The 13th European Film Festival in South Africa is a cinematic journey unfolding at select cinemas in Cape Town. Running from 17 to 27 September 2026, the festival screens 12 contemporary European films that reflect on Europe’s realities and its place in the world today.
This year’s selection focuses on family dynamics, parental relationships, and the difficulties of reconnecting with loved ones, with a mix of drama, comedy, and documentary films that are sure to keep cinephiles engaged throughout the festival. These are all the films screening in 2026.
2026 Programme
Fatherland
A 2026 black-and-white biographical film set in Cold War-era Germany, Fatherland stars Sandra Hüller (Project Hail Mary & Anatomy of a Fall) and Hanns Zischler (Munich) as a German father and daughter on a road trip through the country. The film is director Paweł Pawlikowski’s third historical film, following Ida and Cold War, and it earned him the Award for Best Director at Cannes.
At the height of the Cold War, Fatherland centers on the relationship between the writer Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika—actress, writer and rally driver—as they embark on a road trip in a black Buick cruiser across a Germany in ruins.
The film’s trailer is available on YouTube.
Cost: R90 per person. Book via Webtickets.
When: Friday, 18 September 2026 | 6.15pm – 7.30pm
Where: The Labia Theatre, 68 Orange Street, Gardens
The Last Viking
The latest film from Danish star Mads Mikkelsen, this black comedy by Academy Award-winning writer-director Anders Thomas Jensen premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. It stars Mikkelsen as a man with dissociative identity disorder (believing that he is John Lennon) alongside a full Danish cast of acclaimed actors, including Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Sofie Gråbøl, and Søren Malling.
A bank robber released from jail must unlock his traumatised brother’s memory to recover stolen loot.
The film’s trailer is available on YouTube.
Cost: R90 per person. Book via Webtickets.
When: Saturday, 19 September 2026 | 5.30pm – 7.25pm
Where: The Labia Theatre, 68 Orange Street, Gardens
My Father’s Shadow
A critically acclaimed darling, My Father’s Shadow is the feature film debut from award-winning filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr. The film follows an unlikely family reunion during the 1993 Nigerian election and stars Sope Dirisu, Godwin Chiemerie Egbo, and Uzoamaka Power. It was a critical favourite during its festival run, including a BAFTA and two Gotham Awards, and was the UK’s official selection for the 98th Academy Awards.
Two young brothers explore Lagos with their estranged father during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis, witnessing both the city’s magnitude and their father’s daily struggles as political unrest threatens their journey home.
The film’s trailer is available on YouTube.
Cost: R90 per person. Book via Webtickets.
When: Saturday, 19 September 2026 | 8.15pm – 9.50pm
Where: The Labia Theatre, 68 Orange Street, Gardens
A Family
This drama film explores the consequences of a messy divorce from the perspective of the couple’s children and features Carice van Houten (Game of Thrones), Celeste Holsheimer, and Finn Vogels.
An acclaimed Spanish director reunites with his estranged daughter, an unsuccessful actress, to shoot a film. The two need to handle their strained relationship and past issues neither wants to address directly.
The film’s trailer is available on YouTube.
Cost: R90 per person. Book via Webtickets.
When: Sunday, 20 September 2026 | 2pm – 3.25pm
Where: The Labia Theatre, 68 Orange Street, Gardens
Colours of Time
In this French period drama about the importance of the past, four cousins set out to discover more about their ancestors. It stars Suzanne Lindon, Abraham Wapler, Vincent Macaigne, and Julia Piaton, and is written and directed by Cédric Klapisch.
Follows the lives of the cousins who inherit an old house in rural Normandy and retrace the steps of their ancestors in 19th-century Paris.
The film’s trailer is available on YouTube.
Cost: R90 per person. Book via Webtickets.
When: Sunday, 20 September 2026 | 5pm – 7.05pm
Where: The Labia Theatre, 68 Orange Street, Gardens
Aquí
This dystopian drama by Tiago Guedes is an enigmatic, humanist film based on the Childhood of Jesus series of books by South African writer & Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee. The Portuguese film features a cast of several beloved Spanish actors, with debutant Álex Peláez in the main role, and the final performance from the late, award-winning artist Manolo Solo.
In a dystopian world, child refugee David meets Simón, then Inés, and they escape together to a city where the kid nurtures mysterious abilities.
An official clip from the film’s debut at the Cannes Film Festival is available on YouTube.
Cost: R90 per person. Book via Webtickets.
When: Thursday, 24 September 2026 | 12.15pm – 3.35pm
Where: The Labia Theatre, 68 Orange Street, Gardens
Christy
Ireland’s selection is Christy, a film that follows two estranged brothers reconnecting after years in foster homes. It is Brendan Canty’s debut film, inspired by his short film of the same name. The cast features many relative unknowns and ones to watch, including Danny Power, Diarmuid Noyes, Emma Willis, and Alison Oliver (Saltburn & Wuthering Heights).
Two estranged brothers with chequered childhoods in the care system suddenly find themselves living under the same roof. They must now reconcile with their pasts and make decisions about the future.
The film’s trailer is available on YouTube.
Cost: R90 per person. Book via Webtickets.
When: Friday, 25 September 2026 | 6pm – 7.35pm
Where: The Labia Theatre, 68 Orange Street, Gardens
Franz
The only biopic at the festival, Agnieszka Holland’s latest film looks at the life and untimely death of iconic writer Franz Kafka. Idan Weiss stars in the title role, alongside Peter Kurth and Ivan Trojan as Kafka’s family members and Jenovéfa Boková as Milena Jesenská, the first person to translate his work from German.
It narrates the life of Czech writer Franz Kafka, from his birth to his death.
The film’s trailer is available on YouTube.
Cost: R90 per person. Book via Webtickets.
When: Friday, 25 September 2026 | 8pm – 10.10pm
Where: The Labia Theatre, 68 Orange Street, Gardens
Young Mothers
The latest film from the industry-pushing Dardenne brothers follows five poor teenage mothers in a maternity shelter in Banneux, Belgium. The film won the Best Screenplay Award at Cannes and stars Lucie Laruelle, Babette Verbeek, Elsa Houben, Janaïna Halloy Fokan and Samia Hilmi.
Five young mothers living in a shelter strive for a better future for themselves and their kids amidst challenging upbringings.
The film’s trailer is available on YouTube.
Cost: R90 per person. Book via Webtickets.
When: Saturday, 26 September 2026 | 4pm – 5.45pm
Where: The Labia Theatre, 68 Orange Street, Gardens
The Beloved
A film about filmmaking with a difficult father-daughter relationship at the centre, The Beloved stars Javier Bardem and Victoria Luengo, with Bardem being highly praised for his performance. Rodrigo Sorogoyen directs it, co-writing the script with Isabel Peña, and it competed for the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
An acclaimed Spanish director reunites with his estranged daughter, an unsuccessful actress, to shoot a film. The two need to handle their strained relationship and past issues neither wants to address directly.
The film’s trailer is available on YouTube.
Cost: R90 per person. Book via Webtickets.
When: Saturday, 26 September 2026 | 6.15pm – 8.30pm
Where: The Labia Theatre, 68 Orange Street, Gardens
La Grazia
An Italian drama film following a fictional Catholic president conflicted about the legalisation of euthanasia in the country, La Grazia is written and directed by Italian cinema icon Paolo Sorrentino. Starring Toni Servillo, Anna Ferzetti, and Massimo Venturiello, with Servillo winning the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice International Film Festival.
A widowed Italian president faces moral crises over euthanasia legislation and pardoning killers while grappling with his late wife’s infidelity during his final months in office.
The film’s trailer is available on YouTube.
Cost: R90 per person. Book via Webtickets.
When: Sunday, 27 September 2026 | 2pm – 4.15pm
Where: The Labia Theatre, 68 Orange Street, Gardens
Porcelain War
Ukraine’s entry to the festival is a modern documentary detailing the lives of three artists during the ongoing Russian occupation. Blending camera footage with GoPro action and CG-animated scenes, the film is an experimental, hard-hitting look at the lived reality in Ukraine, and was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards.
Under roaring fighter jets, Ukrainian artists Slava, Anya, and Andrey choose to stay behind. Defiantly finding beauty amid destruction, they show that although it’s easy to make people afraid, it’s hard to destroy their passion for living.
The film’s trailer is available on YouTube.
Cost: R90 per person. Book via Webtickets.
When: Sunday, 27 September 2026 | 5pm – 6.30pm
Where: The Labia Theatre, 68 Orange Street, Gardens
Get in touch
With a diverse lineup of dramas, comedies, and documentaries, the European Film Festival continues to bring some of the most thoughtful and cinema-defining films to South African audiences. More information is available on the festival website.
When: 17 – 27 September 2026
Where: The Labia Theatre, 68 Orange Street, Gardens
Website: eurofilmfest.co.za
Email: [email protected] | [email protected]
Facebook: @EUFFSA#
Instagram: @euffsa
Catch the biggest blockbusters and indie darlings in Cape Town this year
