Established in 2016, the Joburg Film Festival (JFF) has grown into one of the continent’s most dynamic cultural forces. Founded by Tim Mangwedi, under Native Yard Solutions, and shaped by the energy and diversity of Johannesburg, the festival reflects the city’s bold, creative, and ambitious spirit. Presented in partnership with MultiChoice, a CANAL+ company, JFF champions African storytelling, artistic excellence, and industry innovation while bringing together filmmakers, audiences, and global industry leaders in an environment designed for discovery and connection.
At JFF, every element is designed to engage, inspire, and connect audiences. Red carpets welcome attendees to screenings, premieres, and exclusive gatherings, creating moments that celebrate both the films and the people behind them. Curated panels, masterclasses, and immersive experiences bring established and emerging voices into conversation, while youth-focused platforms provide space for fresh perspectives to be heard, developed and nurtured. Across its six days, the festival offers memorable experiences that are distinctly JFF.
Adding to the line-up of carefully selected films, JFF’s industry programme, the Joburg Xchange, comprises of JBX Talks and JBX Youth, complementing the overall festival offering. JBX Talks includes panel discussions, masterclasses, and networking sessions for established practitioners, while JBX Youth brings emerging voices into key conversations. Other initiatives throughout the year include the Young Voices Competition and Workshops, Film Society screenings, and other collaborative engagements with industry partners. Together, these platforms form a comprehensive ecosystem that supports industry growth and film literacy, and embeds film deeply within our culture.
The festival unfolds at the heart of the continent’s largest economic and cosmopolitan hub, centred around the prestigious Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton – Africa’s richest ‘square mile’- and its surrounding precincts. Extending to venues across Johannesburg, the festival draws on the city’s energy and diversity to create fertile ground for discovery, dialogue, and creative exchange. JFF truly stands at the intersection of African creativity and global opportunity – rooted in Pan-African culture.
Each year, the festival curates more than 100 feature and short films from around the world, drawing around 10,000 participants. JFF blends African culture with innovation- spanning technology, creative entrepreneurship, industry, and craft – while keeping storytelling at its core. It is both a cultural celebration and a space where African content finds pathways to global audiences.
Entering its 8th edition under the theme ‘Feel the Frame,’ the festival invites audiences to experience cinema as a sensory, collaborative art form, appreciating the craft behind performance, directing, writing, sound, design, and editing. The festival’s glamorous awards ceremony bestows filmmakers with the prestigious Nguni Horn, a symbol of strength and heritage, recognising the talent that shapes and elevates African storytelling.
The festival celebrates the continent’s boldest voices while connecting them with industry leaders, audiences, and collaborators from around the world.
