South Africa, May 26 -- Mandela Month

Festival director Ricky Human said, "Having our festival screen during Mandela Month is the perfect moment for these stories. South Africans, Australians and New Zealanders share deep historical and cultural parallels, and a hunger for impactful, creative cinema."

Headlining the festival is internationally acclaimed Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, the directorial debut of Embeth Davidtz, adapted from the bestselling memoir set in Zimbabwe during the 1980 Independence War. Named among The Guardian and IndieWire's Best Films of 2025 after premieres at Toronto and Telluride, it screens as the Festival Closing Film with an inaugural SAFF Gala event at Liverpool Powerhouse, Sydney, on 19 July.

Furth...