Encounters Festival South Africa

As the curtain fell on the 28th Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, filmmakers from South Africa, across the African continent and around the world were recognised for exceptional achievement in documentary filmmaking. This year’s Encounters Awards celebrated bold storytelling, artistic excellence, editorial craft and emerg

Alongside 4 world premieres + Berlin, HotDocs & Sundance winners Variety recently named five early contenders for Best Documentary at next year’s Oscars. This includes two that will have their African premieres at Encounters South African International Documentary Festival in June 2026 • TUTU, winner of the 2026 Berlin Peace Film Prize, about the N

28 Years of Stories That Matter | Save the Date, 4 – 14 June 2026 The 28th edition of Encounters South African International Documentary Festival is on the horizon, and we couldn’t be more excited to see the incredible stories our filmmakers are bringing to life. This year, the festival received just under 1000 film submissions from […]

Africa’s Premier Documentary Festival 4 – 14 June 2026 Now in its 28th year, Encounters, the home of documentary in Africa, invites filmmakers from across the continent and the world to submit their films for the 2026 edition. This 10-day festival celebrates powerful non-fiction storytelling that inspires change, sparks dialogue, and showcases new

Witnessing the Urgent, Celebrating the Resilient Encounters 2026 Dates Announced From 19–29 June 2025, the 27th Encounters South African International Documentary Festival lit up Cape Town and Johannesburg with a programme that didn’t shy away from the pressing issues of our time. Through powerful documentaries, shorts, panels, Q&As and community s

The 12th EUROPEAN FILM FESTIVAL in SOUTH AFRICA is a cinematic journey in search of love, identity, family and belonging. Opening in South Africa on 09 October and running until 19 October, 10 contemporary European films reflect on the realities of Europe and its place in the world today.