South African Films Open and Close Joburg Film Festival 2026

Two of the most anticipated South African films of the coming year will bookend the Joburg Film Festival 2026, presented in partnership with MultiChoice Group, a CANAL+ company. The festival runs from 3 to 8 March across cinemas in Johannesburg.

Opening the festival on 3 March is Laundry (Uhlanjululo), the debut feature from filmmaker Zamo Mkhwanazi. Fresh from its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, where Film Fatale described it as “thrilling African cinema”, the film sets the tone for a programme rooted in powerful storytelling.

Although the opening night is by invitation, a second public screening takes place at 15:15 on 7 March at NUMETRO CINE 1, Hyde Park, Sandton.

The festival closes with the South African premiere of The Trek, a western-horror directed by first-time filmmaker MeekaeeI Adam. It screens at 16:30 on 8 March at Theatre On The Square in Sandton.

Together, these films signal a confident moment for local cinema, with stories grounded in South African history and mythology while speaking to global audiences.

“Both Laundry and The Trek delicately balance texture with technique, and navigate their subject matter with real confidence,” says Joburg Film Festival Curator Nhlanhla Ndaba. “These are stories rooted in uniquely South African contexts that invite audiences to think, feel, and actively journey with the characters.”

Laundry (Uhlanjululo): A Story of Loss and Legacy

Described by Variety as having “the gloss of 1990s historical dramas”, Laundry (Uhlanjululo) explores the impact of apartheid through family, labour and lost inheritance.

Set in 1960s South Africa, the film follows a Black family running a laundry business under fragile permission to trade in a whites-only district. Patriarch Enoch, played by Siyabonga Shibe, fights to protect the family’s livelihood while tensions grow between survival and artistic ambition, particularly through his son, portrayed by Ntobeko Sishi.

When the threat of imprisonment looms, the family must confront the cost of endurance in a system designed to exclude them. The cast also includes Bukamina Cebekhulu, Tracy September and Justin Strydom.

Mkhwanazi drew inspiration from her own family history. “My grandfather had a laundry and when apartheid came in, he lost his business,” she told Variety. “That loss was always there in the back of my mind as a place where my intergenerational wealth was taken. I knew it had to be my first film.”

Mkhwanazi began her career as a scriptwriter on Isidingo. Her third short film, Gallo Rojo, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival Directors’ Fortnight in 2016.

The Trek: A Western-Horror in the Kalahari

Closing the festival, The Trek transports audiences to the Kalahari Desert in 1846. The story follows a Dutch-Afrikaans family and their British benefactor as they travel to claim land, guided by a mysterious Khoen traveller.

As hunger, exhaustion and mistrust set in, the group begins to fracture. Two spectral figures drawn from Southern African folklore hover over the journey, observing as the fragile social order unravels.

Blending historical realism with mythic elements, The Trek reimagines the western survival film through a Southern African lens. The cast includes Morné Visser, Maurice Carpede, Camilla Borghesani, Trix Vivier and Rob van Vuuren.

Adam has already earned a nomination for Best First-Time Director at the Directors Guild of South Africa’s Creatives Awards.

A Bold Statement for South African Cinema

“These selections and the festival programme as a whole reflect our deep commitment to the audience experience,” says Nomsa Philiso, spokesperson for MultiChoice Group, a CANAL+ company.

“From the outset, our partnership with the JFF has been about democratising access to bold, meaningful cinema. This year, we are proud to showcase two exceptional South African films that are as entertaining as they are illuminating.”

With Laundry (Uhlanjululo) and The Trek opening and closing the festival, the Joburg Film Festival 2026 delivers a clear message. South African cinema is confident, globally relevant and ready to command the screen.

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