Attendees at the Joburg Film Festival enjoy a screening highlighting Africa’s rich cinematic culture.
This year, the Joburg Film Festival returns with a lineup that spotlights bold storytelling often overlooked by mainstream distributors. Now in its eighth edition, this year’s theme, “Feel the Frame,” promises films that engage more than just the eyes. South African standouts include Variations on a Theme—a hauntingly lyrical Rotterdam Tiger Competition winner following a Namaqualand community misled about wartime reparations—and Laundry, a vibrant 1960s Johannesburg period drama that premiered at Toronto. International selections span from the Dominican Republic’s silk-trade drama Under the Same Sun to the urgent Gaza-set documentary The Voice of Hind Rajab. These titles explore land, colonial legacies, and urgent present-day conflicts. Yet the program also leaves room for humor, with Ghana’s The Fisherman delivering heart and wit with its tale of a traditional fisherman, his quirky companions, and a sassy talking fish.
Daily Maverick