Mother City Brings Groundbreaking Documentary to the Big Screen in Nationwide Cinema Release

Acclaimed groundbreaking indie documentary Mother City, set for screenings at Ster-Kinekor, giving audiences across South Africa the opportunity to experience the film on the big screen.

Documentaries have long played second fiddle to fiction on the big screen, but that's changing. Audiences worldwide are increasingly choosing the cinema for non-fiction storytelling, and Mother City, directed by Miki Redelinghuys and Pearlie Joubert, is riding that wave with a nationwide release at Ster-Kinekor Cinemas from 1 October.

The documentary will screen at selected Ster-Kinekor cinemas nationwide, with ticket prices at R50. The release marks a significant moment for local non-fiction filmmaking, bringing an acclaimed South African documentary to a wider cinema audience at an accessible ticket price. 

March to Woodstock Police - Credit: Barry Christianson

Mother City followed Cape Town’s Reclaim the City activists' six-year fight for affordable housing on public land, and the story is centred on the iconic old Tafelberg School site, situated in the Atlantic Seaboard. The film kept the case in public view and amplified the voices of activists and the Ndifuna Ukwazi legal centre, turning the documentary into a tool for sustained pressure. In July 2026 the Constitutional Court ruling declared the Tafelberg sale unlawful, affirming the movement's core argument that the government has a constitutional duty to provide affordable housing within the inner city, and that high property values or land scarcity can't be used as an excuse to avoid that duty. The ruling ignited audiences’ urgent requests  to see Mother City that follows - blow by blow - the thrilling courtroom drama and bold activism. 

Told with raw honesty, fearless journalism, a cinematic eye, and genuine edge-of-your-seat tension, Mother City is exactly the kind of documentary changing what audiences expect from the genre.

Occupy Rondebosch Golf Course - Credit: Barry Christianson

Mother City’s journey to South African cinemas is itself part of the story. Since premiering at Sheffield DocFest in 2024, the film has screened more than 180 times at festivals and venues around the world, picking up numerous awards along the way. Its festival success and international screenings have built strong momentum ahead of its South African cinema release.

“We made Mother City to be seen, not just at festivals, but by the communities whose stories it tells. Having Ster-Kinekor bring the film to cinemas nationwide is proof that South African audiences want to see their own realities reflected on the big screen. Land and housing activism in South Africa is uniquely powerful, innovative, reflecting our shared humanity” says Pearlie. 

Miki concurs “This isn't just a milestone for the film; it's a milestone for what a local documentary can achieve by bringing these urgent and evocative stories of ordinary people to the big screen.”

DATES

Thu 1 Oct 17:00 / Sat 3 Oct 14:30 / Sun 4 Oct 14:30 / Thu 8 Oct 20:00

Western Province: V&A Waterfront, N1 City, Blue Route Mall, Somerset West Mall

Gauteng: Rosebank Nouveau, Eastgate Mall, Brooklyn Mall

Kwazulu-Natal: Watercrest Mall

Eastern Cape: Baywest Mall

For tickets : https://www.sterkinekor.com/f/mother-city/722

Realness Institute Strengthens Producing and Writing Skills Development in African Film and Television Industry with New Board and Alumni Advisory Council

Cape Town, SA. 9 March 2026: Cape Town-based Realness Institute, the pioneering organisation that supports the growth of independent African storytellers in cinema and television, has announced the appointment of a new Board and Alumni Advisory Council to steer the organisation into a new era of sustainability.

Since its inception in 2015, Realness has been a driving force in supporting African voices through skills development programmes in writing and producing, and networking opportunities that connect talent to professionals both on the continent and internationally. Its programmes include the prestigious Creative Producer Indaba - a fellowship for producers focused on sustainability and co-financing opportunities that can stabilize their companies and careers, and the AuthenticA Series Lab, which supports the development of episodic content in partnership with StoryBoard Collective and Series Mania..  The institute has empowered 200+ film industry professionals who have gone on to become award-winning producers, writers and directors with premieres and wins at festivals that include Sundance, Cannes, and Venice Film festivals. 

Alongside the appointment of 4 new Board members, 9 alumni from across various Realness programmes will serve on an advisory Sub-Committee to the Board. Drawing on their hands-on experience of the programmes, they will support both the Board and the operational team in contributing to the development of an alumni network offering and strategic direction for the organisation.

The new Realness Institute Board comprises:

·  Dillion Phiri (South Africa,: a filmmaker, founder, and creative entrepreneur known for building platforms and networks like Creative Nestlings that boasts over 100K+ creatives and aims to unlock the power of creative tech to power Africa’s transformation. 

·  Enyinnaya Omeruah (Nigeria), talent manager and film financier who has extensive experience in film production, and distribution.

·  Moussa Sene Absa (Senegal) a painter, writer, musician, and award-winning film director whose works have been celebrated at Carthage, FESPACO, and Berlinale, and whose paintings have been exhibited in Europe and North America.

·  Thabiso Molefe (South Africa) a media and communications professional with experience in television, public sector strategic communication, and political stakeholder engagement across the SADC region.

New board members: Top Left To Right: Dillion S. Phiri (Zimbabwe/Malawi), Enyinnaya Omeruah (Nigeria); Bottom Left To Right: Moussa Sene Absa (Senegal), Thabiso Molefe (South Africa) 

The Sub- Committee comprising Realness Alumni include:

·  Sales agent and independent consultant Berry Hahn (Madagascar,France)

·  Filmmaker and producer Godisamang Khunou (SA)

·  Screenwriter, director,and  producer, Kudi Maradzika (Zimbabwe, SA) who was recently named to Forbes Africa Over 30 Under 50 list.

·  Screenwriter with extensive experience working on live action shows, Omotunde Akiode, (Nigeria)

·  Director, artist, and founder of Kulunga Filmes, Lara Sousa (Mozambique)

·  Filmmaker and producer trained in fine arts, working across documentary and fiction,  Maéva Ranaïvojaona (Madagascar, France)

·  Filmmaker and producer  with extensive experience in production and film financing,, Mimi Bartels, (Nigeria)

·  Director, producer and writer Tapiwa Chipfupa (Zimbabwe)

·  Story development executive and producer Tshenolo Mabale  (SA)

Realness Alumni Advisory Council: Top Left To Right: Berry Hahn (Madagascar/France), Godisamang Khunou (South Africa), Kudi Maradzika (Zimbabwe/South Africa); Middle Left To Right: Lara Sousa (Mozambique),  Maéva Ranaïvojaona (Madagascar/ France), Mimi Bartels (Nigeria); Bottom Left To Right: Tapiwa Chipfupa (Zimbabwe), Omotunde Akiode (Nigeria), Tshenolo Mabale (South Africa)

“Across much of Africa, the near-absence of government support for film and television means filmmakers are left to shoulder every risk alone — and that's simply not sustainable.” says Mehret Mandefro, Managing Director and  co-founder of Realness Institute. “With a committed, skilled, and film-savvy Board now in place, and the deep experience of our Alumni Advisory Council Sub-Committee, we are ready to provide African screen talent with the structural support they deserve — the kind that makes sustainability inevitable."

For more information on the Realness Institute : https://www.realness.institute/

Mother City Documentary Screening to Spark Vital Conversation on Housing, Belonging and the Future of Cape Town

The hard-hitting cinematic-documentary Mother City, which interrogates the housing crisis, belonging and the future of Cape Town, will be screened at a special event presented by Cape Talk on Wednesday, 18 February at 6pm at the Labia Theatre.  This will be followed by a robust  conversation hosted by no-holds barred broadcast journalist Lester Kiewit of Good Morning Cape Town.

Broadcast journalist Lester Kiewit of Good Morning Cape Town

The discussion will unpack the social, political and human stakes raised by the film and what possible pathways there could be to talking frankly about building equal cities. 

From 34 global festivals to powerful impact screenings, Mother City has travelled the world leaving conversations and change in its wake. The film has become a catalyst for change - igniting conversations, inspiring communities, and creating opportunities for tough debates.

The documentary follows activists from Reclaim the City, the social movement fighting for affordable housing in well-located areas of the City in their David versus Goliath struggle against entrenched property power. The film exposes the systems of exclusion that continue to define Cape Town, while calling attention to their fight for dignity, access, and the fundamental right to live in the city.

“Amidst the ever-increasing housing crisis in Cape Town, spurred on by a myriad factors including the surge in the short term-rental market, citizens are asking: “Who is the City for?” and we need answers and tangible solutions,” says Kiewit, the host of Good Morning Cape Town  on Cape Talk. “Mother City forces us to confront uncomfortable but necessary questions about power, belonging and who gets to call Cape Town home. These are conversations we cannot keep having in isolation; they need to happen face-to-face, in shared spaces, with room for listening, disagreement and collective reflection.”

The event reflects Cape Talk’s growing commitment to engage audiences beyond the airwaves, and to foster community-centred gatherings that become part of the City’s cultural fabric — spaces people can return to, participate in, and use to build a shared civic imagination.

“This is about taking conversations that matter out of isolation and into collective space,” says Kiewit “It’s about listening together, thinking together, and imagining our City differently. This is not just an invitation into a vital public conversation about justice for the unhoused in Cape Town.”

Event details:

Labia Theatre, Cape Town

Wednesday, 18 February at 18:00

Tickets: R100

Bookings: https://tinyurl.com/MCCapeTalk

25th Standard Bank Jazz Jol at Centre for Jazz and Popular Music

25th Standard Bank Jazz Jol

The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music located at the University of KwaZulu-Natal will host the 25th Edition of the very popular Standard Bank Jazz Jol on Saturday, 31 August at 19:00pm with the likes of Cape Town resident Shane Cooper, Kesivan Naidoo, Africa Plus and Mozambican quartet Afro Latino to take the stage.

With the event having become a popular feature on the Durban calendar, this year’s event will feature the recipient of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award 2013, bassist Shane Cooper with the event having featured last year’s Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner Afrika Mkhize. Sharing the stage with Shane Cooper will be members of his band which consist of previous Standard Bank Young Artist winner Kevisan Naidoo on the drums, Reza Khota on the guitar and Justin Bellairs on the alto saxophone.

The young and exciting Durban based trio of Africa Plus consist of Prince Bulo on the bass, Sphelelo Mazibuko on the drums and Lungelo Ngcobo on the piano and keyboards. Their musical influence is drawn from rich traditional African elements with the base drawn from Western advanced harmonies. Formally trained at the University of KwaZulu-Natal this vibrant outfit full of rhythmic complexities and melodies that include mainly original music composed by the band are sure to entertain audiences.

The Mozambican quartet of Afro Latino will bring the night to a close and they consist of guitarist and vocalist Milton Chissano who provides the Latin grooves to the group, Ildo Nandja as percussionist and bassist, Alberto Chemane on the percussion and drums and lastly Njabulo Shabalala on the percussion.

Proceeds from the concert go towards the Ronnie Madonsela Scholarship which is a scholarship that assists disadvantaged jazz students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal with general support, financial aid, and bursaries. The scholarship also helps fund the travelling and accommodation costs for educational festivals such as the National Youth Jazz Festival held annually in Grahamstown along with workshops and conferences.

Tickets are R 100 (R 80 for pensioners and R 50 for students) there are early bird discounts of R 80 and group discounts for pensioners at R 75 for groups of ten. To book your tickets you can call Thulile Zama on (031) 260-3385 or e-mail her on Zamat1@ukzn.ac.za, tickets will also be available at the door on the night.

Ends_