FAME Shorts Film Festival
About the event
Big stories. Short films. One determined penguin. The FAME Shorts Film Festival returns to Cape Town from 30 October – 1 November 2026, bringing together bold short films, fresh voices and stories that deserve to be seen on the big screen. This year’s programme moves from stories of hope, resilience and reinvention to romance, satire, social commentary and wonderfully strange worlds where the ordinary becomes unexpected. Across three days, audiences can discover films from Africa and around the world, meet the filmmakers behind the stories and experience short-form filmmaking at its most exciting. Whether you’re a serious cinephile, work in the industry, love discovering new filmmakers or simply want a great day at the movies, FAME Shorts is for you. Come for one screening. Stay for another. Discover a filmmaker you’ve never heard of. Find a film you can’t stop talking about. Our 2026 Themes & Films 30 October | Block 1 | 8pmIsland Stories: Memory, Identity & BelongingWelcome to the Indian Ocean, where stories of memory, identity and belonging come alive. From Réunion, Mayotte and Mauritius, discover films exploring heritage, family, love and environmental change through fiction, documentary and animation.Presented in partnership with La Kourmétragerie.Films: Misouk, Haraka Haraka, 52 Reasons, Lo Chan Lo Bassin, Pie dan lo 31 October | Block 2 | 2pmAt First LightWelcome to stories where hope is something we create. Through music, sport, dance, community and tradition, these films celebrate people who choose courage, nurture possibility and keep moving forward, reminding us that every milestone begins with believing it can happen.Films: Sikelela, Sanctuary, Leopard of Congo, Klop Klop 31 October | Blocks 3 & 4 | 4pm & 6pmFollow the White RabbitWelcome to a world where the ordinary becomes wonderfully strange. Follow the White Rabbit as darkness falls, shadows shift and reality begins to unravel. Eerie, uncanny and sometimes downright bizarre, these films reward those curious enough to follow wherever the mysterious rabbit leads.Block 3 | 4pm: God Sleeps on Sundays, Juju, Sugarcane, Burning, GoatBlock 4 | 6pm: Burning Lies, The Last Jiangshi, Colour of Dreams, Dread 31 October | Block 5 | 8pmOn the HorizonWelcome to stories that look at the familiar in unexpected new ways. Moving between romance, satire and social critique, these films question inherited rules, challenge the systems around us and find humour and humanity in filmmakers willing to boldly push boundaries.Films: Vimba! Pt 2, Whispers of a Burning Scent, Luna, Aasvoëls (Vultures) 1 November | Blocks 6, 7, 8 & 9And They LivedWelcome to stories that remind us life doesn’t end with happily ever after. Through passion, creativity, resilience and second chances, these films celebrate choosing what makes us feel alive, embracing joy, finding the courage to begin again and living life on our terms.Block 6 | 12pm:,The Man, The Cliff and The Dog; Dears in the Headlights; A Poppy on a Hill,Block 7 | 2pm: Runner, Don’t Pity the Girl, Ubani Lore, It’s Just a MovieBlock 8 | 4pm: Talking to Family, The Father of the Queen of Angola, Miss You Perdularia, Everything Between UsBlock 9 | 6pm: You Tryna Say You Love Me?, Amigo the Griot, Queezy Visits the Races, APART 30 October – 1 November 2026The Rockefeller Hotel, Cape TownFollow the penguins. Find your next favourite film.
