From Land Politics to Friendship: ARIFF’s Films Mirror a Changing Continent

One thing Johannesburg film lovers cannot say they’re without is a space to congregate with fellow cinephiles. With film markets, creative hubs, watch parties, and film festivals abounding, it is only a matter of going out in search of them. 

The Africa Rising International Film Festival (ARIFF) is one of those spaces–an annual weekend where lovers of film, and emerging and established filmmakers get together to watch films, attend panels, and engage in thought-provoking and character-building conversations around the state of our media industry. 

“From its inception, ARIFF was founded as a people’s festival,” Felicia Naiwa Sithebe, the festival manager, tells me. “It’s a space intentionally created for the film community to gather, engage, learn from one another, and celebrate shared achievements.” 

Over the past eight years since it was co-founded by Lala Tuku, SABC’s Head of Content, and Ayanda Sithebe, the founder of Actor Spaces, this vision has been consistently actualised through programming that prioritises access and inclusivity, audience development, and platforming emerging and established filmmakers on the greater African film and media network. 

Karabo Mokoena, a young writer/researcher/all-out storyteller, who has grown within ARIFF from volunteer to programmer, shapes this year’s selection with a focus on story above all else. 

With a criteria rooted in relevance and what resonates beyond the technical: films that speak to the current social climate, echo local and global anxieties, and present experiences that audiences can deeply connect with. Whether interrogating land politics, navigating friendship, or reflecting on identity, the slated films mirror the world’s tensions while highlighting the nuances of African life.

A part of her curation process was ensuring that, inasmuch as the films were technically and creatively accomplished, as well as able to entertain and prompt engagement, they also needed to tell a story within their respective packages. There needed to be some kind of conversation. 

With different packages like After We Fall, Ties That Bind, Bound & Becoming, and Moments & Encounters, to name but a few, the programmer highlighted themes that resonated with resilience and recovery, that confronted realities that hold us together even when we’re going through the most, and stories that capture the fleeting and profound moments that shape who we are and the journeys we take. 

What came from this was a blend of narrative and documentary short films from different countries like Tanzania, Nigeria, Burundi, Tunisia, and South Africa, among others. A beautiful display of the interconnectedness of experiences within the African community.

Audiences can expect special screenings of feature films like Godisang Khunou’s Black Women and Sex, and Carissa directed by Jason Jacobs and Devon Delma. Mokoena mentions Tsogo Kupa’s Mathonga Elizwe and Nqanawe Cebolenkosi Shangase’s Ubani Lore? as one of many standout submissions for how they use powerful yet accessible storytelling means. 

She recalls watching the Amathonga Elizwe documentary for the first time at the Johannesburg Film Festival earlier this year, and appreciating how it dealt with the conversations on land. “While there’s nothing wrong with intellectualising a subject matter,” she explains, “I think it’s very important to create work that speaks back to the people that it’s meant to touch and whose story it is telling. The film gave the people of that area a means to voice out how this land ownership situation impacted their heritage and their history.” 

Like their uprooting and loss of ancestral lands. 

On Shangase’s Ubani Lore?: “Nqanawe has a way of writing dialogue that’s very, very smart. It takes something that appears simple and gives it great nuance. In Ubani Lore? three friends are basically looking for the origins of the film, The Matrix. A book. But the conversations they have around this book, their intentions… It’s a brilliant film, but the dialogue is amazing. Written quite beautifully.” 

The festival also hosts a strong slate of panels, masterclasses and presentations – from a producing panel spotlighting young industry disruptors “who are making waves in their own individual ways” and are imparting others with skills and suggestions on how to navigate the precariousness of creating work and looking for funding, to Gcobisa Yoka’s Between Story and Strategy presentation that “talks about how she uses her background in Film and TV to create strategies for different brands—a great reminder that you are not limited to a linear or singular creative space,” to Lehlohonolo Masipa’s highly anticipated session on Breaking Down the Path.

These sessions are imperative in humanising the journey of being a filmmaker. In sharing nuggets and breaking down creative pathways, and empowering young filmmakers with practical, market-facing knowledge. 

Beyond screenings, ARIFF expands its footprint with dynamic offerings like the Digital Hub, a space exploring the convergence of film, creativity and technology, and the introduction of a new segment called Buzz in the Creative Streets, a curated look at short-form digital content and the innovative ways young people are merging storytelling with brand strategy, design, new media, and cultural influence. 

A big part of Karabo Mokoena’s research and planning process for this youth-centric programme was actively looking into what young people are doing, what they’re saying, and what they’re looking forward to. “And a lot of them are gravitating towards the digital space – creating reels and such, and finding creative ways to use short-form. That is what Buzz in the Creative Streets is about: spotlighting short-form content and the young people pushing it.”

As a free event, ARIFF invites artists and creatives, and exhibitors alike to showcase their work. It is a space that prioritises access and visibility. When asked about distribution processes, Naiwa Sithebe says that “While the festival doesn’t have a formal post-festival distribution model, we ensure that filmmakers are connected to the right networks, information, and opportunities that can support their distribution journey.” 

One of these is a masterclass by Ster-Kinekor chief of content, Nicolette Scheepers, titled What Makes a Successful Theatrical Release. This session looks at unpacking audience behaviour, market realities and insights into what filmmakers should be aware of when planning to distribute their films – imperative information that may not be readily available out there.

Central to their mission is the creation of sustainable bridges with local and international partners, spotlighting and positioning young people as essential storytellers of our time, and highlighting their need for resources and support to propel our media and culture landscape forward. 

Naiwa Sithebe explains: “As a people-focused festival, much of our strength comes from the dedication of our team and partners – individuals and organisations who join us with a genuine commitment to uplifting the industry.” 

These relationships have been built and nurtured over many years, but there can never be enough funders for an endeavour like this that seeks to shape and reshape how our country interacts with others as a participant and contributor to cultural conversations. 

“Strong financial support directly impacts our ability to build better infrastructure and ultimately enhance the experience for all attendees. The more stakeholders who believe in the vision, the greater the impact that can be made across different regions, and the more effectively we can address existing gaps within the industry.” 

ARIFF takes place at Atlas Studios from November 28th to the 30th, with different screenings taking place between Atlas Studios, The Bioscope, and Ster-Kinekor Cinema Nouveau in Rosebank. 

Tickets are currently sold out for all the sessions and screenings.