The Joburg Film Festival opened in style with the South African premiere of Laundry (Uhlanjululo), the debut feature from filmmaker Zamo Mkhwanazi.
The red carpet rolled out at Theatre on the Square, where actors, filmmakers and industry leaders gathered to mark the start of JFF 2026. Among those in attendance were Bonko Khoza, Sisa Hewana, Eddie Hamilton and Noluthando Ngema, adding star power to an evening that celebrated cinema and storytelling.#
Set in 1968 during apartheid, Laundry (Uhlanjululo) follows a Black family running a laundromat in a whites-only area. The film stars Ntobeko Sishi, Tracy September, Zekhethelo Zondi, Siyabonga Shibe and Bukamina Cebekhulu.
The opening-night audience responded with sustained applause, reflecting the film’s emotional weight and the powerful way it explores everyday life under apartheid.
For Mkhwanazi, the story is deeply personal. Inspired by real events within her own family, the film focuses on how large historical systems impact ordinary people. “I wanted to tell apartheid history through the lives of everyday individuals,” she explained, noting that the erosion of a people often happens through countless small moments.
Festival founder and executive director Tim Mangwedi described the film as the perfect way to begin this year’s festival. According to Mangwedi, the audience reaction on opening night captured exactly what powerful cinema is meant to do: connect emotionally and spark reflection.
The evening also introduced the festival’s 2026 theme, Feel the Frame, celebrating the intersection of film, craft and culture. Guests walked the red carpet before the screening, with the celebrations continuing afterwards with a set from Lelowhatsgood.
Running until 8 March, the festival will showcase more than 60 feature films, 18 documentaries, 65 short films and nine student productions, alongside industry panels, Q&A sessions and masterclasses. The event is presented in partnership with MultiChoice Group, a CANAL+ company, further cementing Johannesburg’s place on the global film calendar.
