Mayibuye Doc Lab opens call for compelling South African Documentaries

DURBAN, SA: NFVF-backed film development lab offers six documentary teams a route from a concept to an investment-ready project - and onto the world stage at documentary markets.

Mayibuye Doc Lab has announced its call for projects for the 2026/27 South African edition, inviting South African filmmaking teams to submit compelling documentary projects in development or early production. The second edition of the lab is hosted by Ehozini Retreat (Durban) and funded by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) PESP. Applications are now open and close on 13 November 2026 at 23:59SAST.

Mayibuye Doc Lab is a hands-on development lab for creative documentaries:  films with a strong authorial voice, a compelling narrative with a clear dramatic arc, and the potential to move audiences at home and abroad. Six projects will be selected. Over four months, each team - writer/director, producer and impact producer - will move from concept to a complete, investment-ready project package: a narrative treatment and draft script, a production and financing plan, and a distribution, marketing and impact strategy.

The Lab combines online workshops, a story writing residency and group sessions to strengthen each project's story and visual approach, producing and financing strategy, and distribution, marketing and impact strategy. The mentorship in the lab will be  guided by an experienced mentorship team and guest facilitators from the local and international industry.

Completing the Lab is the beginning, not the end. Through the Post-Lab Alumni Programme, Mayibuye alumni can network with colleagues across the continent and carry their projects to the international industry via partnerships with numerous documentary markets in 2027.

“We are looking to support filmmakers with character-driven stories, innovative approaches to documentary filmmaking and new perspectives. Our lab will create space for the key creative team on the project to invest time into deepening their storytelling, strengthen their project package and connect with collaborators to take the films to audiences,” says Tiny Mungwe, Programme Manager, Mayibuye Doc Lab

“We welcome applications from filmmakers with some experience or training in filmmaking. Applicants should have at least a completed short film (fiction or non-fiction) even if it hasn’t been screened at a festival or broadcast,” says Mitchell Haprer, Project Manager, Mayibuye Doc Lab.

The call is open to South African projects with South African key creative teams. It targets filmmakers at NFVF Tier 2 or Tier 3 looking for accelerated growth, and first-time documentary filmmakers with a track record in other formats - fiction, commercials or episodic - are welcome and encouraged. Each project must be ideally represented by a writer/director, a producer and an impact producer, available for the full programme.

Applications can be submitted through the online application form: HERE, and close on 13 November 2026 at o 23h59 SAST. Participants will be expected to be available on the following dates: Online workshops: 1–11 December 2026;  eHozini (KZN) Writing residencies: January 2027 and online· Group sessions: January–February 2027  Mayibuye Doc Lab covers the cost of travel, accommodation and food for the on-site residency.

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