Out Of Africa: Durban FilmMart Enters Partnership With Filmmart.Africa And Encounters Documentary Festival To Bolster African Storytelling
South African film institute Durban FilmMart has announced a partnership with Filmmart.Africa and the Encounters International Documentary Festival. This collaboration strengthens the commitment to fostering meaningful industry engagement, and offers a space for film professionals and audiences to explore non-fiction storytelling from Africa and around the world. Through this partnership, Filmmart.Africa becomes a digital companion to Encounters, offering […]
Black News 
South African film institute Durban FilmMart has announced a partnership with Filmmart.Africa and the Encounters International Documentary Festival.
This collaboration strengthens the commitment to fostering meaningful industry engagement, and offers a space for film professionals and audiences to explore non-fiction storytelling from Africa and around the world.
Through this partnership, Filmmart.Africa becomes a digital companion to Encounters, offering users access to filmmaker profiles, in-depth project information, curated insights, and opportunities for connection. This initiative supports the growth of the African film ecosystem by expanding access to stories, professionals, and opportunities beyond the physical festival venues.
This year’s Encounters Festival features over 58 African and international documentaries. Screenings will take place at:
• Cape Town: Labia Theatre, V&A Waterfront Ster-Kinekor, Ster-Kinekor V&A (popup screening) , Bertha Khayelitsha, Bertha Mowbray
• Johannesburg: The Bioscope, Rosebank Nouveau, Ster-Kinekor Sandton, Ster-Kinekor Southgate
• Pretoria: Ster-Kinekor Brooklyn Mall
Opening the festival is “Truck Mama” by director Zipporah (Zippy) Nyaruri. Other highlights of the programme are:
• Mama-Demic by Nicole Schafer
• My Father and Qaddafi by Jihan K
• The Woman Who Poked The Leopard by Patience Nitumwesiga
Encounters has a rich history, starting as the Encounters Swiss South African Documentary Film Festival in 1999 and growing into the annual Encounters South African International Documentary Festival under the auspices of the Encounters Training and Development Institute. Over the past 28 years, Encounters has become one of Africa’s leading documentary festivals, celebrating outstanding documentaries and facilitating engaging discussions on critical issues. With a vision of an inclusive and vibrant African documentary filmmaking community, Encounters aims to advance human rights, democracy, and African storytelling through the power of documentary film. To achieve this, the Encounters Training and Development Institute is committed to promoting documentary cinema as a creative art form, fostering regional collaboration, and developing audiences through year-round festival programmes.
Filmmart.Africa is a dedicated online platform for Africa’s film industry where users can:
• Explore the filmmakers and documentary projects featured at Encounters 2026
• Discover companies, producers, and collaborators working across the continent
• Access curated industry resources and insights
• Film events and markets from Africa and around the world, including major festivals, labs, and networking opportunities
• Build connections with professionals at every level of the industry
This year’s full Encounters Festival schedule is now live on both the Encounters website and on Filmmart.Africa. Users can explore the lineup in detail and connect directly with featured filmmakers through the platform.
