Who are we
400 SEATS is a family of filmmakers and creatives based in Cape Town.
We make films, commercials, documentaries and all the weird and wonderful things in between. We’re directors, producers, cinematographers, editors and problem solvers, brought together by a shared love for making good work with good people.
What we stand for
We believe in making space. Space for new voices. Space for different perspectives. Space to experiment, get things wrong, figure things out and make something great.
We care about representation, but not as a box to tick. It’s part of who we are, who we work with and the stories we choose to tell.
We believe sets should feel good to be on. That young creatives deserve opportunities to learn. That collaboration makes the work better. And that you can take the work seriously without taking yourself too seriously.
Most importantly, we want to make things that feel like something.
That’s 400 SEATS.
Our Name
We are who we are because of who came before us.
400 SEATS is rooted in the Cape’s rich creative and cinema history. Our name comes from CINE 400. A cinema in Rylands with exactly 400 seats (see… you get it).
More than just a place to watch films, CINE 400 was a multicultural meeting place. A space where communities came together, stories were shared and people gathered around a love of cinema.
That history means a lot to us. By making space for new stories, new filmmakers and the communities around them we aim to continue this legacy.
Our Home
We’re lucky enough to continue that legacy today with studio400, our home in the historic Kismet Plaza building in Athlone.
Kismet was once home to another iconic Cape Flats cinema. It’s a place that, much like CINE 400, brought people from different communities and creeds together through film.
There’s something pretty special about making films in a building where people once gathered to watch them. It feels a little full circle.
