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Fancy swapping the usual Friday-night movie for something a little more interesting?
The 13th European Film Festival South Africa is bringing eight acclaimed films to Durban this month, transforming New Noise Courtyard at the Point into a mini cinema for two weekends of big-screen storytelling.
The festival presents contemporary films from across Europe at venues around South Africa, with Durban screenings taking place from Friday 18 to Sunday 20 September and again from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September.
You can look forward to Oscar-winning directors, exciting newcomers, some seriously impressive European acting talent and stories that move between black comedy, family drama, documentary, biography and social realism.
This year's festival theme centres on family in all its forms, exploring the relationships, responsibilities, and challenges that shape people's lives.
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Films to put on your watchlist
- My Father’s Shadow: Friday, 18 September at 7pm
Opening the Durban programme is My Father's Shadow, the BAFTA-winning debut from British-Nigerian director Akinola Davies Jr. Set in Nigeria, it follows a father and his two sons through a turbulent period, offering a deeply personal story about family, survival and the ties that hold people together.
- Colours of Time: Saturday 19 September at 5pm
Directed by French filmmaker Cédric Klapisch, Colours of Time moves between a family's 19th-century past and 21st-century present in a touching exploration of art, history and the passage of time.
- Christy: Saturday 19 September at 8pm
Christy is the debut feature from Irish filmmaker Brendan Canty. The film follows a teenager with a troubled past who returns to Cork to stay with his estranged brother, gradually rediscovering their relationship and beginning to imagine what home might look like.
- Franz: Sunday 20 September at 5pm
Veteran Polish director Agnieszka Holland turns her attention to literary giant Franz Kafka in this energetic biographical film that explores the writer's life, his relationship with his father and the legacy he left behind.
- The Last Viking: Friday 25 September at 7pm
If black comedy and complicated family dynamics are more your speed, this brings Danish star Mads Mikkelsen to the screen in a madcap family crime drama involving brothers, mental health, old secrets, the Beatles and the general business of trying to get by.
- Porcelain War: Saturday 26 September at 5pm
For something considerably more intense, Porcelain War follows Ukrainian artists Slava Leontyev, his wife and their friend as their lives are upended by war. The Oscar-nominated documentary captures their determination to hold on to art, nature and family while fighting for their country.
A Family: Saturday 26 September at 7.30pm
Meanwhile, Dutch director Mees Peijnenburg's A Family looks at divorce through the eyes of a brother and sister trying to find their way after their parents' bitter separation. The film stars Carice van Houten, best known internationally for Game of Thrones.
- La Grazia: Sunday 27 September at 5pm
Oscar- and BAFTA-winning Italian director Paolo Sorrentino reunites with actor Toni Servillo for an intimate drama about fathers, daughters, love and duty, set against the backdrop of Italian politics.
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For New Noise founder and director Steve Jones, bringing the festival to the new Durban event space marks an exciting next chapter:
“Working alongside the European Film Festival for the past six years has been a privilege, and hosting screenings at our new event space in Durban marks an exciting new chapter. We hope to build on the incredible foundation laid by Peter Rorvik, continuing to energise Durban’s creative and cultural landscape. Ultimately, this festival is about more than world-class cinema - it’s about bringing people together. We invite the community to join us and be part of it.”
The festival also pays tribute to former co-director Peter Rorvik, who passed away earlier this year. A passionate supporter of independent film, Rorvik spent decades nurturing film lovers and filmmakers in South Africa and beyond.
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What you need to know
- Dates: 18–20 September | 25–27 September 2026
- Venue: New Noise Courtyard, 5 Southampton Street, Point, Durban
- Tickets: Limited to 40 tickets per screening via Quicket
- Parking: Secure parking available at uShaka Marine World
- Food: Popcorn and refreshments will be available to buy
- Social Media: Facebook @EUFFS | Instagram @euffsa | X @eu_fest | TikTok @euffsa
- Full programme and schedule: eurofilmfest.co.za
So, pick a film, grab some popcorn and settle in for a cinematic trip around Europe – no passport required.
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