Press Releases

The 22nd Encounters South African International Documentary came to a close after a hugely successful virtual festival with the LIVE Festival Awards ceremony via Zoom this Sunday 30th August.

Due to popular demand and after 2 sold out screenings of INFLUENCE, Encounters is delighted to announce that an additional fundraising screening will take place on Sunday 30 August.

So … for just R100 (or more if you wish) follow the instructions below to book your ticket!

The 22nd Encounters South African International Documentary Festival has opened for bookings, offering a thoughtful selection of the best new documentaries — a line-up of over 50 local and international titles screening over 10 days on an all-new online cinema...

The latest documentaries from the Encounters 2020 Documentary Festival have been announced, and there’s a lot to look forward to.

Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival is speedily adapting to the “new normal” and will shortly complete the construction of the virtual cinema platform using Shift72.  We are aiming to have bookings open on 13th August, one  week before the Festival opens.  You will need to register and add your must-sees to your basket. Added extras include Q&As with directors, live panel discussions and  fascinating industry events. Tickets are limited to 400 per film, so get ready to book! 

The new multi-platform Encounters International South African Documentary Festival is bringing you some of the globe’s greatest award-winning documentaries, available virtually.

Documentary films present us with unique perspectives and insights into our worlds. The crafting of these films present unique challenges and encourage thoughtful insights into their making. The Rough Cut Lab (RCL) aims to support South African films in the late offline story stage with directed consultation on story and character obstacles as well as close consideration into the workings of the film. Successful candidates receive targeted support from the Refinery when they eventually come to finishing.

Prospective and hopeful filmmakers-in-the-making are encouraged to submit a ONE page Proposal for a short documentary film. Successful candidates will be tutored in the art of documentary scriptwriting, preparing a budget and writing funding proposals. All submission details and requirements are included in this document.

The Ladima Foundation will be awarding its Adiaha Prize for Best Documentary by an African woman filmmaker at the 22nd Encounters Documentary Film Festival taking place in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa from the 4th – 14th of June 2020.