FAME Week Africa student film showcase 2025

Film name: Grief 

Director: Hannah Clement & Alex Ross 

Synopsis: Following the death of his mother, Bernard takes on the sole responsibility of her financial troubles. Now, only a few hours till the memorial service, Bernard must juggle these financial strains, navigate familial pressures and come to terms with the possibility of losing his and his sisters’ childhood home. 

Watch here.

Film name: Fata Morgana 

Synopsis: Fata Morgana is a surrealist fantasy film following the lives of two sisters who live separate from society on their family farm. They live a content peaceful life wrapped up in normalcy, until Willow gets accepted into university threatening the life they knew. 

Director: Codey Ashton & Kariska Kotze 

Film name: 99 Days Too Soon 

Director: Emily Münch 

Synopsis: 99 Days Too Soon” is a short personal documentary that follows the 99 days that a 26-week premature baby named Emily Münch spent in the Neonatal ICU. With family captured archival footage and interviews taking place almost 22 years after her birth, her parents, paediatrician, and NICU sisters give insight into what those 99 days looked like. With additional b-roll and interviews by medical professionals discussing the effects of premature birth, Emily reflects on the pivotal event in her life and how it shaped her and those she loves. 

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Film name: Kiki 

Director: Chris Schoeman 

Synopsis: The short documentary titled “KIKI” follows the journey about a young, black transgender woman trying to express her true authentic self. After moving to Cape Town to start her studies at Cape Peninsula University of Technology, she also started the journey of transitioning. 

The documentary revisits her past life and the challenges she faced as someone who didn’t feel aligned with herself. She also dives into her “dead name” and her family’s reaction to her new life, as she encourages and gives advice to others going through similar situations. “KIKI” is a documentary about finding one’s true authentic self. 

Film name: Imibala Yezimfihlo Zolwandle (Colours of the secrets of the ocean) 

Director: Makamela Malebati & Gontse Mmekwa 

Synopsis: The short film explores the life of a young man drawn into the world of traditional rituals because of poverty and wanting everlasting wealth. As he undergoes these rituals, he unknowingly unleashes a powerful supernatural entity. The film explores the themes of family secrets, revenge, and the consequences of tampering with forces beyond human comprehension. Haunted by visions and driven by a dark purpose, the young man’s journey becomes a descent into violence and horror, forcing him to confront the terrifying reality of his actions and the devastating impact they have on those around him. 

Film name: Uncedo 

Director: Wanda Jacobs 

Synopsis: Uncedo follows Zenande, a young domestic worker in the urban heart of the Eastern Cape. Upon being diagnosed on her birthday, her life takes an unexpected turn as she grapples with the financial burden of her illness. As Zenande’s condition worsens, the film captures her quiet moments of suffering, the pills she desperately tries to ration, and the overwhelming sense of isolation that comes with her struggle. Uncedo highlights the human cost of South Africa’s fractured healthcare system. 

Film name: Undercurrent  

Director: Luca Smith 

Synopsis: Local commercial fishing in South Africa is going under. Over the past 20 years the industry has been in a state of decline. This documentary explores this dying industry through the struggles of a small locally owned fishing vessel, Sulaiman. The Sulaiman vessel has been sailing since the inception of the local industry, but this vessel and its crew will be used to explore the broader problems at play. This is the story of just one crew, but it is a story that is all too common. 

Film Name: Bounce  

Director: Tristan Cloete 

Synopsis: After the death of Ozzy’s fish, Khai and Ozzy team up to take down a common enemy. 

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Film Name: Livid Mortis 

Director: David Mzolo 

Synopsis: After drowning and awakening to find his body desecrated by a deranged surgeon, Mort embarks on a frantic quest to reclaim his stolen heart, only to discover the surgeon is trying to save her dying sister.  

Watch here.

Film name: Beni  

Director: Princess Kabeya 

Synopsis: An 11-year-old girl, Beni, suffers from nightmares due to post-traumatic stress of being a child soldier. 

Film name: Scorpion Grass  

Director: Hannah Ashwin 

Synopsis: An Elderly couple struggle to deal with events that unfold on their holiday trip. 

Film name: Swimming in a fishbowl 

Director: Kyle Greyvenstein 

Synopsis: After decades apart, two childhood friends with completely contrasted lives reunite and decide to go on a road trip in order to scatter the ashes of a parent, which hopefully helps them reconnect.