Wanted: Fresh talent and seasoned filmmakers for the 2026 kykNET Silwerskerm Festival
This year’s 13th kykNET Silwerskermfees, taking place from 20 to 23 August in Camps Bay, will once again be a film festival in every sense – with glamorous premieres, feature films, short films, documentaries, previews of new TV series’ pilot episodes, workshops and expert panel discussions.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s future Steven Spielbergs, Wes Andersons, Spike Lees and Greta Gerwigs can already enter the 2026 Silwerskerm Festival competition for short films and short documentaries. The festival, returning in August next year, continues its vision of providing a platform for filmmakers in the TV and film industry.
The competition has two categories:
1) Rising Filmmakers, who can submit short films and short documentaries.
2) Established Filmmakers (screenwriters, directors, and producers who have previously participated in the Silwerskerm Festival competition), who can also pitch their ideas and concepts for short films and documentaries.
In both categories, the festival is looking for diverse and imaginative storytellers who can set the pace in the fast-evolving film and television industry of today and tomorrow.
The competition spans several phases.
If a short documentary is in your sights, you will initially have to submit the title, documentary genre, story synopsis and themes explored with references to similar doccies. The documentary must be no longer than 30 minutes. Any language may be included, but 60% of the content must be in Afrikaans. Any variant of Afrikaans is welcome.
The finalists for the second round, to be selected in May 2025, will submit a pitch video. This is followed by a third sifting round, which includes a full presentation with a budget plan and director’s vision, among other aspects. This round will determine who the successful candidates are to receive funding and mentorship to turn their documentary dreams into reality.
The 2026 Silwerskerm Festival short film candidates will be selected through a similar screening process and the films can be between 7 and 30 minutes long, in any genre and any variant of Afrikaans. It may also include other languages, but 80% of the dialogue must be in Afrikaans.
If your proposal ultimately gets the green light for funding and mentorship, you might just follow in the footsteps of a host of award-winning South African filmmakers who made their industry debut with a Silwerskerm short film. Among them are Christiaan Olwagen, who went on to win numerous awards for films like Johnny is nie dood nie, Kanarie and Poppie Nongena; trailblazers like Ephraim Gordon and Amy Jephta of Barakat fame, and the filmmaking couple Corné and René van Rooyen, known for acclaimed movies like Vaselinetjie, Toorbos and Hans steek die Rubicon oor.
Several Silwerskerm Festival short films, such as Vuil wasgoed and Beurtkrag, have also been developed into feature-length films.
Your entry for the first round of assessment must include a concept proposal of 250 to 300 words. The screenplay, director’s treatment and budget will follow later.
Entry forms for the two competitions are available on the Silwerskerm Festival website (https://silwerskermfees.co.za/).
The deadline is Monday 23 April 2025, and the entry fee is R350.
Apply here.
For any enquiries, contact silwerskerm@ideacandy.tv