Now in its fourth year, and having relocated from East London up to the vibrant city of Johannesburg, the Emmarentia Local Film festival looks to showcase the best of local South African talent, alongside international films. The event takes place in Emmarentia, the vibrant district home to many great independent venues and just a stones throw away from the bustling heart of the SA TV Industry in Linden, Auckland Park and Parkhurst.

Our half day screening event will take place at the quint independent Egrek Cinema, in March 2026.

Awards & Prizes

There will be a variety of awards on offer at the festival:
Best Director
Best Cinematography
Best Sound Design
Best Editing
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Short Script
Best Feature script
Best Costume Design
Best Production Design
Best Production

Rules & Terms

The festival is a family-friendly event, as a result, films with excessive violence or other mature subjects may be asked to remove certain scenes or not included.

Films may be withdrawn from the competition anytime prior to 24 hours before the film festival begins.

The festival reserves the right to not include any film or script that they feel is not suited to the event.

The festival prioritises short films, though films of all lengths are accepted.