Norman Maake made a big splash while still at film school with the acclaimed feature film, Soldiers of the Rock. In 2004 he directed the television mini-series and feature film, Homecoming. Focus Features were quick to sign Norman to a three picture deal with the first film now in development. Norman is one of four directors on the SABC mini-series Surviving the Fifties, and will direct his screenplay, "The other side of the knife", in early 2008. Soldiers of the Rock won best film at PAFF in 2005 and Homecoming was an official selection for the AFI- Los Angeles, and opened the Africa Diaspora Film festival in New York, 2006.