HACC 2026 brings stories of land, loss, and belonging to Cape Town

The Hollywood African Cinema Connection (HACC) will bring African and Middle Eastern films to Cape Town from October 30 to November 2, 2026, with a programme exploring land, heritage, and the lives behind stories of conflict.

Speaking at the festival’s press launch, HACC Creative Director Weaam Williams said the selection prioritised distinctive filmmaking and directors with a clear creative vision. The festival’s theme, Our Land, Our Heritage, connects stories about communities, culture, and the looming threat of displacement. 

“They’re unique pieces,” Williams said, explaining that the selected films bring their directors’ visions to the screen.

The opening film, Irkalla: Gilgamesh’s Dream, comes from Iraqi director Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji. Williams described its portrayal of two orphans living through turbulence in Iraq as an opportunity to see beyond the figures that often dominate news coverage.

“We often just see them as statistics in the news,” she said.

For Williams, the film’s strength lies in its attention to the children’s emotions and everyday experiences. She said it held her attention throughout the selection process.

“I did not pause. I watched it from beginning to end,” she said. “I found it so intriguing, and I’m really excited to share this with audiences.”

Williams said filmmakers from the Middle East had welcomed opportunities to reach South African audiences. Through her work in distribution, she has also looked for ways to help filmmakers gain visibility and find commercial opportunities for their work.

She said Cape Town’s diverse communities and interest in the arts offered an audience for these stories.

“I think anyone who loves cinema should come out and watch these films,” she said.

The closing film, Cotton Queen, directed by Suzannah Mirghani, explores the lives of women in a Sudanese cotton-farming community. Williams said its attention to their culture and the threat of losing their land connected directly with the festival’s theme.

Williams first saw the film at the Durban International Film Festival, where she met Mirghani. She said its portrayal of women’s intimate lives particularly moved her.

“It really is a female lens and a female gaze into the very intimate worlds of women,” she said.

Williams said she selected it for the strength of its filmmaking and its poignant story, noting that four of the 10 features selected were directed by women.

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Bheki Dladla, who discussed his role on the African Film DAO board and the festival’s curation, noted that this year’s film selection mirrors shifts in African cinema.

He said the selection process revealed developments in both storytelling and production across different parts of the continent. He believes filmmakers need to bring those strengths together to hold an audience’s attention.

“Production level high, production quality high, storytelling high,” he said.

Dladla said skills, infrastructure and mentorship had helped filmmakers improve their work. He wants the festival to showcase those developments alongside the stories themselves.

He also described audience participation as central to the African Film DAO’s ambitions. DAO stands for decentralised autonomous organisation.

Dladla outlined a model in which participants could use digital tokens to support film projects and help choose which scripts move towards production.

In his example, a community would consider several scripts and use tokens to indicate which film it wanted to see made.

He presented this as a way for audiences to participate in filmmaking and for filmmakers to seek support as an alternative to production houses and government funding.

“Can you imagine saying to your friends at dinner, ‘Oh, I helped make that movie’?” he said.

Dladla encouraged people interested in the model to attend the festival, speak to its organisers and learn about the African Film DAO. He said greater participation could help the initiative develop.

Williams said the opening and closing films would screen at Ster-Kinekor at the V&A Waterfront. She said the weekend programme at the Robben Island Museum Amphitheatre would include films and panel discussions.

She urged audiences to support the screenings and the work behind the festival.

“We depend on the public for your support so that we can continue the work we’re doing,” Williams said.

Festival information and ticket links are available on the HACC website.

IOL