The Joburg Film Festival (JFF) will return for its eighth edition from 3 to 8 March 2026.
The festival presented by MultiChoice Group, a CANAL+ company, will run under the theme Feel the Frame.
Explaining the theme, festival manager Taryn Joffe said: “Feel the Frame invites us to explore cinema as a sensory and deeply collaborative art form.”
Joffe added that the festival celebrates and recognises creatives across the film industry.
“A film is never only the image before us. It carries the fingerprints of many hands: writers, directors, performers, cinematographers, editors, designers, sound artists, and the countless others whose decisions give a story form.
“Their collective work is felt in a single instant as images of love, grief, joy, loss, violence, and history unfold.”
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What to expect at the 8th Joburg Film Festival
The festival is expected to attract more than 10 000 local and international participants, including filmmakers, creatives and industry professionals.
It will feature more than 100 screenings across Johannesburg, with more than 60 titles making country, continental or world premieres.
Films in competition will be judged by an international six-member jury across seven categories, with winners receiving the Nguni Horn award.
Running alongside the screenings is the Joburg Exchange, the festival’s industry programme. It will host three days of talks, youth programmes and industry discussions focused on trade, investment and skills development.
MultiChoice executive Nomsa Philiso said the festival plays a key role in positioning African films on the global stage.
“The festival champions Africa in the global festival circuit and creative industries, positioning itself not just as a meeting point, but as a driving force behind the evolution of Africa’s film and television landscape.”
Since its launch in 2016, JFF has grown into one of Africa’s leading film and cultural events.
Early-bird festival passes go on sale this Friday on 19 December.
Tickets range from day passes to industry and student passes, with early-bird discounts available until 31 December.
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