This year’s programme boasts 12 films, including new work from Oscar-winning directors Pawel Pawlikowski and Paolo Sorrentino; social realist legends, the Dardenne Brothers; BAFTA-winning feature debutant Akinola Davies Jr.; and intriguing, entertaining, always engaging work from both veteran and emerging European cinematic storytellers. Featuring impressive performances from the cream of European talent, including Mads Mikkelsen, Javier Bardem, Sandra Hüller, and Carice van Houten, and a host of newcomers ably meeting the challenges of demanding, emotional roles – the 13^th edition of South Africa’s premier festival for cinema-lovers explores family and its realities and challenges across time, place, and genre.

Opening the festival is The Last Viking, with Denmark’s biggest star Mads Mikkelsen, leading the star-studded cast of this madcap, blackly comic Danish family-drama/crime-caper-noir about brothers, mental health, past secrets, the Beatles and getting by with more than a little bit of help from your friends.

Winner of the BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut, My Father’s Shadow (UK), British-Nigerian director Akinola Davies Jr’s first feature marks the arrival of a vital, bold new voice in world cinema. Poetically realised with haunting imagery and bustling, vivid, angry life, it’s a deeply personal film that’s a tribute not only to its creators’ own father but to all parents who daily face the struggles to keep their families alive and together at all costs.

Germany’s offering, Fatherland, directed by Oscar-winning director Paweł Pawlikowski (Ida and Cold War), European cinema’s master of visual and narrative precision, delivers a tightly controlled, intimate, and heart-breaking portrait of German literature’s legendary Thomas Mann as he and his daughter make a journey across a nation trying to grapple with grief and the horrors of the past as the Cold War rages. Winner of the Best Director prize at this year’s Cannes Festival, the film stars Oscar-nominated Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall).

In Young Mothers (Belgium), the multiple award-winning Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne paint a small, gritty, and empathetic portrait of the struggles of young mothers. Abandoned by their families and society, these courageous and anxious young women support each other as they make the first of many tough adult decisions of their lives.  Winner of the Best Screenplay award at Cannes this year.

Oscar- and BAFTA-winning leading Italian director Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty) reteams with collaborator Toni Servillo in La Grazia (Italy). Servillo won a Best Actor statue at the Venice Film Festival for his performance in this elegantly styled, intimate drama about fathers, daughters, love, duty, and the eternal question of “who owns our days?”- set against the grubby backdrop of Italian politics.

Colours of Time (France), directed by Cédric Klapisch, is a family drama that weaves together stories from one family’s 19th-century past and their 21st-century present. A memorably delightful and touching exploration of art, family, and history.

Porcelain War (Ukraine), directed by Brendan Bellomo and featuring this stunning documentary’s key protagonist, Slava Leontyev, is an inspirational Oscar-nominated film in which Leontyev, his wife, and their friend tell, at great personal risk and with footage they shot, the story of how their lives as artists were brutally upended by the war in Ukraine. Now, with roles as Ukrainian soldiers – they’ve never lost their passion for art and nature as they risk everything for family, nation and freedom.

Oscar winner Javier Bardem gives a brooding performance as the fictional, acclaimed, mercurial Spanish film director Esteban Martínez in The Beloved (Spain). Director Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s Martinez returns to his homeland to film a colonial-era period drama set in the Western Sahara.

The film unravels the fragile relationship between fathers and daughters and asks difficult questions about personal sacrifices made in service of art.

In A Family (Netherlands), Dutch director Mees Peijnenburg offers a powerful window on divorce in modern Europe, told empathetically through the eyes of a brother and sister trying to each find their own ways and hopefully a path together through the aftermath of the bitter war between their parents. It stars Carice van Houten (Game of Thrones) and Pieter Embrechts.

Veteran award-winning Polish director Agnieszka Holland offers an energetic and generally bright biopic about the enigmatic literary genius Franz Kafka in Franz. The film contemplates its protagonist, his difficult relationship with his father, and imagines how his legacy might be celebrated in the future.

Ireland’s Christy is the debut feature from Brendan Canty that has picked up many nominations and awards at this year’s Irish Film and TV Awards for its tender direction and impressive lead performance from Danny Power as the title character – a teenager with a murkily remembered tragic past, who, after he’s kicked out of his latest foster home, returns to Cork to stay with his estranged brother. As he tries to figure out his future, he rediscovers the relationship with his brother and begins to imagine a home among people in a place he might yet grow to know and love.

The extraordinary and original, Aquí (Portugal) is director Tiago Guedes’ ambitious, epic, and suitably enigmatic adaptation of the Jesus trilogy of novels by South African Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee. It stays true to its source material’s humanist hopes, despairs and probing of the eternal philosophical questions that keep families and societies eternally (and anxiously) moving onward.

The festival pays tribute to the tireless dedication and vision of a former co-director of the festival Peter Rorvik, who sadly passed away earlier this year. Peter was a passionate supporter of independent films and nurtured a generation of film lovers and filmmakers across South Africa and beyond for decades.

The 13^th European Union Film Festival South Africa takes place from September 17 to 27, 2026, in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, and Pretoria.

For the full programme and schedule, follow on social media or go to eurofilmfest.co.za

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Releasing in South African cinemas on Friday 17 July, The Odyssey is the first feature film ever shot entirely with IMAX film cameras, pushing large format filmmaking further than ever before. Whether audiences choose IMAX at Ster-Kinekor, Scene Xtreme at Nu Metro or another premium large format cinema, this is a film designed to reward those who experience it on the biggest screen possible.

Built For the Biggest Screens

From the outset, Nolan envisioned The Odyssey as a cinematic event rather than simply another blockbuster. By shooting the entire film using IMAX cameras, every scene was designed to maximise image quality, scale and immersion in a way that cannot be replicated on a television or mobile device.

IMAX cameras capture substantially more image detail than conventional digital formats, delivering extraordinary sharpness, richer colours and a much taller image. On premium large format screens, audiences see more of every frame, from vast ocean landscapes and towering cliffs to intricate costume details and sweeping battle sequences. Combined with powerful cinema sound, the result is an experience that places viewers in the middle of the action rather than simply watching it unfold.

Real Filmmaking in a Digital Age

One of Nolan’s defining characteristics as a filmmaker is his commitment to practical effects. Rather than relying heavily on computer-generated imagery, The Odyssey was brought to life using real ships, large-scale practical sets and spectacular locations filmed across six countries.

The production ventured to rugged coastlines, open seas and remote landscapes to create the mythical world of Odysseus, allowing natural light, real environments and practical stunt work to do much of the storytelling. This dedication to authenticity gives the film a physical weight and realism that audiences instinctively recognise on screen.

Even shooting entirely with IMAX cameras presented enormous challenges. The cameras are significantly larger, heavier and more complex than conventional film cameras, making every shot more demanding to execute. It is an extraordinary technical achievement that reflects Nolan’s determination to push the boundaries of modern filmmaking.

An All-Star Cast Brings a Timeless Story to Life

While the visuals are spectacular, The Odyssey is also driven by an exceptional cast. Matt Damon stars as the legendary Odysseus, leading an ensemble that includes Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Benny Safdie, Jon Bernthal, Mia Goth, Elliot Page, John Leguizamo and Corey Hawkins. Bringing together Academy Award winners, blockbuster favourites and some of Hollywood’s most exciting younger stars, the cast reflects the scale and ambition of Nolan’s latest production.

Based on Homer’s enduring epic, the story follows Odysseus on his perilous journey home following the Trojan War. Along the way, he faces mythical creatures, powerful gods, impossible choices and extraordinary adventures in one of literature’s greatest tales.

A Cinema Experience Worth Leaving Home For

Following the global success of Oppenheimer, Nolan once again demonstrates why some films deserve to be experienced in a cinema. The immense picture, immersive sound and remarkable craftsmanship combine to create a film that simply cannot be replicated at home. Every crashing wave, every towering landscape and every carefully constructed set has been created for the theatrical experience, allowing audiences to appreciate the full scale of Nolan’s vision.

Whether viewed in IMAX at Ster-Kinekor, Scene Xtreme at Nu Metro or another premium large format cinema, The Odyssey is a reminder of what makes going to the movies so special.

The Odyssey opens in cinemas across South Africa on Friday 17 July. For audiences deciding which film deserves the biggest screen this year, Christopher Nolan’s latest epic makes a compelling case.

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The Equalizer is a reimagining of the classic series starring Academy Award® nominee and multi-hyphenate Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall, an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills as a former CIA operative to help those with nowhere else to turn. McCall presents to most as an average single mom who is quietly raising her teenage daughter. But to a trusted few, she is The Equalizer – an anonymous guardian angel and defender of the downtrodden, who’s also dogged in her pursuit of personal redemption.

Robyn’s clandestine work and her personal life often collide when her smart and observant daughter, Delilah, and her aunt Vi, who lives with Robyn to help her balance life as a working mother, struggle to conceal her vigilante career. While Robyn worries about the mental and emotional toll her work exacts on her family, she is joined in her pursuit of justice by Melody “Mel” Bayani, an edgy bar owner and sniper from Robyn’s past who recently quit the Equalizer team to recover from post-traumatic stress disorder, and Harry Keshegian, a paranoid and brilliant white hat hacker married to Mel. As Robyn aids the oppressed and exploited, she sometimes works with Marcus Dante, an NYPD detective and trusted friend who respects the need for Robyn’s type of justice even as he often questions her methods.

Queen Latifah (Chicago, Hairspray) returns alongside Tory Kittles (Colony, True Detective), Adam Goldberg (A Beautiful Mind, Saving Private Ryan), Liza Lapira (Fast & Furious, Crazy, Stupid, Love), Laya DeLeon Hayes (God of War Ragnarök, The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster) and Lorraine Toussaint (Orange Is the New Black, Selma).

The Equalizer is produced by Universal Television in association with CBS Studios. Executive producers include Joseph C. Wilson, Dana Owens (Queen Latifah), Debra Martin Chase, Shakim Compere, John Davis, John Fox, Loretha Jones and Rob Hanning.

The Equalizer Season 5 premieres on Universal TV on 3 April at 8 PM, with new episodes airing every Friday until 31 July 2026.

Universal TV is available on DStv Channel 117 across Africa.

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With rising international tensions in the Indo-Pacific, an eclectic team of U.S. NCIS agents and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) are brought together in a multinational taskforce to keep naval crimes in check in the most contested patch of ocean on the planet. Led by NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey and her second-in-command, AFP counterpart, Sergeant Jim “JD” Dempsey, the American and Australian operatives must quickly learn to trust each other, harnessing their differences to solve each case.

In its third season, NCIS: Sydney returns to the glistening Harbour City after surviving their croc-fuelled Top End adventure – but something even more dangerous is coming back to bite them: their own pasts. Against a backdrop of adrenaline-pumping cases, the team is put to the test like never before. From mysterious disappearances and targeted explosions to high-risk international incidents and a journey to Antarctica, each episode presents a fresh challenge that tests the unit’s expertise, resilience and ability to stay united under pressure. As the stakes rise, the team must confront unexpected threats, navigate shifting alliances and make critical decisions that could have far‑reaching consequences – both personally and professionally.

Cast includes Olivia Swann (Legends of Tomorrow, River Wild), Todd Lasance (Without Remorse, Spartacus), Sean Sagar (The Gentlemen, The Covenant), Tuuli Narkle (Mystery Road: Origin, Territory), Mavournee Hazel (Neighbours, Shantaram) and William McInnes (Unfinished Sky, Blue Heelers).

NCIS: Sydney is produced by Endemol Shine Australia (a Banijay Entertainment Company) for CBS Studios and Paramount Australia. Executive producers include Morgan O’Neill, Sara Richardson, Sue Seeary, Louisa Kors and Carmen J. Leonard. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

NCIS: Sydney Season 3 premieres on Universal TV on 6 April at 8 PM, with new episodes airing every Monday until 17 August.

Universal TV is available on DStv Channel 117 across Africa.

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Based on the 2020 film of the same name, Blue Ridge follows Sheriff Justin Wise and his two deputies as they work to protect their small Appalachian town from the forces trying to rip it apart. Every case tests their grit, loyalty, and the limits of small-town peace. Longstanding feuds, disgruntled criminals, unruly travellers, and cold-blooded murderers wreak havoc – threatening the safety of the citizens Justin has promised to protect.

Season 2 explores the shifting dynamics within the community and the growing pressures that come with wearing the badge in a place where everyone knows your name – and your history.

In Blue Ridge, justice is personal and earned one fight, one mystery, and one truth at a time.

Johnathon Schaech (That Thing You Do!, Houdini) returns alongside Sarah Lancaster (Chuck, The Judge) as Elli Wise, Taegen Burns (Imaginary, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers) as Maddie Wise, and A. Martinez (Longmire, Avatar: The Last Airbender) as Connor McGrath.

The series will also feature surprise guest stars, including Bruce Boxleitner (Babylon 5, Tron), Eric Close (Suits, Without a Trace), and Sean Patrick Flanery (The Boondock Saints, Nefarious).

Blue Ridge premieres on Universal TV on 2 April at 8 PM, with new episodes airing every Thursday until 21 May.

Universal TV is available on DStv Channel 117 across Africa.

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When flight attendant and single mum Jo Conran is forced to smuggle drugs to protect her imprisoned son, she’s dragged into a dangerous criminal underworld. There she encounters Cormac Kelleher, who promises to keep her son safe so long as she smuggles heroin for him. Desperate, Jo reaches out to her ex, Dom Delaney, a customs officer, who begins to help Jo uncover the truth behind Cormac’s network before it’s too late.

Jo is an ordinary woman in an extraordinary situation. Over the course of the series, she is forced to negotiate gangsters, corrupt cops, hired killers and an unlikely love triangle fraught with danger. Terrified, alone and out of her depth, she learns fast and hatches a daring plot to turn the tables on the outfit threatening her son.  Set against the fast-paced, high-pressure backdrop of international air travel, In Flight follows Jo’s relentless quest to protect her family while entangled in a dangerous criminal syndicate.

The cast includes Katherine Kelly (Mr Bates vs. The Post Office, The Long Shadow, Happy Valley), Ashley Thomas (Them, Top Boy), Stuart Martin (Rebel Moon, Miss Scarlet and The Duke), Harry Cadby (Everything Now, Red Rose), Tony Pitts (All Creatures Great & Small), Corinna Brown (Heartstopper, The Summer I Turned Pretty), Emma Higginbottom (Ted Lasso), Bronagh Waugh (Ridley, The Stolen Girl) and Ambreen Razia (Hounslow Diaries, Ted Lasso).

In Flight is a high-octane 6×60’ drama series produced by Buccaneer Media (The Crow Girl, Marcella, The Burning Girls), written and co-created by Mike Walden (Marcella, Whitstable Pearl) and Adam Randall (Slow Horses, iBoy), produced by Brendan Mullin (Wreck, Dalgliesh) and directed by Chris Baugh (Wreck, Tin Star).

Executive Producers are Anna Burns, Richard Tulk-Hart and Tony Wood for Buccaneer Media, Rebecca Dundon and Simon Judd for Fremantle, Mike Walden, Adam Randall, Katherine Kelly and Chris Baugh. Fremantle is handling global sales.

In Flight premieres on Universal TV on 19 February at 8 PM, with new episodes airing every Thursday until 26 March.

Universal TV is available on DStv Channel 117 across Africa.

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In Song Sung Blue, Kate plays Claire Sardina, one half of a real‑life musical cover duo who find creativity, connection and purpose in the most unlikely way. Together with Hugh Jackman’s Mike, the two form a Neil Diamond tribute band called “Lightning & Thunder”, turning humble beginnings into regional success in 1980s Wisconsin. Of course, the film is filled with delightful musical performances, and if you’re a Neil Diamond fan, that alone makes it a treat to watch.

The film follows the duo’s tough journey through love, family challenges and the ups and downs that come with chasing a musical dream. Through Claire’s voice and presence, Hudson reveals layers of resilience and joy that feel honest, affecting and vulnerable.

What makes this role stand out, though, is how deeply Hudson immerses herself in every facet of it. She doesn’t just act Claire, she sings her, lending her own vocals to the soundtrack and bringing an authentic presence to scenes where you can feel the raw emotion from your seat. The result is a portrayal that is as rich in nuance as it is in heart, and audiences around the world have responded with enthusiasm.

Kate has met Neil Diamond before and recently wished him a happy 85th birthday.

 

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Kate’s journey this awards season has already had unforgettable highlights. At the Golden Globes earlier this year, she stunned in a silver Giorgio Armani gown that many dubbed the standout look of the night and rightly so.

 

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Book for Song Sung Blue

Song Sung Blue is now showing in cinemas across South Africa, giving local audiences the chance to experience the film that’s sparked so much conversation and admiration. Catch the energy and emotion for yourself and watch the official trailer here:

With the Oscars set for Sunday, 15 March 202,6 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, we’ll be rooting for Kate all the way.

Book for Song Sung Blue at Nu Metro cinemas here.

Book for Song Sun Blue at Ster-Kinekor cinemas here.

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For those who haven’t yet encountered it, Hamnet reimagines the life of Shakespeare through the eyes of his family, particularly focusing on the death of his young son, Hamnet. The film explores grief, creativity and the bonds of family with a sensitivity that is designed to feel both timeless and immediate. Critics worldwide say that it’s moving, beautifully shot, and utterly absorbing.

We can’t wait to watch it. It’s one of the most anticipated films this month and a strong frontrunner in this awards season. There is something special about seeing Shakespeare’s world brought to life in a way that resonates with a new generation.

This film reminds us why we love cinema: it challenges us, moves us, and gives us a fresh lens on stories we think we already know, but don’t. Hamnet promises to be a highlight of the year for cinema audiences, and we are ready to experience it in all its glory.

Fun fact: the movie is called Hamnet because that was the name of Shakespeare’s real-life son, whose brief life and tragic death inspired the story at the heart of this film.

Hamnet opens in cinemas across South Africa this coming weekend, on Friday 30 March. 

With the Oscars taking place on Sunday, 15 March 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, Hamnet is sure to be a highlight of the ceremony. We are excited to see if it will take home any of its well-deserved awards.

Book tickets to see Hamnet at Nu Metro cinemas here.

Book tickets to see Hamnet at Ster-Kinekor cinemas here.

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The Woman In Charge tells the story of Gloria Guzmán, a woman who appeared to have it all: a successful career, a cherished son, and a loving family. On what is supposed to be the happiest day of her life, marrying the father of her son, the celebration turns into tragedy when a group of hitmen bursts into the ceremony and kills her groom. Gloria not only loses her great love, but her family also turns their back on her, the government seizes all her assets, the media points fingers at her, and her husband’s enemies pursue her, demanding payment for dirty deals she was unaware of. In her fight for survival, she is mentored by top crime bosses, whom she must win over by using her two most dangerous weapons: her intelligence and her beauty.

The stellar cast also includes Mauricio Henao, Andrés Almeida, Azela Robinson, Verónica Merchant, José María Galeano, Jorge Luis Moreno, and Yany Prado. The ensemble is rounded out by renowned actors Pepe Gímez, Julieta Grajales, Sara Corrales, Uriel del Toro, Jesús Moré, Guillermo Quintanilla, Gary Centeno, Laura Vignatti, Sachi Tamashiro, and Dante Aguiar.

Produced by Telemundo Studios, this series was written by José Vicente Spataro and is directed by Mauricio Corredor, Mauricio Meneses, and Laura Marco. Juan Pablo Ambrís, David Fernández, and Alejandro Tellez are photography directors, with Juan Santiso as production designer. Mónica Vizzi from Telemundo is the executive producer of the series.

The Woman In Charge premieres exclusively on Telemundo on 26 January, with new episodes every night at 10 PM until the season finale on 30 April 2026.

Telemundo is available on DStv 118

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Produced by Electric Entertainment, the third season of Leverage: Redemption finds the team pitting themselves against a power broker stealing clean water under people’s feet, fighting a mayor who’s the judge and jury of his small town, outrunning a mark who’s finally caught up with them mid-con, outhustling a pool hustler with a side business in international extortion, and bringing down an industrialist exploiting child labour.

All the while, the crew dodges an intricate plan of vengeance from a former foe, whilst working through the fallout of their new personal relationships. But no matter what, when someone needs help, the crew always provides… Leverage.

Meet the Leverage Crew:

• Empathetic and intelligent, Sophie Deveraux (Gina Bellman) can transform herself into anyone you need her to be – and steal priceless Monets right out from under your nose.  She gave up grifting for grifting’s sake when she joined the Leverage team and discovered her purpose in helping those the system left behind. But she has since retired – until the team asks for her help on a new mission.
• Brooding, gruff, and lethal, you don’t want to be around when Eliot (Christian Kane) gets into a fight – or at least, you want him on your team. But underneath that tough exterior, Eliot’s got a surprisingly intuitive side, able to cut through the noise like a katana blade and discern what’s going on beneath the surface.
• If you ask who the world’s greatest thief is, the world will whisper back one name: Parker (Beth Riesgraf). An expert at picking locks and hanging off buildings by her fingers, it’s her outside-the-box thinking that has led the Leverage team for the last several years, with her partners-in-crime Hardison and Eliot by her side.
• Sarcastic and intelligent, Breanna Casey (Aleyse Shannon) joins the team as a new kind of hacker. Her special skills include being a genius mechanical engineer and making social hacking and social media manipulation look like child’s play. After landing in the foster system, Breanna got lucky finding a home with Nana, and bonus big-brother Hardison, who bonded with the spiky, scared 10-year-old by teaching her computers and hacking.
• Harry Wilson (Noah Wyle) spent his entire career as a corporate attorney, and he’s only recently realized that he was aiding and abetting the bad guys in getting away with their crimes. Now, Harry is determined to use his inside knowledge to help the Leverage team and earn his redemption.
• Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge) loves three things: Parker, orange soda, and cracking bad guys’ algorithms.  A genius hacker, Hardison has helped build the Leverage team into the international crime-fighting ring it is today.

Leverage: Redemption Season 3 premieres on Universal TV on 6 January 2026 at 20:00, with new episodes airing every Tuesday until March 10.

Universal TV is available on DStv Channel 117 across Africa.

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