AFDA is proud to announce that five Honours graduation films have been selected to screen at the Joburg Film Festival (JFF), one of Africa’s most influential cinematic platforms. Four films from AFDA Johannesburg’s 2025 Honours cohort; Moepo Wa Madi, Melusi, Tlhaho Ya Mosadi, and Queenpin, along with Detour, the 2024 Honours graduation film from AFDA Cape Town, will be showcased at this year’s festival.
The Joburg Film Festival, founded in 2016 by Tim Mangwedi under Native Yard Solutions, has grown into a flagship celebration of cinematic storytelling that champions African voices and global creative exchange. Presented in partnership with MultiChoice, a CANAL+ company, the festival draws filmmakers, industry professionals, and audiences for screenings, masterclasses, industry talks, youth development initiatives, and networking events across Johannesburg.
“This is such an achievement for our Honours filmmakers and for AFDA Johannesburg,” says Angie Mills, Head of Postgraduate Studies at AFDA Johannesburg. “To have four student films selected for the Joburg Film Festival, alongside international award-winning work, is not only a mark of creative and professional excellence but a clear affirmation from the industry that our students’ work is resonating at both local and global levels. It speaks to the rigour of our postgraduate programme, the originality of our storytellers, and the strength of the mentorship and industry support that underpins their development. We are immensely proud to see our best student work recognised on such a significant platform.”
Each of the selected films offers a unique voice and creative perspective:
Melusi
Writer, Director, and Producer Ntokozo Mlaba describes Melusi as a deeply personal journey. Set in the rolling hills of Nqutu, KwaZulu-Natal, the film explores self-discovery and the complex relationship between identity, home, and memory, an intimate search for belonging through evocative storytelling.
Tlhaho Ya Mosadi
Director Naledi Galane’s Tlhaho Ya Mosadi honours the strength of African women while confronting the structural inequalities imposed by patriarchy. Through this work, Galane aims to highlight the sacredness of femininity and the urgent need for equity in society.
Queenpin
Producer Kgomotso Motaung explains that Queenpin is “a deeply personal and necessary heist film” that explores themes of power, survival, and resilience through a distinctly local lens. The film seeks to reclaim narrative space for stories rooted in lived social realities that often go unheard in mainstream cinema.
Moepo Wa Madi
Co-director and Co-writer Olwethu Dumzela reflects on Moepo Wa Madi as an inventive reimagining of genre through a South African perspective. Using the stark landscapes of the North West, the film questions morality, power, and survival within systems shaped long before the characters themselves. Co-director and Co-writer Thabang Mhlabane adds that having the film selected for JFF is “a profound honour” and affirms the urgency of the themes explored.
Detour
Representing AFDA Cape Town’s 2024 Honours cohort, Detour rounds out this impressive showing of student work, bringing a distinctive voice and creative vision from another AFDA campus.
The selection of these five Honours films at the Joburg Film Festival is testament to the talent and creativity of AFDA’s postgraduate filmmakers and to AFDA’s role in educating the next generation of storytellers. AFDA’s commitment to excellence in storytelling, technical craft, and narrative innovation ensures its graduates are making meaningful contributions to South African and global cinema.