The Mzansi Reel Film Festival makes a strong comeback, celebrating filmmaking and digital platforms.

South Africa - The eThekwini — The Mzansi Reel Film Festival makes a strong comeback, celebrating filmmaking and digital platforms while empowering women and youth in KZN and across South Africa.

Filmmakers Association is proud to announce the upcoming Mzansi Reel Film Festival, taking place from Sunday the 14th to Tuesday the 16th of December 2025 in the vibrant communities of Clermont K.K Library, Clermont K.K Community Hall and Clairwood Sports Ground, Durban. This innovative event aims to bridge the gap between aspiring filmmakers and industry professionals, with a special focus on empowering youth residing in hostel communities and across the country.

Thando Shozi, a renowned television and film industry expert, will host the festival, which will take place over three days under the theme "Embracing the Future of Television". The event promises to be a vibrant celebration of film and digital content creation, highlighting exceptional local talent, driving industry growth, and facilitating creative collaboration. The festival will delve into the future of made-for-TV film models, with a particular emphasis on digital online monetization, offering valuable insights into the latest industry trends and opportunities."As the world’s content viewing pattens keep changing, our goal is to create a platform where young aspiring filmmakers, women and persons with disabilities  can showcase their work, learn from industry experts, and connect with potential collaborators," said Andile Buwa, Founder of eThekwini Filmmakers Association. "By taking the festival to communities in Clermont and Clairwood, we're ensuring that talented youth have access to resources, networking opportunities, and exposure, regardless of their background."

^{Image: Andile Buwa (Supplied)}

Hosted with the objectives of promoting mobile television podcasting and digital content creation among rural youth and women, providing industry insights and development opportunities for emerging filmmakers and content creators and showcasing locally produced films and digital content that reflect the experiences and stories of rural communities, the festival aims to impact the lives of those attending the festival and participating in the programme.  

The festival will entail a three (3) day programme that will provide a platform for industry experts and emerging talent to share their experiences, insights, and perspectives, with the objective of exploring intersection of television podcasting and Made for TV models. To kick start the programme at Clermont K.K Library, the festival will tackle 

• The Mobile Television Podcasting theme “The Evolution of TV: From Traditional to Digital”. The Future of Made For TV Film Model with “Creating Content for Mobile and TV” workshop conducted by an industry professional. The workshop will be followed by a panel discussion on. 
• Industry expects will conduct a workshop on "Creating Engaging Mobile Content" as well as host a panel discussion on "The Future of Television: Mobile TV and Beyond". 
• The theme for Day 2, which takes place at Clermont K.K Community Hall, will be Digital Online Monetization featuring a workshop on "Monetizing Your Digital Content" and an industry session on "Digital Distribution and Marketing". The last day of the festival be hosted at Clairwood Sports Ground.

As with all film festivals, the Mzansi Reel Film Festival will showcase a curated selection of films that entertain, educate, and foster a vibrant film culture, promoting both local and international cinematic works. The festival will screen the following films selected from the 12th edition of African Emerging Filmmakers Awards that took place in 2024: Thulebona by Lwazi Duma, Ukhumbizile by Simanga Cibane, Amalootist by Silindile Dlamini of Umqhele Films, My Father’s Shadow by Brain Khawula, Embizeni by Sicelo Linda Mamle of Madifa Films. The films will be showcased in an outdoor cinema style set up on the 16th of December, which is the last day of the festival. 

"We believe that filmmaking is a powerful tool for social change," added Buwa. "By empowering women and  young creatives, we're investing in the future of South African cinema and contributing to the growth of our local film industry. In addition, as we will be showcasing films from our African Emerging Filmmakers Awards, we aim to uplift emerging filmmakers and create a platform for their films to be seen".

The Mzansi Reel Film Festival is a significant step towards democratising access to film education and opportunities. We invite the public to join us in supporting this initiative and celebrating the talent of our youth.

Made possible through the support of the KZN Tourism and Film Authority and the Durban Film Office, Mzansi Reel Film Festival is a celebration of film and storytelling that aims to promote local filmmaking talent, provide a platform for emerging filmmakers, and showcase the best of filmmaking. The festival is committed to promoting entrepreneurship in the film industry.

About the festival Host: Thando Shozi

^{Image: Thando Shozi (Supplied)}

Thando Shozi is the Managing Director at Sunrise eMandleni, a freelance producer and a versatile expert in film and TV content. She is renowned for her contributions to numerous titles and award-winning non-fiction programs. In her previous role at SABC, Thando served as the Head of Factual. She led a team of Commissioning Editors responsible for delivering factual content across all SABC platforms. During her tenure, she played a key role in developing innovative business strategies, programming, and creative content solutions. Thando left SABC in 2021 after a distinguished 27-year career spanning 5 departments and 8 roles within the TV and Radio Divisions.

Thando then established her own company, Sunrise eMandleni, which specializes in skills development training, consulting services, and production. Under her leadership, the company has spearheaded various training initiatives. Thando has served as a jury member at numerous local and international film festivals. Her involvement with NEWF began in 2017, where she has served in multiple roles including Advisor, Pitch Panellist, Mentor, and since 2023, Africa Distribution Lead. In addition, Thando consults for different local production companies and holds positions as a DUT Advisor and a DFA Board Member.

Join the conversation:

#MzansiReelFilmFestival 

#EthekwiniFilmmakersAssociation 

#GlemontHostels 

#FutureOfFilm