In the 27 years of Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, the world has never been more desperate to be documented.

The 2026 Encounters South African International Documentary Festival showcases 58 documentaries from over 33 countries, a boundary-pushing selection of 31 short films, panel discussions, masterclasses and community screenings at cinemas in Johannesburg and Pretoria from 4 to 14 June 2026. Here’s what you need to know.

Encounters 2026 spotlights a brand-new selection of moving stories

In this year’s Encounters Documentary Festival, filmmakers gather around stories rooted in memory, loss, resistance, joy, and the radical act of beginning again.

This year’s programme is a reminder that even in difficult times, documentary has the power to inspire resistance, deepen understanding and imagine new possibilities for the future.

Shorts categories at the 2026 Encounters Documentary Festival

Of the 58 original documentaries from South Africa, the rest of the African continent and across the globe, the Encounters Documentary Festival is showing 31 shorts that have been divided into different blocks:

Block 1: Acts of Intervention

Five shorts are featured in Block one, tackling various forms of resistance in the personal and in the larger scale as it relates to human rights and activism.

The featured shorts include the following titles: As I Lay Dying (Iran) directed by Mohammadreza Farzad & Pegah Ahangarani; Bridging the Disconnect (South Africa) directed by Reshoketjwe Joyce Nkgapele; Die Lopende Ambulanse (South Africa) directed by Leanne Brady; Olinda’s Golden Arches or Os Arcos Dourados de Olinda (Brazil) directed by Douglas Henrique; and When I Came to Your Door (Netherlands / Ethiopia) directed by Antonio Paoletti.

Block 2: Salt of the Earth

Four shorts are featured in Block two, covering stories about reconnecting with nature, reclaiming indigenous practices, and conserving agriculture.

Films in this category include titles such as A Place called Paradise (South Africa) directed by Rae Human & Rudi Lippert; Taste of the Land (South Africa) directed by Nondumiso Masache; VET vannie Land (South Africa) directed by Danielle McDonald & Konrad Helgard Raubenheimer; and VOICES FROM THE ABYSS or Las voces del despeñadero (Mexico) directed by Irving Serrano & Victor Rejón.

Block 3: Thank You for Being

Four shorts are featured in Block three, tackling stories following interesting individuals, from quiet creatives and everyday folk to resilient trauma survivors.

Under this category, you’ll find films such as Dear Sikhonkwane (South Africa) directed by Sihle Hlophe; INYEMBEZI ZENDODA (South Africa) directed by Mandlakazi Zilwa; Just Because I’m a Street Kid (South Africa) directed by Faith Riyano; and One Last Order (United States) directed by Sam Soko & Lauren De Filippo.

Block 4: The Body Remembers

Three shorts are featured in Block four, and they deal with memory, history, how the body holds onto trauma and the ways in which we attempt to understand and release that trauma.

Films in this category include titles such as Bones (South Africa) directed by Nomandla Vilakazi; Eyes to See (South Africa) directed by Christian Haneem; and WAT WAS HIE? (South Africa) directed by Luke De Kock.

Block 5: Unlearning the Script

Three shorts are featured in Block five, and they cover themes of identity and self-discovery, memory and survival.

Films under this category include Amigo the Griot (South Africa) directed by Kurt Orderson & Mario Laaistock; Before They Sold the Sky (South Africa) directed by Kai Reynolds; and Sonder (South Africa) directed by Thuthuka Sibisi.

Block 6: When Things Fall Apart

Four shorts are featured in Block six which trace the ways in which individuals and communities in sometimes difficult situations find the light in the darkness.

Here you’ll find the following titles: Broken Windows (South Africa) directed by Mohamed Amine Harboul; Oops, I Died or Ih, morri (Brazil) directed by Lara Carmo; The Spectacle (Sweden / Norway / Türkiye) directed by Yasmin van Dorp; and Sueña Ahora (Cuba / Italy) directed by Gabriele Licchelli, Francesco Lorusso & Andrea Settembrini.

Block 7: Where Grief Settles

Two shorts are featured in Block seven and they each deal with the love we share and how we deal with the enormous grief of losing those we love most.

In this block are films Mama Micra (Germany) directed by Rebecca Blöcher and An Open Field (France / Germany / South Africa / Ethiopia) directed by Teboho Edkins.

Block 8: Where We Gather

The final shorts block tackles stories about community, found families, and the people and places that change our lives without us noticing.

This block features the following titles: Concerto (South Africa) directed by Jurg Slabbert; Curtain Call (South Africa) directed by Kyla Laing & Marise Schoonraad; The Hands that Feed (South Africa) directed by Kiara Wales & Anke Spies; Her Khaltsha (South Africa) directed by Robyn Phillips; My Jebba Story (Nigeria) directed by Kagho Idhebor; and Talking to Family (China / South Africa) directed by Kwei Shun-Yu.

Panels and Talks

This year, Encounters also hosts six panels and masterclasses for those who would like to engage more deeply with film and all the mechanisms around it. Five of the talks take place at the Goethe-Institut South Africa, and one takes place online (free RSVP). The panel schedule is as follows:

• Beginnings and openings – Saturday, 6 June from 10am to 12pm – A panel discussion that delves into what to consider in those first few minutes of a film.
• Cleaning the Cut – Saturday, 6 June from 1pm to 2.30pm – A panel discussion that explores how the edit space can become a place of healing, and the role of the editor when dealing with difficult material.
• Cutting for Character – Wednesday, 10 June from 10.30am to 12pm – A masterclass deep dive into the process of shaping a story to match the character of an icon.
• Tutu Legacy Panel – Wednesday, 10 June from 1pm to 2pm – A panel discussion honouring the legacy of South African anti-apartheid struggle theologian and looking to his life for lessons in these turbulent times.
• Netflix Masterclass with Mark Lewis – Friday, 12 June from 10am to 1pm (online) – A Netflix workshop designed for filmmakers and producers ready to work at the next level of documentary storytelling.
• How to Build a Film in the First Person – Saturday, 13 June from 10.30am to 12pm – A masterclass that talks through the building of a narrative backbone.

All in-person Encounters Festival talks are free to R100 entry. Find out more here

Need to know before you go

The 2026 edition of the Encounters Festival takes place across a varied and accessible selection of venues. These include Ster-Kinekor at Rosebank Nouveau, The Bioscope Independent Cinema at 44 Stanley in Milpark, Ster-Kinekor Brooklyn Commercial, Ster-Kinekor Sandton, Ster-Kinekor Southgate.

Talks and masterclasses take place at Goethe-Institut Johannesburg in Parkwood.

See the full list of films and the festival schedule here.

Cost: Free entry for panels, discussions and Q&As, RSVP here. While panels are free, you can purchase R100 support tickets here. Film tickets are from R90pp, book online

When: 4 to 14 June 2026. Various times
Where: Various venues in Joburg and Pretoria

Website: encounters.co.za
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @encountersdoc
Facebook: @encountersdoc

See our top documentary picks to catch at Encounters