanhla also worked as the content and executive producer of the 13 part series Intimate Connexionz (2005). Aside from these tasks, he also conceptualised the idea, lad the research and development and was the script supervisor on the series. Nhlanhla has recently completed a short course on documentary producing with Monash University. At the same time as working as the Production Manager on Black Beulahs, Nhlanhla was pursuing a diploma in Project-Management.

Marc Schwinges
Executive Producer

Marc Schwinges is CEO of Underdog Productions (Pty) Ltd and executive producer on the company's numerous productions. He graduated from the Cape Town Film and Television School in 1988, and joined Young & Rubicam in Johannesburg where he held the position of Studio Manager and Senior Video Editor for a number of years. He also produced many of the agency's corporate commercials as agency producer. Marc founded Underdog Productions in 1993 and has produced a series of acclaimed short films, television series, award-winning documentaries, corporate films and large online presences.

Marc is a previous National Chair of the Independent Producer's Organisation where he was instrumental in building the independent production sector in South Africa over his three years elected by his industry peers to the national executive committee. Marc has extensive cross media experience, being Executive Producer, Cross media for production including Africa's biggest ever reality shows, Big Brother SA 1 & 2 as well as Big Brother Africa. He has acted as Executive Producer on numerous award-winning documentaries, and other television shows including the 13 part adult variety show, Below the Belt and Black Beulahs.

Recognised by his industry piers as a respected industry veteran, Marc has strong management abilities having run Underdog for 14 years in a difficult climate. His strong technical, creative, production, commutation and overall industry knowledge guide his work as he continues to learn in an industry that is constantly evolving.

Lars Schwinges
Producer and Director of Photography

Lars worked in the video industry in Cape Town for 10 years before joining Underdog from 2001 until 2005. Before starting at Underdog he directed and produced award winning corporate videos and worked on large-scale presentations including Cape Town’s 2004 Olympic Bid. At Underdog Lars completed a number of television promotions, corporate videos, documentaries and multimedia presentations. Television work includes the documentaries, By Night, Flush and Two Moms as well as the cult series Below the Belt on which Lars was also the director. Lars has a passion for working on unique television series and documentaries and enjoys the both the discipline of producing and the creativity of camerawork. He now works for a marketing agency in Cape Town and continues to work with Underdog on certain projects.