Making space for stories that feel like home, Cait Pansegrouw unpacks how the Realness Institute and partners like the French Institute of South Africa are taking local storytelling to global stages.
South Africa (04 November 2025) – Film is one of the most powerful storytelling tools of modern history, and in South Africa, more of these stories are coming to life on our screens. We can’t help but feel glee as South African filmmakers find their voices and begin sharing the stories that connect us all. We sat down with Cait Pansegrouw, a SAFTA-winning producer and co-founder at the Realness Institute, to find out more about how African film is taking centre stage.
The Realness Institute focuses on honest and unapologetic stories from the African continent, giving African filmmakers the platform to create bold films and series. Key initiatives such as Realness Residency, Creative Producer Indaba, Southern Africa-Locarno Industry Academy, and AuthenticA Series Lab are helping develop the next generation of storytellers, giving them the edge to take things global!
The Realness Institute has been supported by the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), together with France’s Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC) and the French Institute (in Paris), through a decade-long partnership. Central to this collaboration is the Creative Producers Indaba, a training programme designed to help African producers hone their leadership and entrepreneurial abilities while expanding their creative capabilities.
Speaking to Cait, we learn how movies have always been part of her story. Watching movies as a child gave her a sense of community and made her feel seen. She became inspired to pursue a career in storytelling through movies, and it was here that she hoped to create a space for more filmmakers on the continent.
The Realness Institute has become a creative home for so many filmmakers across the continent. Many international opportunities available to hopeful young filmmakers are very westernised, and in these spaces, the nuances of African stories can sometimes get lost. Creating a space where African stories are at the centre was a huge motivator for Cait and her fellow co-founder, Mehret Mandefro.
“Many people don’t understand how fragile the development process is, especially when someone has originated a story from something incredibly personal. It can be a very raw phase within what it takes to make a film. Having that camaraderie and shorthand with fellow Africans makes all the difference”
The art of development also goes beyond the creative. Movie and series-making efforts require business savvy, and this is where the Creative Producer Indaba has enabled talent to flourish. Support from IFAS and French partners through collaborative efforts has been vital for the growth of African filmmaking.
Cait shares that it’s getting much harder to produce independent projects entirely on domestic funding. Co-production between multiple countries is becoming more and more essential.
“Co-production can increase a project’s footprint and its potential to travel and reach wider audiences thanks to having partners invested in different countries”
“Having the right partners together on a project, can be incredibly meaningful and serve the work very well”
The French film industry is iconic, and having the kind of relationship that honours African stories in the French space is empowering. Despite France’s colonial past in Africa, this kind of collaboration is very meaningful for those involved.
“The French have a significant colonial history on the continent, and film can be a very powerful tool towards decolonising our history and our story. Providing financial support and resources to African filmmakers feels not only very meaningful, but urgently necessary”
The “Global North”, incuding other European partners, should be open to more equitable structures of co-production; investment into film needs thinking outside the box, so that African creators don’t lose ownership of their stories in the process.
“The global North needs to be open to new and equitable ways of structuring co-productions. Finance that is raised results in ownership of the IP (if you raise 80% of the budget, you own 80% of the film). Therefore, an African film that is financed outside of its country of origin may result in the creators not actually owning their work.
We need to relook at how films are put together in order to honour the filmmakers/originators of the work. There is a necessity for supporting African cinema in favour of the filmmakers.”, Cait adds.
This is an opportunity to forge new filmmaking practices and grow authentic relationships within the wider funding space.
Alumni from the Realness Institute’s various programmes have benefited greatly from the collaborative efforts. Many have gone on to showcase their work on the most prestigious stages, from film festivals, such as Cannes and Venice, to selling their features and series to global streaming services like Netflix. Filmmakers have also been empowered to pitch their stories to global investors for funding to make their projects a reality.
For Cait and Mehert, though, the most fulfilling success stories have come from the collaborations between alumni from different countries on the continent and across Realness’ various programmes. Networking within the industry is an essential way to connect with like-minded people with varying skill sets who could be beneficial in taking film and series projects to the next level.
Asking Cait what legacy she hopes to leave within the industry, her hope is that she can help others make the films they love. For her, filmmaking is a team sport and having a nurturing environment is essential. A place where everyone feels seen, heard and supported in their roles.
As for up-and-coming, hopeful young filmmakers, Cait has some insights.
“Be brave, be unapologetic, fight for your vision, know your worth, but stay humble, stay curious and find the joy in what you do. Oftentimes, it can be incredibly stressful to make a film or series and so it’s easy to miss the joy-train. Make sure to get on it and enjoy the ride.”
Cait encourages filmmakers to enjoy the process as if they were a child in a sandbox. Play, enjoy the process and that will transfer onto the screen.
The African film industry is growing, and we look forward to seeing how these storytellers transform their experiences onto the screen for all to enjoy. You can follow along to witness their journeys with the Realness Institute here.
This interview is part of a special partnership between the Embassy of France in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi, the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) and Good Things Guy, celebrating 30 years of cultural co-creation. Since 1995, IFAS, the cultural agency of the Embassy of France in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi, has supported artistic and creative exchange across disciplines from visual arts to gaming.
To mark its 30th anniversary in 2025, IFAS and Good Things Guy are sharing the stories of South African creatives whose journeys have been shaped by French–South African cooperation, highlighting three decades of connection, creativity, and shared achievement. You can read them all here.
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