Get ready for a cinematic journey! The 12th European Film Festival in South Africa (EUFFSA) returns from October 9 to 19, 2025, with ten contemporary European films exploring themes of love, identity, family, and belonging. These powerful films, featuring strong characters in unusual situations and set against breathtaking landscapes, offer a road trip for the heart and mind, reflecting on Europe’s current realities and its place in the world.
Festival Details
The EUFFSA will feature live screenings at:
Cape Town: The Labia
Johannesburg: The Bioscope and Nu Metro Hyde Park
A curated selection of films will also be streamed online across Southern Africa at www.eurofilmfest.co.za. The festival proudly features films from Belgium/Flanders, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Presented by the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, the EUFFSA is sponsored by the Delegation of the European Union, Cineuropa, and the Embassies and cultural institutes of the participating countries.
The Films: A Glimpse of the Journey
Here is a look at the diverse lineup:
Le Mohican (France): An unlikely hero transforms into a legend when he resists the mafia and ruthless property developers threatening his land, supported by his devoted Corsican community.
The North (The Netherlands): Called “the best hiking movie to date,” this film is a powerful journey through the breathtaking Scottish Highlands. It follows people who need to reconnect with nature, themselves, and grow through friendship, letting you feel the wind, touch the water, and endure the frustration of setting up a tent in a storm.
Sirat (Spain): Produced in part by brothers Pedro and Agustín Almodóvar, this unusual “odyssey between life and death” follows a father and son searching for his daughter through the remote southern Moroccan desert, with the soundtrack leading the way.
Unicorns (United Kingdom): Starring rising star Ben Hardy as a mechanic and single father who falls in love with a South Asian drag queen. This film beautifully reminds us what it takes to transform and cross borders—whether physical, mental, or spiritual.
Great Yarmouth: Provisional Figures (Portugal): A chilling exploration of modern servitude, this film deals with the fantasy of escaping one’s situation and the challenging reality of economic migrants.
Real Faces (Flanders): After a breakup, ambitious casting agent Julia moves to Brussels, masking her insecurities with a façade of success. She forms an unexpected and authentic friendship with reclusive microbiologist Eliott, inspiring her to break free from societal expectations.
Fuori (Italy): Written and directed by Mario Martone, Fuori (meaning “outside”) tells the story of controversial feminist writer Goliarda Sapienza. Set in the 1980s, the story follows her time in prison for an unforeseen incident, where she forms an unusual and lasting bond with other inmates.
A Perfectly Normal Family (Denmark): This film redefines love and understanding in urban Denmark when Emma’s father Thomas announces he wants to become Agnetha. Father and daughter struggle to hold onto their past while coming to terms with a completely changed future.
Under the Volcano (Poland): A summer vacation in Tenerife descends into chaos when a Ukrainian family learns about the invasion of their country.
Miroirs #.3 (Germany): From German filmmaker Christian Petzold, this haunting, character-driven exploration deals with loss, memory, and unexpected recovery when an accident survivor is taken in by a good Samaritan family.