What to expect from the 13th European Film Festival South Africa

The 13th European Film Festival South Africa, set to run from September 17 to 27, 2026, will feature 12 European films in four South African cities: Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Durban. This year's lineup focuses on family dynamics and the challenges faced across generations. The festival will be hosted by the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, the organization that produced last year's event.

The opening night will feature The Last Viking, a Danish family drama starring Mads Mikkelsen, which follows two brothers as they navigate mental health issues, family secrets, and their past. Other notable films include My Father's Shadow, a British-Nigerian feature debut by Akinola Davies Jr., which won the Bafta Award for Outstanding Debut, exploring the relationship between a father and his children.

The festival will also showcase Germany's Fatherland, directed by Oscar winner Paweł Pawlikowski and starring Sandra Hüller; France's Colours of Time, directed by Cédric Klapisch; Ukraine's documentary Porcelain War, directed by Brendan Bellomo; Spain's The Beloved, starring Javier Bardem; the Netherlands' A Family, featuring Carice van Houten and Pieter Embrechts; Poland's Franz by Agnieszka Holland; Ireland's Christy; and Portugal's Aquí, directed by Tiago Guedes and based on South African Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee's Jesus trilogy.

In addition to the film screenings, the festival will pay tribute to former co-director Peter Rorvik, who passed away earlier this year. Rorvik was known for his support of independent cinema and the development of film audiences and filmmakers in South Africa. The complete programme and screening schedule can be found on the festival's website and social media platforms.