Harriet Gavshon is an award winning Managing Director for one of South Africa's leading film and television production companies - Quizzical Pictures. Her passion for the industry and commitment to telling rich, relevant stories through quality production saw Harriet winning the Woman of Courage and Vision Crystal Award from Women in Film in 1998. More recently she received an award from the Minister of Arts and Culture for being one of South Africa's premier female artists.
Harriet Gavshon is an award winning Managing Director for one of South Africa's leading film and television production companies - Quizzical Pictures. Her passion for the industry and commitment to telling rich, relevant stories through quality production saw Harriet winning the Woman of Courage and Vision Crystal Award from Women in Film in 1998. More recently she received an award from the Minister of Arts and Culture for being one of South Africa's premier female artists.
With a burning desire to teach and impart her knowledge and skills to others, Harriet lectured at UNISA as well as the University of the Witwatersrand before leaving to become one of the founders of Free Film Makers - a film co-operative owned and operated by a group of Directors and Actors.
In 1993 in a joint venture with friends, Harriet started Weekly Mail Television a film production company later known as Mail and Guardian Television and then Curious Pictures. With the evolution of the business June 2012 saw Curious Pictures renamed Quizzical Pictures, one of the country's most innovative film and television production companies - an achievement Harriet is most proud of.
More recently Quizzical Pictures began moving into specialized broadcast branded content production, producing amongst other successful campaign's Amstel's Class Act show broadcast on SABC 1 as well as co-producers of M-Net's MasterChef.
Harriet was born and raised in Pretoria and after matriculating from St Mary's DSG Harriet chose to study a Bachelor of Dramatic Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand where she graduated with Honours in 1981. With a thirst for knowledge, Harriet continued her studies at New York University where she obtained a Master of Arts in Cinema Studies.
When asked what inspires her, Harriet replies "Talent. There is something about talent, which speaks to the rhythm of the universe. It is intangible, but when you see it, you know that it is there."
Her motto in life: As you sow, so shall you reap.