Cape Town filmmaker, director and screenwriter Jabu Nadia Newman has been selected as one of 20 participants for the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Directors’ Lab, making her the only representative from Africa in this year’s cohort.
The five-day talent development programme will take place from September 9 to 13 during the 51st edition of TIFF, which brings together Canadian and international cinema, industry events, talks and the inaugural TIFF: The Market.
Newman joins a group of promising feature-film debutants selected from hundreds of applications worldwide. The Directors’ Lab provides emerging filmmakers with intensive mentorship from acclaimed directors, producers, agents, distributors and other leading industry professionals.
Designed to help emerging directors refine their debut features and prepare their projects for the international marketplace, the programme is regarded as an important career-development opportunity for filmmakers at a pivotal stage of their careers.
At this year’s festival, Newman will present her feature film debut, "FIEND", her upcoming queer horror-romance set against the fading neon lights of Johannesburg’s early-2000s rave scene.
Newman said she was grateful and excited to have been selected, while highlighting the significance of representing both South Africa and the wider African continent.
"I think this vote of confidence in local filmmakers shows what a powerful force South Africa is becoming in the international film community and how eager the world is to see our stories. Furthermore, I hope it will lead to opening doors for even more African filmmakers to be represented at top international platforms like the TIFF Directors’ Lab in the future," she said.
For Newman, the Directors’ Lab also offers an opportunity to engage directly with influential decision-makers in the global film industry.
"It's a chance to share authentic South African stories and build relationships, partnerships, co-productions, and collaborations with the international community, market, and audiences. This is essential for a project like 'FIEND' which exemplifies the cross-cultural appeal needed to propel this local story to audiences across the world.
"'FIEND' is a story that is so close to my heart and that of my co-writer and producer, James C. Williamson. It's a unique story that is the perfect blend of the horror and romance genres, set in South Africa, about how two people can truly connect when our society, our circumstances, and our own compulsions all seem to conspire against us. And what it means to find your way back to yourself before the sun rises," she said.
Newman has previously participated in several major international film festivals, including the Venice Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival and FIFIB Film Festival. However, she said TIFF occupies a distinctive position because of its commercial reach and its ability to bring together major filmmaking industries from around the world.
"I can't wait to meet the other selected participants in my cohort and experience all that the inaugural TIFF Market has to offer. Our stories are as rich and as varied as our backgrounds, and I look forward to exchanging ideas, perspectives and experiences - learning from others and taking practical steps toward the realisation of my directorial debut, 'FIEND'," said Newman.
Newman is a multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker whose work spans high-profile commercial campaigns, prestigious talent incubation labs, and award-winning narrative shorts that explore identity, gender, culture, and power.
Following the critically acclaimed feminist web series, "The Foxy Five", Newman was commissioned by NOWNESS, the British Film Institute, and the British Council, to write and direct the short film "The Dream That Refused Me", winning two awards at the Ciclope Africa Festival and a Silver Cannes Young Director Award.
Her short films have screened in competition at festivals including Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, The Aesthetica Short International Film Festival, and Shnit International Short Film Festival, earning her Shots EMEA’s Bronze Award for New Director of the Year.
taschica.pillay@nationalmg.co.za