If you’ve ever been in Sandton Central during Joburg Film Festival week, you know the feeling. The pace changes. Hotel lobbies stay busy all day. Conversations start with “What did you watch?” and end with someone scribbling a film title into their Notes app. From 3 to 8 March, the festival rolls back into town for its 8th edition, and once again, Sandton becomes the unofficial meeting point for filmmakers, film lovers, students, and anyone who likes their evenings a little more interesting than usual.
This year’s theme, Feel the Frame, is less about watching movies and more about letting them land. These are films that care about texture, sound, silence, and mood. The kind that sits with you long after the lights come up, usually while you’re halfway through a drink and arguing about whether the ending worked. With screenings, talks, and after-hours catch-ups all unfolding within walking distance, Sandton Central makes it very easy to stay in festival mode all week.
What’s On: The Good Stuff, On and Off Screen
JFF has never been a sit-down-and-shut-up kind of festival. Yes, the screenings matter, but so do the conversations that happen straight after, the detours between venues, and the chance encounters that turn into long chats over dinner. Festival week moves in waves, and the best way to enjoy it is to lean into everything that happens around the films too.
Films Worth Making Time For
The 2026 programme leans hard into films that are built to be felt, not rushed. These are stories that sit in the body as much as the head, and a few standouts are already generating serious conversation.
The Heart Is A Muscle unfolds over the course of a single weekend after a young child briefly goes missing at a family gathering. What starts as a moment of panic quickly exposes deeper fractures, forcing a father to confront his own anger, history, and the way it ripples through his relationships. It’s an intimate, emotionally charged film about masculinity, responsibility, and the long road to forgiveness, told with restraint rather than spectacle.
OCA moves in a quieter, more surreal register. The story centres on a young nun whose recurring dreams begin to bleed into her waking life. Sent on a seemingly simple errand to a nearby town, she encounters a string of moments and people that challenge her understanding of faith, destiny, and control. Balancing gentle humour with existential unease, the film blurs reality and imagination in a way that feels both playful and unsettling.
A Black and White Story uses animation to explore identity from the inside out. Following a young man who hides behind a constant smile, the film traces his internal monologue as memories, anxieties, and self-perception collide. Stripped back and visually striking, it examines emotional masking, isolation, and the pressure to perform happiness in a world full of façades. It’s short, sharp, and quietly devastating.
Together, these films capture the range of Feel the Frame, cinema that doesn’t shout, but lingers. They’re the kind of screenings that tend to spill into long conversations once you step back outside.
Joburg Xchange (JBX): Behind the Scenes
Then there’s Joburg Xchange, where the festival shifts gears slightly and lets you peek behind the scenes. JBX Talks this year focus on the people who shape how films feel, from cinematographers and editors to sound designers and costume designers. The sessions are practical, often surprisingly candid, and well worth ducking into even if you’re not “industry”. If you’ve ever wondered why a film made you feel a certain way without being able to pinpoint it, this is where those answers live.
JBX Youth: Where the Next Wave Shows Up
Running alongside it all, JBX Youth brings younger filmmakers into the mix with workshops, masterclasses, and access that actually means something. It’s busy, energetic, and quietly one of the most important parts of the festival. If you’re curious about where South African cinema is headed next, this is where a lot of that future is already taking shape.
Badges, Passes, and How to Get In
Whether you are committing to the full festival or dropping in for a day, JFF 2026 offers flexible pass options to suit different interests and schedules.
- Industry Pass | R1 800
Three-day access to JBX, five red carpet premieres, and ten additional screenings. - Festival Pass | R1 000
Five red carpet premieres and ten additional screenings. No JBX access. - Student Pass | R500
Three-day JBX access, three red carpet premieres, and ten additional screenings. A valid student card is required. - Day Pass | R800
Unlimited screenings for the day with one day of JBX access. No red carpet premieres.
Whether your focus is networking, learning, or simply watching great films, there is a pass that fits the experience you want.
Where to Eat and Drink Between Screenings
Festival days are long, and the space between a late afternoon screening and an evening premiere matters more than you think. You want somewhere that understands timing, conversation, and the fact that you might still be thinking about the last film while ordering dinner. Sandton Central makes this part easy.
Before the Screening
- Truffles On The Park
Set right on the edge of Mushroom Farm Park, Truffles On The Park is calm without being dull. It’s a proper sit-down restaurant with a contemporary menu that covers everything from lighter plates to more indulgent mains, making it easy to tailor your meal to the night ahead. It’s a good choice if you want to slow the pace slightly, talk properly, and arrive at your screening feeling fed but not rushed. - Solo
Solo sits comfortably between polished dining and relaxed socialising, which makes it an easy choice during festival week. The interior is sleek and contemporary, suited to a proper sit-down meal, good wine, or a well-made cocktail, while the outdoor deck leans more casual, often with live music setting the tone. With a menu that pulls in bold, modern flavours and enough flexibility to suit both a quick pre-screening dinner or a longer evening out, Solo works without trying too hard.
After the Screening
- Alto 234
If you’re picking one night to do something special, Alto 234 is it. Sitting 234 metres above the city, it’s more experience than bar, and it suits those end-of-day moments when you want to pause, reflect, and take it all in. Best saved for a standout evening rather than a rushed stop between screenings. - The Greenhouse
The Greenhouse is where the festival loosens up. Expect a lively crowd, easy drinks, and a social atmosphere that encourages unplanned meet-ups. It’s less about formality and more about energy, making it a natural spot for those post-screening conversations that drift late and lead to next-day plans.
Where to Stay if You’re Making a Week of It
If you’re visiting from out of town, staying in Sandton Central makes festival week a lot easier. You’ll spend less time commuting and more time moving naturally between screenings, talks, dinners, and late-night conversations.
- Hotel Sky
Hotel Sky is bold, modern, and very much plugged into Sandton’s energy. The rooms are sleek and tech-forward, designed for comfort without fuss, while the real draw is the social atmosphere downstairs and the rooftop pool with city views that hit especially well after a long day of screenings. It’s a lively base during festival week, ideal if you like being surrounded by movement, people, and the sense that something is always happening just beyond your door. - Protea Hotel Balalaika
The Balalaika offers a very different pace. Set around quiet gardens, it feels slightly removed from the city rush, which can be a real advantage during a packed festival week. It’s ideal if you like starting your day somewhere calm and ending it somewhere that feels restful, without being far from the action. - The DaVinci Hotel
If you want to be fully immersed, The DaVinci puts you right in the centre of it all. With direct access to Nelson Mandela Square and nearby dining and nightlife, it’s easy to move from screenings straight into dinner or drinks. It suits those who want convenience, comfort, and a sense of being right inside the festival’s social orbit.
Our Stories. Our Gold.
From first screenings to last drinks, Joburg Film Festival week has a habit of sneaking up on you and taking over in the best way. You’ll watch things you didn’t plan to, have conversations you didn’t expect, and probably leave with a much longer watchlist than you arrived with.
However you choose to do it, dip in or go all out, it’s a week worth making space for. Book a few tickets, keep your evenings loose, and enjoy the ride. See you there this March.
