Zenoyise Madikwa

Zenoyise Madikwa

Encounters will once again enthral South Africans with both locally and internationally produced films at this year's Encounters South African International Documentary Festival.

The festival will showcase 50 of the latest and best short films from all over the world through a unique screening format that has become the hallmark of the Encounters.

Encounters spokesman Nathalie Rosa Bucher said: "We are promoting the theme of heritage, and have designed panel discussions, classes, debates, presentations and workshops."

This year's opening night film, A Pair of Boots and a Bicycle, tells the story of black South Africans' role in the second world war. The film's director, Vincent Moloi, scooped last year's Jameson Encounters Audience Award.

Bucher said for the first time representatives of the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam and Docusur Festival in Spain, and the Brazilian TV Producer's Association will grace the event.

The festival and its projects are supported by SABC, the National Film and Video Foundation, Jameson Irish Whiskey, the Cape Film Commission, the Western Cape Provincial Government, the Gauteng Film Commission and many other institutes.

The films will be screened at Nu Metro Hyde Park in Johannesburg from July 13 to 22. In Cape Town the screenings will be at Nu Metro V&A Waterfront from July 20 to August 5.

Encounters will make tickets and transport available to township-based filmmakers, pupils and film students.

For more details visit www.encounters.co.za.