South Africa
The Station Strangler documentary revisits the serial murders that terrorised Cape Town’s Cape Flats between the late 1980s and mid-1990s, when 21 boys and one adult were killed. As South Africa approached democracy, Mitchells Plain lived in fear while justice remained elusive. The film examines the 2023 parole release of Norman Simons, convicted of only one murder, and the anger it reignited. Through interviews with victims’ families, detectives and profiler Micki Pistorius, the documentary explores trauma, memory and unresolved justice.
Visual artist Lwando Dlamini develops a new body of work exploring masculinity, vulnerability and emotional healing. Growing up in Philippi, he struggles with expectations placed on Black men and the belief that “men don’t cry”. Guided by conversations with friend and collaborator Nande “Dla,” he confronts how silence and toxic masculinity sustain pain and violence. Through painting, Lwando discovers that art can become a process of emotional release, self-repair and healing, expressed through colour, texture and vulnerability.
South Africa
KOMBI (Taxi), A Father’s Sacrifice, shot in less than two days by Prosper Chikwasa, follows a devoted taxi driver navigating South Africa’s dangerous industry during the excitement of the Rugby World Cup. While the nation rallies behind the South African national rugby team, he quietly challenges the stereotypes of taxi drivers – revealing a thoughtful, committed father whose deep love for his children drives the sacrifices he makes every day to secure their future.
South Africa
Centred around the transformative power of para surfing, a sport that not only facilitates physical healing but also fosters a deep sense of pride and agency, Facing Forward follows the build-up to the Para Surf 2024 competition. Following the stories of athletes who have found support, training and community through dedicated surf programmes, the film demonstrates how sport can serve as a vehicle for confidence, connection, and personal growth.
China, South Africa
A dialogue unfolds between filmmaker Kwei and his family as he returns to his home in China after years abroad, confronting the quiet expectations that have shaped his identity.
South Africa
Tonderai, a young Zimbabwean boy living in a South African township, anxiously awaits his mother’s return from work at nightfall. A xenophobic mob is running rampant, and he fears the worst. He watches over his gravely ill and bedridden younger brother, who is desperate for drinking water. With no running water in their shack, Tonderai must lurk like a rodent in the shadows to fetch safe drinking water at the communal tap, risking his life because his neighbours are attacking foreigners.
South Africa
Nestled in the Maloti-Drakensberg, QwaQwa is shaped by towering mountains that influence its culture and identity. Qwaqwa: Place of Barriers and Bridges explores the deep bond between people and landscape, tracing the region’s history and present context on the borders of the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, and Lesotho. Featuring residents, royalty, and researchers, the documentary highlights challenges such as climate change and ineffective governance, while also revealing the mountains’ potential to foster development, resilience, and new opportunities.
South Africa
In 1846, a Dutch-Afrikaans family and their British patron cross the Kalahari Desert to claim land, but their journey turns sinister when shapeshifting spirits wager on their survival. Lost and weakened by hunger and thirst, they accept help from the mysterious Atshumao. Misfortune follows as mistrust and desperation grow. Haunted by unseen forces and encircled by unearthly shadows, paranoia grips the group. As danger closes in, they are forced to confront how far they will go to survive.
South Africa
Hen is a psychological horror set on an isolated South African farm, where a small family must keep the fires burning against the darkness. A stark meditation on survival in the middle of nowhere, and the knife-edge we walk between life and death.
North Macedonia
Silent Cinema is a story about a small cinema set at the end of the silent era. A former film star, masking his fading fame, decides to screen only silent films. His son grows up peacefully in this illusory world, unaware of the changes taking place outside its walls. Then an unusual discovery shakes his beliefs, disrupting the already fragile relationship with his father.
