ENCOUNTERS - The Home of Documentary in Africa
Encounters South African International Documentary Festival is the number one documentary festival in Africa, now running for 27 years. It offers a 10-day multiplatform event, featuring the top African and international documentaries from around the world. We discover new voices in African storytelling and bring their work to screens.
For audiences
Expert curation of African and international documentaries bringing the very best in non-fiction narratives to film lovers.
For the industry
Encounters Talks and post-screening Q&As engage discussions, connect audiences with filmmakers, and facilitate thought leadership that address critical issues. Encounters Talks provides a space for in-person knowledge-sharing, scholarly debates and networking, towards fostering collaborative work within the African documentary ecosystem
Encounters is known for nurturing emerging filmmakers through workshops, film labs, master classes and curated panel discussion. Encounters provides training in film festival management and curation nationally, and is a key partner of the Rough Cut Lab Africa, an initiative of the South African Guild of Editors (S.A.G.E), a programme supporting African films in the post-production phase.
For the digital economy
Exploring new and exciting avenues of exhibition and distribution. Delving into the multifaceted use of new technologies and their adoption in the creative documentary art form.
For the community
The Encounters Inreach/Outreach Programme ensures broad-based access to the Festival and the opportunity to expose new audiences to documentaries. Our Inreach/Outreach programme is a multi-stakeholder project and is supported by the City of Cape Town, Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, District Six Homecoming Centre, Bertha Movie House Khayelitsha and Sunshine Cinema.
For Democracy and Social Cohesion
Encounters offers local audiences the opportunity to engage with a diverse mix of documentaries that explore critical societal issues, from politics, social justice, climate change, health, and culture to the arts, thereby fostering global understanding and connection. Post-screening discussions with thought leaders from various sectors are a significant draw for festival-goers.
Mandate
The Mission of Encounters is to promote access to film and television media, and thereby to advance human rights and democracy in South Africa; with particular concern for the needs and aspirations of previously disadvantaged communities, including the provision of development opportunities for township-based groups, and the encouragement of indigenous filmmaking, and film literacy and training, for aspiring and emergent filmmakers.
Vision
An inclusive and vibrant African documentary filmmaking community that not only celebrates the artistry of the medium but also harnesses its potential to inspire social change, foster understanding, and promote a more democratic and tolerant society.
The Festival endeavours to present the following awards at the end of the Festival:
Best African Feature-Length Documentary Film
Best International Feature-Length Documentary Film
Best African Short Documentary Film
Best International Short Documentary Film
Best Edited Feature and Short Documentary
