AFDA and Controluce have built a long-standing partnership supporting the annual Italian Film Focus at the Labia Cinema in Cape Town. A vital element of this collaboration has been the regular visits of Italian directors, actors, and producers to AFDA campuses, where they engage with students and postgraduate filmmakers through screenings and discussions.
This year, Controluce issued a call for short films under 13 minutes. In response, AFDA Industry Liaison David Max Brown curated and submitted five exceptional short films by third-year AFDA students for consideration.
AFDA and Controluce are proud to announce that Lindokuhle Skosana, director of the AFDA third-year short film Waiting for Good Things (2022), has been selected to participate in the prestigious UNIMED Jury Award at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival (26 August – 5 September). His film was chosen from a selection submitted by film schools and universities across Africa, standing out for its artistic merit and poignant exploration of cultural diversity.
Lindokuhle will travel to Venice for a week-long programme, where he will present his film during a panel on academic exchange in audio-visual training between Italy and Africa. The panel, hosted in the GDA Laguna Room, is organised by UNIMED – The Union of Mediterranean Universities, in collaboration with Controluce and Le Giornate degli Autori (The Days of the Auteur), an independent section of the Venice International Film Festival that celebrates bold, innovative filmmaking from around the world.
As part of this international recognition, Waiting for Good Things will also screen at the Rome Africa Film Festival (RAFF), taking place from 18–20 July. RAFF is a celebrated annual event in Rome dedicated to showcasing contemporary African cinema and fostering cultural dialogue between Africa and Italy through the lens of film.
Lindokuhle’s film will be featured alongside four other AFDA productions:
- Animal Grief (2025) by Mihlali Ndlaleni and Alia Khan Koumantarakis
- Beyond Repair (2018) by Chadlee Skrikker
- Shalom, Shalom (2022) by Josh Lerner
- Where the Rest of Us Go (2023) by Kagiso Mokalapa and Gift Mhlongo
UNIMED and its partners commend Lindokuhle Skosana and AFDA for their contribution to nurturing cultural exchange and deepening international collaboration through cinematic storytelling.