Arts and Creative Industries / Film and Animation / The French connection at the 8th Joburg Film Festival

The French connection at the 8th Joburg Film Festival

Arts and Creative Industries
SHARE
THIS:
4 March

From 3 to 8 March 2026, the Joburg Film Festival and Market once again brings screenings, conversations and industry meetings to venues across Johannesburg. The French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) is pleased to support this year’s edition.

Among the highlights is a special screening of BATWING Unmasked: An African Super Hero, followed by a Q&A taking place on Friday 6 March at Theatre on the Square in Sandton City. Doors open at 12:00, with the screening starting at 12:15. Watch the trailer here and book tickets here. 

The documentary by French producer Joachim Landau asks why Batwing, the first African and Congolese superhero in the DC universe, remains relatively unknown, even on the continent, and explores how African creators can help expand his legacy in global popular culture. After the screening, audiences are invited to stay for a live panel discussion with Siv Ngesi, Loyiso Mkize and Joachim Landau, continuing this exchange on the future of African-led hero narratives.

In addition, on 5 March 2026, Joachim Landau will also take part in the Joburg Xchange (JBX) industry programme, including the JBX Talks session The French Connection: Creativity and Collaboration between Africa and France, which explores co-production models and long-term partnerships between the two countries.

The wider festival programme includes a selection of French productions and co-productions. Audiences will be able to see Couture, It Was Just an Accident, Nomad Shadow and Promised Sky, alongside Gavagai, Ancestral Visions of the Future, Aïcha, Untamable, The Voice of Hind Rajab and Silent Rebellion (À bras-le-corps). For screening details, follow this link.

You might also like

Novembre Numérique Open Call: Unrecorded Voices Workshop and Mentorship Programme

As part of the 2024 Novembre Numérique (Digital November) programme, the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), in partnership...

Le monde de la francophonie

Forte d’une population de plus de 890 millions d’habitants et de 220 millions de locuteurs de français de par...

Public administrative cooperation – Trainings on offer at French Public Service schools

You work in the public sector and you’d like to expand your areas of competence, acquire new skills or discover...

Joining Forces to Save Citrus: French-South African research team explores new resources for better citrus greening detection

Developing bilateral cooperation to produce genomic resources to improve diagnosis of citrus greening CONTEXT Greening or Huanglongbing (HLB) disease...

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.

Follow

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
Ahead of the 2025 Series Mania Forum taking place from 25th-27th March, IFAS invited delegates from around the world to join and gain valuable insights from our Audiovisual team and Forum organisers on what to expect and how to prepare for the three jam-packed days of pitching, networking, and high-level conferences.
Organised by SAGES Africa (Services for Africa Gaming & Esports), the Mzansi Esports Champions is a key part of the Tekken Africa Queens Challenge, an innovative initiative which aims to spotlight and empower women’s talent in esports, promoting inclusivity and equality within the gaming industry. The 2024 players were: – eSwatini: Setsabile Shabangu, Sugar – Kenya: Sylvia Wahome, QueenArrow – Lesotho: Liteboho Thebe, EL – Madagascar: Safidy Andrianisoa, Sentaku – Malawi: Matimbe Gweyneth Edina, Gwyn Stacy – Namibia: Asante-Sana Maruwasa, ATMBYTES – South Africa: Zahraa Khan, Iron-Fist – Zambia: Bwalia Nkumbula, LiaRose The Mzansi Esports Champions event is part of a larger strategy by SAGES Africa to build a strong esports ecosystem across the continent. Through strategic partnerships, SAGES continues to empower African players and enhance their competitiveness on the global stage. This project is a collaboration of the French Institute of South Africa, SAGES and rAge Expo. It is made possible thanks to funding from the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. --- Credits: Music: Chipego Producer: Junayd Bradlow Creative Director: Tasmin Jacobs Post-Production: Umar Bradlow Creative Studios: The Magic Pixel & The Ultimate Gaming Champions South Africa
Subscribe
© 2026 frenchinstitute.org.za. All rights reserved. Site design by Nicework.
View our Data Policy and Terms.