Silwerskermfees 2026 Could be the Best One Yet

I always look forward to the kykNET Silwerskermfees, but this year’s festival might be the most unforgettable.

Whenever I get to watch a new Afrikaans film, I’m over the moon. The Silwerskermfees is one of the few places where you get to watch the films and then chat with the talent about their work. It also gives us an opportunity to see stories that we might not otherwise get to experience on the big screen.

It also gives new filmmakers and writers the chance to introduce themselves to audiences. This year’s festival takes place from 19 to 22 August in Camps Bay, Cape Town, and looking at what has already been announced, I am really looking forward to it. There are a number of films that have caught my attention, but two in particular stand out for me.

The first is Silas en die Ysbeer op Tafelberg. I have to admit, the idea of a polar bear on Table Mountain was enough to get my attention. The film follows young Silas, played by Neels Clasen Jr., who believes that his grandmother has simply gone to Dreamland following her death. He decides to go looking for her and is joined on his journey by his new friend Willemien, played by Luna Coetzer.

Along the way, they encounter characters including the Hus, Van Hunks and Toemaar. What makes Silas even more interesting is that it isn’t simply a children’s adventure. Director Zandré Coetzer wanted to create a story that could help children deal with difficult subjects such as death, grief and loss, without trying to give them easy answers.

The film also sounds like it has embraced some wonderful old-school filmmaking techniques. The polar bear is a giant puppet, brought to life by three puppeteers, while its growls, breathing and roars were all physically performed. I love practical effects, so I am very curious to see how it all comes together.

The other film I am particularly looking forward to is the short film documentary Die grond onthou. It tells the story of Protea Village and the people who were forcibly removed from the area under the Group Areas Act. It is a story about a community, about loss and about people being removed from their homes, but also about the possibility of returning.

One of the things I enjoy about the Silwerskermfees is that it isn’t only about escapism. Yes, there are films that can make us laugh and take us somewhere completely different, but there are also films that make us think about our history and the people whose stories deserve to be heard.

Then you have something completely different like Twee persent. The short film follows Charlotte, who falls in love with the milkman despite being lactose intolerant. The film also relies heavily on music, with around 95% of it containing no dialogue.

Then there is Verwerking, which takes a much darker approach. The short film follows a screenwriter whose imagination begins bringing the traumatic story he is writing to life around him. Writer and director Peter-John Titus uses the creative process to explore trauma, memory and gender-based violence.

The Silwerskermfees always has variety, and if you’re like me, then you know that each of the stories being told deserves to be shown on the big screen. There’s a lot more that I’m looking forward to because I know how creative Afrikaans films can be. I’m already counting down the hours till the opening of the festival.