The Hluma Film Festival will return to Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, on 14–15 November, bringing together filmmakers, industry professionals and audiences for a two-day programme featuring 16 films and seven panel discussions.
Now in its eighth edition, the festival, formerly known as the uMgungundlovu Film Festival, will be hosted at the Voortrekker Museum and Bessie Head Library. This year's theme, Where Truth Is Planted, Our Lens Finds the Light, places African storytelling, representation, and cinema's role in documenting society at the centre of the programme.
Beyond the film screenings, Hluma aims to provide a platform for industry engagement, giving emerging filmmakers and students a chance to connect directly with the South African film industry.
Festival director Portia Ndudane says the event is committed to ensuring that African stories receive greater visibility while opening up opportunities for new voices to participate in the industry.
She notes film's ability to bring generations together, preserve cultural stories, and spark discussions about problems that might otherwise go unnoticed. Developing new storytellers and increasing community involvement in filmmaking remain among the festival's priorities.
The programme opens on 14 November with Ikhaya Lami, directed by KwaZulu-Natal filmmaker Ayanda Makhanya. The film features Sibusiso Sithole, Zamuntu Khoza, Mnqobi Kunene, Thandeka Ndenza, Phindi Phewa and Bhekani Shabalala. The festival will conclude on 15 November with 6 Queens and 6 Kings, directed by Limpopo filmmaker Molatelo Bossman.
Other titles selected for this year's programme include Tomasi, directed by Portia Mncwabe; Hot Plate, by Shadie Mphaphuli; Mayfair, by Neo Leonardo Mokoena; The Deep Well, by Alphonse Menyo; Polyamorous US, by Mantile Malehu M; and Zebra Crossing, by James Robert Whitelaw.
The Lineup also features Remember Their Names (Sihle Hlophe), Kedibonye (Itumeleng Durvie Morake), Nongqawuse (Sipho Dee Zena), The Spring (Teodoro Francesco Liberto), Beyond Memory (Nhlanhla Sphilele Thusini), Enclosed (Fulufhelo Nemalili), Echoes of the Cursed Son (Sbongikuhle Kunene) and Letter to Society, produced by O'larato Masalesa.
Industry conversations will form another significant part of the programme, with seven panel discussions addressing issues affecting film production, financing and distribution. Topics include access to industry funding and support, opportunities for women in leadership, representation in film, production pressures, and emerging distribution pathways.
Discussion about this topic will also be dedicated to exploring the psychology and emotions involved in acting, a side of the craft that is often ignored.
By combining film screenings with industry-related discussions, the Hluma Film Festival remains an event that highlights the talent of African filmmakers while creating space to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the country's film industry.
