The 13th European Film Festival South Africa will bring 12 award-winning European films to audiences in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria from 17 to 27 September 2026.
The festival features films from across Europe, bringing together recognised filmmakers, upcoming voices and an impressive line-up of international talent. This year’s programme places family, identity and survival at the centre of its stories.
Highlights include new work from Oscar-winning directors Pawel Pawlikowski and Paolo Sorrentino, the renowned Dardenne brothers and BAFTA-winning debut director Akinola Davies Jr.
Opening the festival is "The Last Viking", a Danish family drama and crime caper starring Denmark star, Mads Mikkelsen.
The blackly comic film follows brothers as they confront mental health, buried family secrets and the complications of getting by “with more than a little bit of help from your friends”.
The UK’s "My Father’s Shadow", Davies Jr’s feature debut, arrives after winning the BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut. Set against a striking and chaotic backdrop, the film offers a deeply personal tribute to fathers and parents facing the daily struggle to keep their families together.
German cinema is represented by "Fatherland", directed by Pawlikowski, known for "Ida" and "Cold War". Starring Oscar-nominated Sandra Huller, the film follows German literary figure Thomas Mann and his daughter as they travel through a country facing grief and the horrors of its past while the Cold War unfolds.
Pawlikowski won Best Director at this year’s Cannes Festival for the film.
Belgium’s "Young Mothers", from award-winning filmmakers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, focuses on young women navigating motherhood after being abandoned by their families and society.
The film which won Best Screenplay at Cannes this year, explores the bonds they form while facing difficult decisions about their futures.
Italy’s "La Grazia" reunites Oscar- and BAFTA-winning director Paolo Sorrentino with longtime collaborator Toni Servillo, who won Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for his performance.
Set against the messy world of Italian politics, this intimate drama digs into the complicated bonds between fathers and daughters, balancing love, duty, and the big question of who really gets to call the shots in our lives.
The programme also includes Cedric Klapisch’s French family drama "Colours of Time", the Oscar-nominated Ukrainian documentary Porcelain War, that’s directed by Brendan Bellomo. And Spain’s "The Beloved", starring Oscar winner Javier Bardem as a film director returning to the Western Sahara.
Dutch film "A Family", directed by Mees Peijnenburg and starring Carice van Houten, examines divorce through the experiences of a brother and sister.
Meanwhile, veteran Polish director Agnieszka Holland’s "Franz" explores the life and legacy of Franz Kafka and his complicated relationship with his father.
Ireland’s "Christy", Brendan Canty’s debut feature, stars Danny Power as a teenager returning to Cork after being forced out of foster care and attempting to rebuild his relationship with his estranged brother. Portugal’s "Aquí", directed by Tiago Guedes, closes the line-up with an ambitious adaptation of South African Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee’s Jesus trilogy.
This year’s festival will also honour former co-director Peter Rorvik, who passed away earlier this year. Remembered for his dedication to independent cinema, Rorvik helped nurture generations of South African film lovers and filmmakers.
For the full programme and schedule follow on social media or go to www.eurofilmfest.co.za
The European Film Festival South Africa runs from 17 to 27 September 2026 in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria.