Beverley Mitchell

Profile Summary

I’m first and foremost a storyteller. The art of crafting stories, using the medium of film and
television, is perhaps one of my strongest qualities. I started working in the South African industry
in 1993. I’ve worked as an independent producer, director and writer in film and television from
1996 – 2009. From 2010 I worked as a freelance series producer, series director, director,
supervising producer, creative producer, development producer, executive producer, line producer,
production manager, actors’ coach, trainer, lecturer, consultant, movie magic scheduler, scriptwriter
and script editor.
My accumulative experience is over 30 years in the film and television industry. The skills I’ve
accrued over the years are varied, but overseeing the development of scripts and creative
producing are perhaps the skills that encompass all of my talents. Yet by far, running writers’ rooms
is what I’ve become really good at – getting writers to challenge themselves and think out of the
box in developing characters, beats, plot points and story outlines and arcs across a series or within
a stand-alone feature film.
Prior to 2014, I mainly focused on documentaries and worked both as a producer and director on
numerous projects. I was a documentary producer from 1994 – 2014.
But those who know me know that my greatest passion is history – the reworking and retelling of
South African history, and on a larger scale, Pan African history and the diaspora. Our history has
always been told from the perspective of the colonizers. I am of the generation who seeks
corrective action in the retelling of history through storytelling.
On a personal note, I have a wicked, irreverent sense of humor (some may call it dark).
I love working with people and am an excellent team leader who inspires loyalty as I value the
people I work with. For me it’s about empowering and affirming people – that way the best is
brought out in everyone.
I believe in staying true to yourself. Never compromising who you are.
Since 2019 to the present, I have mainly focused on development and worked for 5 years as the
VP: Scripted for Trace Studios, after working as a line producer, supervising producer and series
producer on drama series and feature films from 2013 to 2019. I thought I needed a break from
number crunching. I left Trace Studios in 2023 and have gone on to partner with two independent
production entities – an international one, Rare Bird Studios, with US-based partners (the company
is registered in the US only), and then I recently joined Meraki Studios, an independent South
African production company who produced Justice Served on Netflix. While I will be producing
most of my work through Meraki, I am not exclusive to them. I am also for hire as a co-producer,
supervising producer, creative producer, script consultant and script doctor.
As an independent producer I have learnt the art of raising funds internationally, and it is certainly
an art! Over the past 30 years I have worked across the African continent, in the Caribbean as well
as in Europe. I have thus developed very good working relationships with producers in other parts
of the world and have come to realize that co-productions with international partners is the way to
raise our projects to international premium standard.

Show Reel

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jskaJDiEW6YDrQJ1M0P597LXoMuRrjk9/view?usp=sharing

Experience

SHOWRUNNER
Zetwal Carrabeis (8 x 30’, YA series) – Trace Studios / France Télévisions
Signal High Season 2 (13-part drama series) – Okuhle Media & SABC 2
Grit Season 2 (13 x 48’ drama series) – KMP Productions & BET Africa
Ihawu (13 x 48’ drama series) – SABC 1 & Provoke Entertainment
Aluta (13-part drama series) – Assi B Films (Nigeria & Mozambique)
Covert Affairs (13 x 48’) – SABC 3 & Tin Rage Productions
The Unit (26-part drama series) – Maisha Magic & Spielworks (Kenya)

LINE PRODUCER / PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
Full Moon – Feature documentary (UK & Nigeria)
Xau – Feature Documentary (SA & Nigeria)
Moja Love TV Channel – Line Producer & Head of Production
Hope – Telenovela (260 episodes)
Ashes to Ashes - Telenovela (104 episodes)
Isipho - Telenovela (156 episodes)
Grit Season 2 – Drama series
Erfsondes – Drama series
Mayfair – Feature Film
Keeping Score – Telenovela (156 episodes)
Ihawu – Drama series
Loxion Lyric – Drama Series
Jozi Story – Feature documentary
Hopes on the Horizon – documentary series
Molo Fish – Drama series (co-production with Canada)

WRITER / SCRIPTWRITER
Melk – Feature film (ongoing)
Ayesha – Feature film (ongoing, Monde et Media, France)
Perfect Timing – Feature film script (Okuhle-Spielworks, Kenya)
Serving Love – Micro drama series
Roer Jou Voete – Drama series (26 x 48’)
Covert Affairs – Drama series (13 x 48’)
Fida – Short film (30 min)
What’s Your Story? (52 x 24’ documentary series)
Colour TV – comedy series
Interrogation Room (Season 2) – Drama series
Thetha Msawawa – Youth drama series (SABC Education)

PRODUCER / EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Risk – 8 x 52’ drama series (SA–France–Canada co-production, development)
Backwards – 8 x 52’ drama series (France–Kazakhstan–Canada–SA co-production, development)
Pathfinder – short film – Swirlkous Films & Rare Bird Studios
Imprint of the Ancestors – Feature documentary - Rough Diamond Movies (SA) & Serious Film (The Netherlands) (in development)
Xau – Feature documentary – SA & Nigeria
Covert Affairs – 13 x 48’ drama series (Tin Rage & SABC 3)
What’s Your Story? – Documentary series (SAFTA Award winner)
True To Form – 4 x 48’ documentary series
Roar Young Lions Roar – 48’ Documentary
Vision to Dream – 48’ Documentary
Footprint in Africa – 48’ Documentary
Streets on Fire – 48’ Documentary
The Feminine – Documentary series
Leap of Faith – 2 x 48’ Documentary
Mahlambandlopfu – A New Dawn – Feature documentary
Corporate documentaries – City of Cape Town (DMO)

DIRECTOR
True To Form – Documentary series
Winter is July – Short documentary
Mahlambandlopfu – A New Dawn – Feature documentary
A Small Matter of Mules – Documentary
Footprint in Africa - Documentary
Embo - Documentary
Veli’s Story – Documentary
Leap of Faith - Documentary
If I Die, I Become a Dream – Documentary
Mother’s Day – Short film
Evita’s Ballot Bus – Current affairs series
Thembi – Feature film
Covert Affairs – Drama series
Looking Back, Moving Forward – Youth Educational Series
Scamto at Large – Documentary series

SERIES PRODUCER
Stop Nonsense – docu-reality series
Tales from the Edge – docu-drama series
Playing for Time – docu-drama series

DEVELOPMENT / TRAINING / MENTORING
VP: Scripted Content – Trace Studios (2019–2023)
Development Producer – Last Rites (Trace Studios / Canal Plus)
Development Producer – Drag Queen (Netflix)
Script Editor / Doctor – Operation Black Star (Trace Studios / Canal Plus)
Script Consultant – Rio 10 (Spier Films & Inner-City Films, Canada)
Script Doctor/Consultant – Back to my Roots /The African American (TDP Films)
DFM Talents & DFM Access Mentor (2021-2024)
Head Mentor – Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking - Documentary & Drama (2011-2016)
Trainer & Head of Production – Cape Town TV (2008-2009)
Curriculum Development Consultant – eAcademy (2016-2018)
Guest Lecturer – University of Cape Town – Producing & Scriptwriting
Guest lecturer - AFDA Johannesburg & Cape Town campuses – Producing & Scheduling (Movie Magic)