By Saara Samie
The Hollywood African Connection Film Festival (HACC) returns to Cape Town from 30 October to 2 November for its third edition, showcasing a selection of African and Middle Eastern films that are often not easily accessible to international audiences, alongside a programme of filmmaking masterclasses.
The selection of feature films and documentaries for this year’s edition of HACC was unveiled to members of the media on 9 September by festival director Weaam Williams at the Timbuktu Creative Hub at the Homecoming Centre in District Six.
Among the titles revealed at the press launch was Hijra, directed by Shahad Ameen. The film follows 12-year-old Janna as she travels to Mecca with her stern grandmother and rebellious sister, until her sister disappears during the journey.
Also featured is Suzannah Mirghani’s Cotton Queen, which centres on Nafisa, a teenage girl raised on stories of resistance in a Sudanese cotton-farming community. Her world is disrupted when a businessman arrives with genetically modified seeds that threaten the community’s way of life.
Mohamed Al-Daradji’s Irkalla – Gilgamesh’s Dream, set in Baghdad in 2019, tells the story of a nine-year-old homeless boy who believes he can bring his parents back to life. Drawing on Gilgamesh mythology, the film explores grief, faith and the pursuit of light in a city that refuses to perish.
Other titles appearing at the festival include Paikar, by Dutch-Afghan filmmaker Dawood Hilmandi. The film sees Hilmandi revisit his relationship with his authoritarian father, an imam with a violent past, as they attempt to reconcile with their troubled history.
For rugby fans, Rise: The Siya Kolisi Story will also be screened at the festival. The documentary follows Siya Kolisi’s journey to becoming the first Black captain of the South African national rugby team and leading the Springboks to victory at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, a moment that became significant in the country’s sporting history.
Festival programmer Bheki Dlaldla encouraged the public to support the festival and the filmmakers whose work is being showcased.
“HACC is on their third run now… Let’s support the filmmakers. We’re also using blockchain technology to find new funding vehicles in order to get these stories to be made, storytellers and indigenous filmmakers to be seen,” he said.
The festival’s theme for 2026 is “Our Land, Our Heritage”, emphasising its focus on stories, cultures and identities from across the African continent and beyond.
The festival creates an opportunity for audiences to encounter stories that reflect the diversity of communities, histories and experiences across Africa and the Middle East, while providing a platform for filmmakers whose work may otherwise have little to no exposure to international audiences.
Photo: Weaam Williams
VOC
