Event Preview: Joburg Film Festival

The South African city of Johannesburg is playing host to another edition of the Joburg Film Festival, taking place January 31 to February 5, 2023. The event has evolved extensively since its inception back in 2016, according to Tim Mangwedi, executive director. “From what started as a small film festival with a handful of films, the event has grown into one of Africa’s premium film festivals, screening over 60 curated films from across Africa and the globe. The festival has also strengthened its ties with the South African and African film industries and now hosts a series of impactful workshops, masterclasses and activities as part of the youth and audience development program. These expert-driven initiatives are aimed at further developing the current talent within the sector, as well as inspiring, reaching and growing the next generation of filmmakers and film audiences.”

The festival hub in the heart of Sandton at Nelson Mandela Square hosts screenings, workshops and networking events. Film screenings take place across the city “to ensure that as many audiences as possible have access to the films,” says Mangwedi. “The festival continues to expand its audience reach year on year, with a key aim being the promotion of film, and notably African film, to as many audiences as possible.”

Based on the success of the first festival, there has been more interest from corporations from within the film sector and beyond to support the festival, Mangwedi says. The 2023 edition is once again supported by Africa’s most-loved storyteller and the continent’s leading entertainment company, MultiChoice. “This support has enabled the growth of the festival, its ability to positively impact the growth of South Africa’s film sector and amplify our stories,” he adds.

The Joburg Film Festival is based on three pillars that are the highlights of the event. The Film Festival Program, for one, is born out of a tireless process of viewing and analyzing numerous titles, which culminates in the selection of over 60 curated titles from Africa, the diaspora and the world.

“A unique and key differentiator of the Joburg Film Festival from many others across the globe is that the film program is curated, as opposed to reacting to a call for film submissions,” Mangwedi points out. “Each film showcased at the festival reflects a part of the kaleidoscope that is African and diasporic cinema showcased alongside films from Europe, America, Latin America and the Middle East. The films programmed throughout the festival share in their specific vision the need to connect with audiences and comprise of various genres,” including features, shorts, documentaries and animations.

The Industry Program, meanwhile, runs alongside the film screenings and is enhanced by a film market, which connects creators, producers and buyers. “As a festival, we are aware that filmmakers live in a dynamic world that is constantly evolving, and knowledge-sharing becomes a vital part of that dynamism,” Mangwedi says. “This is where film festivals become a key component in that growth, by creating spaces that allow for access to information.”

This edition of the Joburg Film Festival will take place alongside JBX, a market that aims to connect up-and-coming creators and established entertainment brands with investors, distribution channels, sponsors and merchandisers that can accelerate their development first in Africa and then beyond the confines of the continent. Through its series of masterclasses and panel discussions, the Industry Program also serves as a knowledge-sharing platform to engage, discuss and dialogue about important issues pertaining to the film industry and key trends within the film and TV industries.

The third pillar is the Youth and Audience Development Program. This skills-transfer program targets the youth from across the five regions of Gauteng, taking place over a weekend, with an added focus on developing a cinema culture and growing audience appreciation for local films. “The power of the program is that it creates strong links between young people and the film, TV and new digital media and content industries and allows participants to discover the powerful impact of collaborative filmmaking and the various business and career opportunities in the film and TV content value chain while providing capacity-building opportunities and creating new jobs for youth in and from our communities,” Mangwedi says. “Furthermore, it provides access to meaningful training, mentorship and internship opportunities that will not only focus on the creative side of film and content production but also on the business of how to monetize their ideas and content.”

Mangwedi acknowledges that African audiences have been fed a diet of international shows for decades, despite the continent’s strong local storytelling tradition. “In so many international shows, African countries, cultures and languages are represented one-dimensionally through a Western interpretation—the continent is an amorphous mass to so many international producers and viewers.

“Yet we’re more than that,” Mangwedi continues. “We are nearly 1.4 billion people in 54 countries, speaking roughly 2,000 languages and dialects and telling countless stories that preserve our history, teach our people and share our soul. The Joburg Film Festival is a celebration of these stories and is a platform intentionally designed to support and promote filmmakers from across Africa and the diaspora alongside their international counterparts.

“The Joburg Film Festival would like to welcome the world to the event. As one of the most important film events on the continent, we invite filmmakers, investors and funders and all industry professionals to be part of the 2023 edition of the festival.”