The Encounters South African International Documentary Festival welcomes three new board members ahead of its 2025 edition which takes place from 19 to 29 June in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
“We are delighted to welcome three upstanding South African filmmakers onto the Encounters board, each of whom brings a wealth of knowledge around issues in which the film festival engages, as well as experience within the making of films,” says Mandisa Zitha, Director of Encounters. “What is particularly useful to the festival is that the board now comprises members from Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban – creating a broad net of influence across the country.”
The new board members are author, filmmaker and academic Premesh Lalu, attorney and filmmaker Odette Geldenhuys and human rights lawyer and filmmaker Shameela Seedat all from Cape Town. They join existing board members – film guarantor Moroba Nkawe (Johannesburg), filmmaker and arts administrator Tiny Mungwe (Durban) , and film producer and entertainment law expert Toni Monty (Durban).
Premesh Lalu is a researcher and former director of the Centre for Humanities Research at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). He authored the book Undoing Apartheid (2022) and has had two films Looking for Ned and The Double Futures of Athlone featured at Encounters.
Odette Geldenhuys is a pro bono attorney and a multi-ward-winning documentary filmmaker (The Shore Break, Here Be Dragons). She serves on the boards of ProBono.Org and the Khayelitsha Youth and Community Trust.
Shameela Seedat is a human rights lawyer turned documentary filmmaker, known for Whispering Truth to Power and African Moot. She has produced for NGOs, published on law and social justice, and served as a Documentary Filmmakers’ Association board member and international film juror.
Current members are: Moroba Nkawe who is the founder of Maru Film Services, specialising in risk management for the film industry. With more than 15 years of experience, she has worked across Africa as a producer and production executive and also serves on the board of the SA Film Academy. Tiny Mungwe is a filmmaker and arts manager, founder of film and TV company CTRL ALT Shift, who until recently worked with STEPS, producing Generation Africa, a documentary series of 25 films across 16 African countries. Toni Monty is a film industry leader with 20 years of experience, formerly leading the Durban Film Office and Durban FilmMart. She has supported more than 200 African projects through her work with the Mart, and continues her work at A.M. Afrika.
“This is a strong – film-minded board that understands the challenges of documentary filmmaking, and the important role that documentary films play in society,” says Zitha. “Documentaries help drive societal awareness and change, especially in an era dominated by misinformation and fake news. Through in-depth research, compelling storytelling, and visual evidence, documentaries bring attention to pressing environmental, social and political issues that might otherwise be overlooked or misrepresented. In a time when trust in media is often questioned, documentary filmmakers serve as vital truth-tellers, shaping a more informed and conscientious society.”
Acknowledged as one of the continent’s foremost film industry events celebrating documentary films, Encounters will enjoy its 27th iteration this year.
For more information go to https://encounters.co.za/ or email [email protected]
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