Encounters 2025 honoured powerful documentaries from Africa and beyond. Here’s who won, and why their stories matter.
South Africa (01 July 2025) – For nearly three decades, the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival has stood as a powerful platform for truth-telling, curiosity, and creative excellence. This year, the 27th edition once again brought audiences face-to-face with stories that challenge, change, and connect us.
From local voices to global narratives, the 2025 awards celebrated the best in documentary filmmaking, honouring those who dared to look deeper and those who invited us to do the same.
Top Honours for African and International Features
The Encounters Al Jazeera Award for Best African Feature went to Mothers of Chibok by Joel ‘Kachi Benson, a moving portrayal of Nigerian women navigating life and loss after the 2014 Boko Haram abductions. Judges praised its quiet power and the dignified way it captured love and resilience in the face of terror.
Runner-up And She Didn’t Die, directed by Kethiwe Ngcobo, also took home the Ronelle Loots Award for Best Edited South African Feature. The film’s rhythm and editorial finesse were described as “precision in motion”, a deeply affecting piece that stayed long after the credits rolled.
Internationally, Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk by Sepideh Farsi earned the Best International Feature Award. A poetic tribute to slain journalist Fatima Hassouna, the film stood as a beacon for media freedom and human dignity. Judges called it “deeply humanising,” especially poignant in a time when press freedoms face global pressure.
Rising Voices and Fresh Perspectives
In the youth category, The Rock Speaks by François Knoetze, Amy Louise Wilson and Joe-Yves Salankang Sa-Ngol was recognised for its bold approach and relevance. Drawing attention to political and environmental crises in the Congo, it shattered conventional storytelling methods and earned the Ster-Kinekor Youth Experience Award for Best African Short.
Never Come Fetch Me, meanwhile, received the Best Edited Short Award, praised for its emotional resonance and poetic visual style that lingered long after viewing.
Celebrating a Life of Service: Miki Redelinghuys Honoured
This year’s Liezel Vermeulen Award for Service to the Documentary Sector went to the formidable Miki Redelinghuys. A filmmaker, coach, and changemaker, Miki’s impact goes far beyond the screen. From Mother City to Keiskamma, A Story of Love, her work has consistently paired creative excellence with social impact.
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Through initiatives like Climate Story Lab ZA and docLOVE, Miki continues to uplift others, carrying forward the same spirit that Liezel embodied.
Rough Cut Lab Awards: Fueling the Future
And finally, through the Rough Cut Lab Awards, several emerging projects received post-production support, mentorship, and resources, from Big Boys Don’t Cry landing an $8,000 audio post package to Safe Memories earning an invitation to Cairo Film Connection. The future of documentary in Africa looks bright, and Encounters is nurturing that light.
As Festival Director Mandisa Zitha shared, “These films do more than win awards—they bear witness. They give voice. And they give us, the audience, a chance to listen.”
In a world awash with noise, these are the stories that dared to say something meaningful. And we are all the better for it.
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