The 12th European Film Festival in South Africa is a cinematic journey in search of love, identity, family, and belonging. Ten contemporary European films reflect on the realities of Europe and its place in the world now. Their strong characters in unusual situations, carefully crafted stories, and breathtaking landscapes make these films a road trip for the heart and mind.
The Festival takes place in Cape Town and Johannesburg, from 9 to 19 October, 2025, with a smaller curated programme online in Southern Africa.
In Le Mohican, an unlikely hero, supported by his Corsican community, is on the run from the mafia and ruthless property developers who threaten to take his land. His resistance transforms him into a legend. (France)
The North has been called “the best hiking movie to date” and the power of its energy – feel the wind, touch the water and endure the frustration of setting up a tent in a storm – underlies the journey of “humans who need to reconnect with nature, themselves and grow through friendships.” Set in the breathtaking mountains of the Scottish Highlands. (The Netherlands)
The brothers, Pedro and Agustín Almodóvar, are part of the producing team of Sirat, an unusual journey of a father accompanied by his son, searching for his daughter through the remote southern Moroccan desert; with the soundtrack leading the way in this ”odyssey between life and death.” (Spain)
In Unicorns, rising star Ben Hardy plays a mechanic and a single father who falls in love with a South Asian drag queen; a film which reminds us of what it takes to transform and cross borders, whether physical, mental, or spiritual. The directors are Sally El Hosaini and James Krishna Floyd. (United Kingdom)
The film Great Yarmouth: Provisional Figures deals with travelling of a different kind – economic migrants and the fantasy of escaping one’s situation – it has been described as “a chilling exploration of modern servitude.” (Portugal)
In Real Faces, Julia an ambitious casting agent, relocates to Brussels after a breakup. Struggling to build a new life, she masks her insecurities behind a façade of success and happiness. She meets reclusive microbiologist Eliott and forms an unexpected, authentic friendship that inspires her to break free from societal expectations. (Flanders (Belgium))
Fuori, meaning “outside,” is written and directed by Mario Martone, about the controversial feminist writer Goliarda Sapienza. Set in the summer of the 1980s, the story takes place when the writer was jailed for a crazy and unforeseen incident. In prison she forms an unusual and lasting bond with other inmates. (Italy)
In urban Denmark, A Perfectly Normal Family redefines love and understanding when Emma’s father Thomas announces that he wants to become Agnetha. Father and daughter struggle to hold on to what they had while coming to terms with the fact that everything has changed. (Denmark)
In Under the Volcano, a summer vacation in Tenerife turns to chaos when a Ukrainian family learns about the invasion of their country. (Poland)
From German filmmaker Christian Petzold comes Miroirs #.3, a haunting, character-driven exploration of loss, memory, and unexpected recovery when an accident survivor is taken in by a good Samaritan family. (Germany)
Participating countries are Belgium/Flanders, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Live screenings take place at The Labia in Cape Town and The Bioscope and Nu Metro Hyde Park in Johannesburg. A curated selection of films will be streamed online in Southern Africa at www.eurofilmfest.co.za.
The Festival coincides with several country-specific events and celebrations.
The EUFFSA is presented by the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival and sponsored by the Delegation of the European Union, Cineuropa, and the Embassies and cultural institutes of Denmark, Flanders, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.