The Joburg Film Festival rolled out the red carpet in style as it officially opened with the South African premiere of Laundry (Uhlanjululo), the debut feature from filmmaker Zamo Mkhwanazi.
Theatre on the Square buzzed with energy as film and cultural heavyweights – including Bonko Khoza, Sisa Hewana, Eddie Hamilton, and Noluthando Ngema – joined the cast, filmmakers and industry leaders for a glamorous opening night that set the tone for JFF 2026.
Set in 1968, Laundry (Uhlanjululo) stars Ntobeko Sishi, Tracy September, Zekhethelo Zondi, Siyabonga Shibe and Bukamina Cebekhulu, and tells the intimate story of a Black family running a laundromat in a whites-only area under apartheid. The opening-night audience responded with sustained applause, reflecting the film’s emotional resonance and relevance.
“This story was inspired by real events in my family,” says Mkhwanazi. “I wanted to tell apartheid history through the lives of ordinary people, because the destruction of a people happens in individual increments.”
Festival founder and executive director Tim Mangwedi says the film was a powerful way to open the festival. “Laundry captures exactly what cinema should do; make you feel. The response on opening night showed how deeply this story connected with audiences.”
The evening doubled as a celebration of JFF’s 2026 theme, Feel the Frame, bringing together cinema, craft and culture. Guests made their way down the red carpet before the screening, with post-film festivities including a set by Lelowhatsgood.
The Joburg Film Festival runs until 8 March, presenting more than 60 feature films, 18 documentaries, 65 short films and 9 student films, alongside industry panels, Q&As and masterclasses.
