Hollywood African Cinema Connection (HACC) will host a screening of African and Middle Eastern films in Cape Town from October 30 to November 2, 2026. The festival's program will focus on exploring themes of land, heritage, and the lives of people behind conflict stories.
HACC Creative Director, William Williams, noted at a press briefing that the selection process prioritized unique cinematic style and directors with a clear creative vision. The central theme of the festival, 'Our Land, Our Heritage,' unites stories about communities, culture, and the threat of displacement.
Williams emphasized that the selected films are unique works embodying the vision of their directors. The opening film will be 'Irqalla: The Sword of Gilgamesh' from Iraq, directed by Mohammed Jabarah Al-Daradji. Williams described the depiction of two orphans experiencing trauma in Iraq as an opportunity to look deeper than just the statistics often presented in the news.
The Creative Director noted that the strength of this film lies in its attention to the emotions and daily experiences of children. She expressed enthusiasm about the possibility of sharing this film with the audience.
Williams also mentioned that filmmakers from the Middle East welcomed the chance to reach the South African audience. Through her work in distribution, she sought ways to increase visibility and find commercial opportunities for these directors' works. She believes that Cape Town's diverse communities and interest in art create a suitable audience for such stories.
The closing film will be 'Cotton Queen,' directed by Suzanne Mirgany, which explores the lives of women in a Sudanese community involved in cotton farming. Williams linked the attention to these women's culture and the threat of losing their land directly to the festival's theme. She first saw this film at the Durban International Film Festival, where she met Mirgany, and was moved by the portrayal of the women's intimate lives.
Williams noted that she chose the film due to the quality of its cinematography and deep narrative, adding that four out of ten selected feature films were directed by women.
Bhekis Dladla, who spoke about his work with African Film DAO and festival curation, stated that the current selection reflects changes in African cinema. He noted that the selection process revealed progress in both storytelling and production across different parts of the continent, and believes that filmmakers need to combine these strengths to maintain audience attention.
Dladla reported that the improvement in filmmakers' work has been achieved through skill development, infrastructure, and mentorship. He wants the festival to showcase these achievements alongside the stories themselves. He also named audience participation as a central element of African Film DAO's ambitions. DAO stands for Decentralized Autonomous Organization.
Dladla presented a model where participants can use digital tokens to support film projects and vote on scripts that should move into production. He gave an example where the community reviews several scripts and uses tokens to indicate which film they want to see. He presented this as a way to involve the audience in the filmmaking process and seek support for filmmakers as an alternative to studios and government funding.
Williams announced that the opening and closing films will be shown at Ster-Kinekor at V&A Waterfront. She also mentioned that the weekend program at the Robben Island Amphitheatre Museum will include films and panel discussions. She urged the public to support the screenings and the festival's work, emphasizing the dependence on public support for its continuation.
