Arts and Creative Industries / Film and Animation / Encounters 2026 extends documentary conversations beyond the screen

Encounters 2026 extends documentary conversations beyond the screen

Arts and Creative Industries
SHARE
THIS:
11 July

The 28th Encounters South African International Documentary Festival took place from 4 to 14 June 2026 in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria, bringing together filmmakers, audiences and industry professionals for ten days of documentary screenings, discussions and professional exchange.

The French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) was proud to support the festival’s Encounters Talks programme, which brought filmmakers, producers, artists, researchers and audiences together through a series of panel discussions and masterclasses. Hosted in Cape Town and Johannesburg, the programme explored subjects including cultural restitution, museums, women’s public histories and documentary filmmaking as a tool for memory, justice and social change.

IFAS also supported the festival’s Outreach Programme, extending access to documentary cinema beyond traditional screening venues. Free community screenings took place at Bertha House in Mowbray, the Bertha Movie House at the Isivivana Centre in Khayelitsha, and the District Six Homecoming Centre, welcoming learners, educators and community members. The programme included a screening of the French co-production Fantastique by Marjolijn Prins at the District Six Homecoming Centre.

Save the date! The next edition of the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival will take place from 3 to 13 June 2027. 

Subscribe here to get the latest Encounters News.

Picture credit: TUTU Editing Masterclass on 8 June at the Tutu Foundation. Credit: Kwei Shun-Yu

You might also like

Joburg French Cine Club returns with Truffaut’s Le Dernier mĂ©tro at The Bioscope

The Alliance Française of Johannesburg, in partnership with the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) and The Bioscope Independent Cinema,...

Learn French

In 2021, LEARN FRENCH in South Africa and Lesotho in 242 primary and secondary schools, 19 universities, 13 Alliances...

France and South Africa join forces to protect biodiversity in South Africa and on Reunion Island, with the support of AFD

A bipartite agreement between South African National Parks (SANParks – the public institution managing South Africa’s national parks) and...

INNOV4GOOD: Southern African innovators showcase social solutions at ChangeNOW Summit in Paris

Three exceptional social innovation businesses from South Africa and Malawi have been awarded grants through INNOV4GOOD, an initiative of...

Let's get social
This message is only visible to admins.
Problem displaying Facebook posts.
Click to show error
Error: Server configuration issue
Twitter feed is not available at the moment.
On 29 March 2026, FĂȘte de la Musique was presented in Cape Town for the first time, as part of Bree Street Sundays. Organised by the French Embassy and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), the event brought free live music into the public space, transforming Bree Street into an open-air platform for performance and exchange. FĂȘte de la Musique Cape Town was implemented, supported and funded in partnership with Bassline, TotalEnergies Marketing South Africa, the Alliance Française of Cape Town, Young Urbanists through Street Experiment SA, Bridges for Music, the City of Cape Town, Mission for Inner City Cape Town and Jazz in the City.
Jean Spiri, directeur de l'IFAS, s'entretient avec Georges Lory et Daphnée Breytenbach à l'occasion de leur tournée littéraire en Afrique du Sud. Pour plus d'informations sur les événements publics, veuillez consulter le site web de l'IFAS: https://frenchinstitute.org.za/arts-and-creative-industries/literature/french-south-african-literature-conversations-tour-daphnee-breytenbach-georges-lory/.
The Création Africa Top 50 is a true reflection of the depth and diversity of the cultural and creative industries! #CreationAfrica2 #FrenchInstituteSA
🎉 Meet the selected Top 50 entrepreneurs for the second edition of CrĂ©ation Africa, from South Africa. Lesotho and Malawi 🎉 Congratulations as they begin a seven-week mentorship journey with UVU Africa and its digital skills and innovation division CAPACITI. 👏
A conversation exploring the impact of the 2025 funding cuts for the HIV response, especially for at risk and LGBTQIA+ communities. The panel will consist of leading experts in the field, both within health research and operating directly on the ground with affected groups.
As part of the French Institute of South Africa’s (IFAS) 30th anniversary, this film turns to Lesotho to spotlight artists and cultural practitioners involved in co-creation initiatives supported by IFAS. Shot across the Mountain Kingdom, it features voices that have helped define the Institute’s work over the past three decades. Directed by Adam Heyns.
As part of the French Institute of South Africa’s (IFAS) 30th anniversary, a visit to Malawi captured the stories of artists and cultural practitioners involved in co-creation projects supported by IFAS. From Lilongwe to Blantyre, the film brings together voices that have contributed to the Institute’s work over the past three decades. Directed by Adam Heyns.
Join us for a special talk by Justice Edwin Cameron and Sohela Surajpal, two of the authors of the new book 'Behind Prison Walls'. Their talk will bring together Michel Foucault's reflections on the systems of discipline and South Africa's experience of incarceration, offering an original analysis: how prisons, far from serving as tools of rehabilitation, become instruments of social control and the perpetuation of inequality.
Launched in 2022 under the France 2030 initiative, the ICC Immersion programme supports French entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative industries (CCI) as they expand into global markets. Implemented in South Africa by Institut français in Paris, the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), Business France, and Business France South Africa and Southern Africa, the initiative connects French companies with key players in South Africa’s dynamic creative sector. This year’s cohort featured nine innovative CCI companies—Allegria, Atrack (Beam for Music), Agence Culturelle PLUS (Reunion Island), Culturespaces, Fabrik & Moi (Reunion Island), France MusĂ©ums DĂ©veloppement, Jakob + MacFarlane, Memorist, and Sound Birth—representing fields from architecture and immersive technology to museum development, cultural consultancy, and music innovation. Altogether, the South African edition fostered meaningful exchange between French and South African cultural leaders, opening the door to future collaborations across the two countries.  Special thank you to the featured sites: Constitution Hill Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation Joburg Contemporary Art Foundation Spier Wine Farm, TRACE Studios Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct Wesgro Wits Digital Dome Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa ----- ICC Immersion is coordinated by the SecrĂ©tariat GĂ©nĂ©ral pour l'Investissement (SGPI) and driven by the Institut Français and Business France, with support from the Banque des territoires, the French Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. The 2025 edition is implemented by IFAS and Business France in Johannesburg.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), this documentary film brings together nearly 50 voices who have been part of IFAS’s journey over the past three decades. From its beginnings in Newtown to its current home in Braamfontein, IFAS has helped shape South Africa’s cultural and creative landscape through collaboration, exchange, and long-term partnerships. Director: Adam Heyns Producer: Lali van Zuydam Music: NØ FØRMAT! Records
For 30 years IFAS has nurtured a vibrant space for dialogue, experimentation, and creative growth. It has helped tell untold stories, amplify diverse voices, and build platforms for both emerging and established talents to shine. Now, as we mark 30 years of impact and memory, we look back at three remarkable decades of collaboration, co-creation, and cultural connection. And in the words of the legendary filmmaker Ramadan Suleman, here's to the end of Episode 1—and the beginning of many more episodes in the eclectic, ever-evolving series that is IFAS. Video Production and Editing: Adam Heyns Music: NØ FØRMAT! Records
Subscribe
© 2026 frenchinstitute.org.za. All rights reserved. Site design by Nicework.
View our Data Policy and Terms.