The 13th European Film Festival South Africa returns to cinemas nationwide from 17 to 27 September, presenting a curated 12-film lineup centered on the complexities of family, survival, and human connection. This year’s program brings together major works from master filmmakers, breakout debuts, and performances by European cinema heavyweights including Mads Mikkelsen, Javier Bardem, Sandra Hüller and Carice van Houten.
Festival Programme
The Last Viking (Denmark) – Opening Film. Mads Mikkelsen stars in this darkly comic noir about brothers, buried secrets, and mental health.
My Father’s Shadow (UK) – BAFTA-winning director Akinola Davies Jr.’s debut feature delivers an intimate tribute to parental sacrifice and resilience.
Fatherland (Germany) – Cannes Best Director winner Paweł Pawlikowski directs Sandra Hüller in a Cold War-era journey centered on literary icon Thomas Mann and his daughter.
Young Mothers (Belgium) – The Dardenne Brothers present an empathetic, Cannes award-winning social realist portrait of young women navigating parenthood without a safety net.
La Grazia (Italy) – Paolo Sorrentino reunites with Venice Best Actor winner Toni Servillo for a stylish exploration of political power, duty, and father-daughter bonds.
Colours of Time (France) – Director Cédric Klapisch bridges a single family’s 19th-century history with its modern-day reality through the lens of art.
Porcelain War (Ukraine) – Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev’s Oscar-nominated documentary chronicles Ukrainian artists-turned-soldiers defending their homeland and culture.
The Beloved (Spain) – Javier Bardem stars in Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s drama about an obsessive director confronting family fractures on a period-film set.
A Family (Netherlands) – Director Mees Peijnenburg examines modern divorce through the perspective of two siblings navigating the fallout, starring Carice van Houten.
Franz (Poland) – Agnieszka Holland crafts a vibrant biopic exploring Franz Kafka’s fraught paternal relationship and enduring legacy.
Christy (Ireland) – Brendan Canty’s award-winning debut follows a foster youth (Danny Power) rebuilding his life alongside his estranged brother in Cork.
Aquí (Portugal) – Tiago Guedes directs an ambitious philosophical adaptation of J.M. Coetzee’s Jesus trilogy.
In Memoriam
The festival honours the legacy of former co-director Peter Rorvik, who passed away earlier this year, recognising his decades of devotion to independent cinema and the South African film community.