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Encounters Festival South Africa

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Encounters South African International Documentary Festival
LocationCape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria, South Africa
Founded1999; 27 years ago (1999)
Awards receivedBest African Feature Documentary, Best International Feature Documentary, Best African Short Documentary
Film titlesDocumentary features and shorts
Artistic directorMandisa Zitha
LanguageEnglish
Websitehttp://www.encounters.co.za/

Encounters South African International Documentary Festival (Encounters) is the premier documentary festival in Africa[1] and one of the oldest film festivals on the continent. It remains one of only a few on the continent that is solely dedicated to the genre. The festival is organised by the Encounters Training and Development Institute.[2] Since its inception, the festival has advanced the currency of documentaries in the country and region, supporting new productions and giving an African platform to international documentaries.

The 28th edition will take place from 04 to 14 June 2026 in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria.[3]

Background

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The Encounters South African International Documentary Festival first took place in 1999.[4] Its stated objective is to develop the documentary industry in South Africa by increasing production and building an audience for the genre. The festival supports local and African documentary films and filmmakers and aims to promote them to an international market.

Encounters takes place annually in both Cape Town and Johannesburg during the month of June. The venues used by the festival in Cape Town are The Labia Cinema, V&A Ster Kinekor, Bertha House Mowbray and The Bertha Movie House Isivivana Community Centre (Khayelitsha). In Johannesburg, the festival is hosted at The Bioscope Independent Cinema and The Zone @ Rosebank. In 2025, the festival included screenings in Durban and in 2026, the festival included screenings in Pretoria.

As a non-profit, the Encounters Training and Development Institute also organises training and workshops for filmmakers. This includes the Close Encounters Laboratory, a training programme that has produced 48 films from over 700 participants.[5]

Annual events

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Every year the festival hosts and incorporates a number of events above and beyond the film screenings themselves.

After world premieres (usually of South African films) and screenings of international guests' films, question and answer sessions[6] open to the public often take place. Master classes are conducted by local and international guests — producers, writers, commissioning editors, sales agents and distributors, addressing a wide range of topics; anything from industry trends to effective marketing and crowd funding. Similarly, but more specifically targeted towards government arts & culture departments and institutes, are the Industry Presentations on offer. The festival also aims to help and advise small production companies on best practice through the "Producers Workshop".

To broaden the base of the documentary audience, Encounters offers cinema tickets and free entrance to Industry programmes to students and young professionals from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Audience awards

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Encounters implements' an annual Audience Award for Best South African and Best International films. Decided by popular vote, all films are eligible for these honours. By 2013, funding permitted, the Festival will implement a Jury Award with prize money in both categories. Not all films will be included ‘in competition’.

South African Audience Winners

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YearFilmsDirectorCountry
2008Shamiela's HouseRobyn RourkeSouth Africa
2009"Fokofpolisiekar, Forgive them for they know not what they do".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)Bryan LittleSouth Africa
2010"The 16th Man".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)Cliff BestallSouth Africa
2011"Imam and I".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)Khalid ShamisSouth Africa
2012"The African Cypher".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)Bryan LittleSouth Africa
2014UnearthedJolynn MinnaarSouth Africa
2015The ShorebreakRyley GrunenwaldSouth Africa
2016Action Kommandante: The Untold Story of the Revolutionary Freedom FighterNadine CloeteSouth Africa
2017Strike A RockAliki SaragasSouth Africa
2018The Fun's Not Over: The James Phillips Story & Not In My NeighbourhoodsMichael CrossSouth Africa
2019STROOP - Journey into the Rhino Horn WarSusan ScottSouth Africa

International Audience Winners

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YearFilmDirectorCountry
2008Angels in the Dust Louise HogarthUSA
2009RiP!: A Remix Manifesto Brett GaylorCanada
2010"Of Heart and Courage: Béjart Ballet Lausanne".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)Arantxa AguirreSpain
2011Inside JobCharles H. FergusonUSA
2012"Under African Skies. Director: Joe Berlinger".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)Paul SimonUSA
2015VirungaOrlando von EinsiedelUSA
2016Maya Angelou: And Still I RiseRita Coburn Whack at IMDb & Bob Hercules at IMDbUSA
2017The Eagle HuntressOtto BellUK
2018Life is Wonderful: Mandela’s Unsung HeroesNick StadlenUK
2019Silence Of OthersAlmudena Carracedo and Robert BaharUSA
Encounters poster 1999

Continental and international profile

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Over the years Encounters has collaborated and partnered with international festivals, markets, commissioning editors and sales agents. The festival hosts programmers from international festivals and has forged relationships with foreign correspondents who report on the Festival for their papers (for example, The Guardian). Most major documentary festivals, in selecting African content, also programme from Encounters. Partnerships and collaborations include:

Canada and United States

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China

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Europe

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Qatar

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Filmmakers

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1999: Alexander J. Seiler, Richard Dindo, Thomas Imbach, Harriet Gavshon, Liz Fish, Cliff Bestall, Nicolaas Hofmeyer, Liza Key, Craig Matthew & Joëlle Chesselet.

2000: Niek Koppen, Hillie Molenaar, Patricia Plattner, Paul Watson, Lauren Groenewald, Lindy Wilson.

2001: Werner Schweizer, Jan Heijs, Darcus Howe, Cliff Bestall, Craig & Damon Foster, Margo Fleiser, Claude Wittwenn, Ebrahim Hajee, Pule Diphare, Cathy Winter, Eddie Edwards, Nokuthula Mazibuko, Rob de Mezieres, Teboho Mahlatsi, Ingrid Gavshon, Rehad Desai, Luiz DeBarros, Craig Matthew & Joëlle Chesselet, Jack Lewis, Sharon Cort, John W Fredericks & Davide Tosco.

2002: Christian Frei, Hetty Naaijekns-Retel Helmrich, Vikram Jayanti, Cliff Bestall & Pearlie Joubert, Rehad Desai, Francois Verster, Tracey Collis, Penny Gaines, Andy Spitz, Eddie Edwards, Mpumi Njinge, Portia Rankoane, Beverley Palesa Ditsie & Nicky Newman, Ernie Vosloo, Jahmil XT Qubeka, Miki Redlinghuys, Gairoonisa Paleker, Renee Rosen, Xoliswa Sithole, Catherine Muller, Ouida Smit & Madoda Ncayiyana, Bearthur Baker, Dumisani Phakathi..

2003: Archie Baron, Paul de Bont, Sam Pollard, Viacheslav Telnov, Peter Wintonick, Craig Foster & Damon Foster, Carina Rubin, Pule Diphare, François Verster, Toni Strasburg, Aryan Kaganof, Ntombi Mzamane, John Fredericks, Vaughan Giose, Brenda Davis, Eugene Paramoer, Clifford Bestall, Emily McKay, Tamsyn Reynolds, Tamara Rothbart, Gerald Kraak, Mark Kaplan, Johnathan de Vries, Kali van der Merwe.

2004: Akiedah Mohamed, Andrea Spitz, Beverley Mitchell, Brian Tilley, Charles Najman, Cliff Bestall, Gillian Schutte, Jack Lewis, Jane Kennedy, Jihan El-Tahri, Karin Slater, Kethiwe Ngcobo, Khalo Matabane, Lauren Groenewald, Laurence Dworkin, Marijke Jongbloed, Martina della Togna, Minky Schlesinger, Omelga Mthiyane, Onyekachi Wambu, Peter Liechti, Riaan Hendricks, Rudzani Dzuguda, Shedreck Mapasa, Shelley Barry, Sipho Singiswa, Sunny Bergman, Teboho Edkins, Vaughan Giose, Zulfah Otto-Sallies

2005: Beverley Palesa Ditsie, Toni Strasburg, Ngaire Blankenberg, Zackie Achmat, Ditsi Carolino, Odette Geldenhuys, Rudzani Dzuguda, Isa-Lee Jacobsen, François Kohler, Bonganjalo Marala, Kim Longinotto, Omelga Hlengiwe Mthiyane, Beverley Mitchell, Leonard Retel Helmrich, Madoda Ncayiyana, Yeppe Rønde, Jemima Spring.

2006: Rehad Desai, Fumane Diseko, John W. Fredericks, Claude Haffner, Wendy Hardie, Susan Levine, Asivhanzhi Mathaba, Vincent Moloi, Omelga Mthiyane, Michael Raimondo, Portia Rankoane, Gillian Schutte-Singiswa, Sipho Singiswa, Karin Slater, Francois Verster, Nokuthula Dhladhla, Zanele Muholi, Salim Amin, Anna Bucchetti, Erik Gandini Gitmo, Jean-Pierre Krief, William Nessen, Tarek Saleh Gitmo, Sky Sitney, Bernard Surugue, Jean-Marie Teno.

2007: Cliff Bestall, Belinda Blignaut & Bridget Pickering Imbokodo, Ditsi Carolino, Nikki Comninos, Tamsen de Beer, Jihan El-Tahri, Angèle Diabang Brener, Sharon Farr, Liz Fish, Simon Klose, Karabo Lediga & Tamsin Andersson, Jack Lewis, Vincent Moloi, Premilla Murcott, Tebogo Ngoma, Eva Mulvad, Lindiwe Nkutha, Miki Redelinghuys, Leonard Retel Helmrich, Lomin Saayman & Lloyd Ross, Julian Shaw, Dylan Valley, Thomas Wallner, Carla Garapedian, Yunus Vally.

2008: Liza Aziz, Tony Bensusan, Sunny Bergman, Lucilla Blankenberg, Lederle Bosch, Don Edkins, Liz Fish, André Cronje & Carlos Francisco, Rehad Desai & Anita Khanna, Bertram Fredericks, Jeanette Jagger, Mali Kambandu, Tamarin Kaplan, Liza Key, Sifiso Khanyile, Kekeletso Khena, Joanne Levitan, Jane Lipman, Thapelo Maleka, Cyrille Maso, Dorothy Meck-Chimbuya, Nami Mhlongo, Steve Kwena Mokwena, Themba Monare, Villant Virginia Ndasowa, Stanley Nelson, Rob Nicholls, Makela Pululu, Robyn Rorke, Karin Slater, Shaun Tomson, Catherine Winter.

2009: Emma Bestall, Angèle Diabang Brener, Nadine Angel Cloete, Liz Fish, Katrin Hansing, Freddy Ilanga, Riaan Hendricks, Jabulani Tsambo, Mark J. Kaplan, William Karel, Liza Key, Brian Little, Ntokozo Mahlalela, Zola Maseko, Dawn Matthews, Thabo Bruno Mokoena, Nhlanhla Mthethwa, Velcrow Ripper, Yoav Shamir, Lisa Swart, Francois Verster, Lindy Wilson.

2010: Cliff Bestall, Dylan Valley, Rina Jooste, Rehad Desai, Helena Kingwill, Tamandani Kapisa, Palesa Shongwe, Masechaba Mogane, Nami Mhlongo, Khanysile Maimela, Michael Raimondo, David Forbes, Lucilla Blankenberg, Steve Kwena Mokwena, Lesedi Mogoatlhe, Makela Yulele Pululu, Odette Geldenhuys, Stefanie Brockhaus & Andy Wolff, Mike Bardsley & Ayla Hilli, Denis Delstrac, Yoruba Richens, Daniel Yon, Omelga Mthiyane, Riaan Henricks, Jo Menell, Adrian Loveland.

2011: Göran Olsson, Jacques de Villiers, Julian Shaw, David Sieveking, Simon Wood, Tanswell Jansen, Ségolène Hanotaux, Lauren Beukes, Brian Tilley & Laurence Dworkin, Khalid Shamis, Karin Slater, Tim Wege, Omelga Mthiyane, Ángela Ramirez, Sara Gouveia, Calum McNaughton, Eric Miyeni, Navan Chetty, Eddie Edwards, Matthew Kalil, Tiny Laubscher, Chris Schutte, Kyle O’Donoghue, Wellbodi Biznes, Miki Redelinghuys, Kagiso Sesoko, Simon Bright, Shelley Barry.

2012: Bryan Little, James Walsh & Katherine Millar, Kurt & Crystal Orderson, Cliff Bestall, William Nessen, Riaan Hendricks, Mitzi Goldman & Andrea Durbach, Dylan Mohan Gray, Tsholofelo Monare, Thomas Barry, Jon Blair, Mandisa Madikane, Erez & Miri Laufer, Isy India Geronimo, Felix Seuffert, Simon Taylor, Wiseman Mabusela, Michael Cross, Richard Slater-Jones, Izette Mostert, Tamsyn Reynolds, Dowelani Nenzhelele, Sarah Ping Nie.

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Wightman, Tamlin (13 June 2012). "Will you be in Cape Town or Johannesburg between 7 & 24 June 2012?". rhinoafrica.com. Archived from the original on 14 January 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  2. ↑ "Encounters South African International Documentary Festival Honoured at the SAFTAs with Outstanding Provincial Contributor Award | Encounters SA International Doc Film Festival". encounters.co.za. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  3. ↑ "Welcome | Encounters SA International Doc Festival". encounters.co.za. 19 May 2026. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  4. ↑ "Western Cape Events. Encounters International Documentary Festival. When: Dates to be confirmed (Friday, 12 August 2011 to Monday, 29 August 2011)". SA Venues. SA-Venues.com. Archived from the original on 13 February 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  5. ↑ gillespieza (16 August 2020). "About the Festival | Encounters SA International Doc Festival". encounters.co.za. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  6. ↑ Encounters Annual Report. Encounters Festival. 2012.
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