A South African doccie giving voice to the people and places most affected by West Coast mining has landed a nomination at one of the world’s most respected film awards!
Cape Town, South Africa (23 June 2026) – Out of Mined, a feature documentary directed by Arthur Neumeier and produced by Eyeforce in partnership with Protect the West Coast (PTWC), has been nominated for a Cannes Film Award!
The Cannes Film Festival is one of the most respected film platforms in the world. South Africa’s star nomination lands in the Work in Progress category.
The film is set against the remote landscape of South Africa’s West Coast and tells the story of what a century of diamond and heavy mineral mining has done to its dunes, beaches and tidal zones.
Rather than only taking a top-down approach, Out of Mined focuses on the people most directly affected including fisherfolk, Indigenous communities, and local residents, alongside scientists, legal practitioners and industry voices.
It’s the product of nine trips to the West Coast and Richtersveld, with over 20TB of footage gathered and shaped into a 60-minute feature.
Neumeier, a documentary director and cinematographer with a long connection to the ocean, built the film to sit at the intersection of activism, journalism and cinematic storytelling.
The reality the film reflects is dark. According to PTWC’s recently published Special Report, The Tipping Point, only 10% of the West Coast coastline is currently under protection. In 2026 alone, 48 new mining applications were submitted in the Western and Northern Cape.
An environmental authorisation for offshore diamond mining along a stretch of coast near the Olifants River estuary was recently granted – a decision PTWC has since appealed.
The organisation has been working to protect up to 450km of coastline running from Cape Town to the Namibian border, and despite decades of mining activity in the region, meaningful rehabilitation of affected areas remains largely absent.
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Before the film heads to international festivals, including the Berlin Indie Film Festival and the Green Montenegro International Film Festival, and makes its way to Cannes, South Africans will have the first opportunity to see it.
Out of Mined premieres at the Labia Theatre in Cape Town on Wednesday, 24 June at 8:15 pm, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers, PTWC, and environmental and community guest speakers.
“The more time we spent on the West Coast, the more we realised how little most people actually know about what is happening there. We wanted to create a film that not only shines a light on the impact of mining, but also honors the beauty, communities and biodiversity that still remain. This film is ultimately about connection to place, and asking ourselves what kind of future we want for this coastline.” says Neumeier.
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