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
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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

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