ABOUT
Cleveland Hopp is a filmmaker and activist from Malmesbury, South Africa. He holds an Honours degree in Film Theory & Practice from the University of Cape Town, graduating with distinction in documentary studies. Beyond academia, his deepest education has come from the streets, salons, corner stores, community halls, and the people who shape his life. He believes film is a tool for healing, justice, and for honouring those who came before.
His work lives at the intersection of queer identity, African Indigenous storytelling, and rural community life. Through an intimate and grounded lens, he amplifies overlooked voices, including his own, and sits with truths that demand to be felt.
His debut documentary, Onthou vi Fredo?, pays tribute to murdered drag queen Alfredo April, whose case remains unsolved. The film won Best Documentary and Best LGBTQ+ Representation at the FAME Inclusive Lens Awards and screened in the Africa Calls programme at Giornate degli Autori during the 82nd Venice Film Festival.
As part of the SAFTA award winning Collective, Kraal, Cleveland contributed to Carissa by Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar, nominated for the Venice Horizons Award, and Variations on a Theme, which won the Tiger Award at International Film Festival Rotterdam 2026.
Cleveland believes film can hold space for grief, spark change, and leave something infinite.
He creates work that matters, and for him, that is art.
EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor of Arts Honours in Film Practice and Theory
with distinction in Documentary Studies
University of Cape Town | 2024
Bachelor of Arts in Film and Television Studies
specialising in Screen Production
University of Cape Town | 2022
