The Eastern Cape's film industry will take centre stage at a three-day festival aimed at opening doors for aspiring filmmakers, connecting local talent with industry players and creating new economic opportunities in the province's creative sector.
The Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) will host the Mandela Bay Film Festival in Gqeberha and Kariega from November 17 to 19, bringing together filmmakers, industry professionals, training institutions and aspiring creatives under the theme “Elevating African Stories”.
The film festival will be hosted at The Athenaeum in Central, with additional festival activities taking place at Bayworld and the Nelson Mandela Bay Science & Technology Centre in Kariega.
The festival will feature film screenings, masterclasses, workshops and panel discussions aimed at addressing some of the practical challenges facing filmmakers, including funding, production, distribution and commercialisation.
Filmmaker and festival curator Luzuko Dilima said the Mandela Bay Film Festival was not only a celebration of films but a platform for filmmakers to connect, develop their projects and access opportunities.
"We want to create meaningful conversations between filmmakers, training institutions, funders, broadcasters, distributors and audiences.
“We want young people in the Eastern Cape to see the film industry as a real career and economic opportunity.
"There are hundreds of careers behind every film, and our responsibility is to expose young people to those possibilities and help build pathways into the industry," Dilima said.
A key component of the 2026 festival is the My Future My Film Career programme, which seeks to introduce high school pupils to career opportunities within the film and television industry.
The festival also aims to strengthen collaboration between training institutions and the professional film industry, creating opportunities for students and emerging creatives to gain exposure to real-world industry practices.
A funding institutions panel involving the National Film and Video Foundation, Eastern Cape Development Corporation and Eastern Cape Provincial Arts and Culture Council will explore funding opportunities, application requirements, eligibility criteria and the challenges facing emerging filmmakers in the province.
The day will conclude with an outdoor cinema programme at Bayworld.
The final day, November 19, will focus on broadcasting, distribution, production and long-term industry development, with sessions involving the SABC and MultiChoice.
Actor and film producer Kagiso Modupe will facilitate a film production masterclass, while Nelson Mandela University academic Prof Subeshini Moodley will lead a masterclass and dialogue on film industry development.