Behind Her Lens Visuals' flagship film festival showcases the boldest, contemporary and diverse voices of African diasporic cinema. Now spanning three cities—Johannesburg, Cape Town, and KZN—this multi-day celebration features curated sessions, panel discussions, and community screenings. The festival bridges industry professionals with emerging voices, creating spaces where African storytelling transcends traditional boundaries.

From BAFTA nominated films, to SAFTA award winning films, to Ocsar shortlist documentaries, Reel to Reality Film Festival has showcased some of the best African diasporic films from across the African diaspora from emerging and independent filmmakers. 

FOUNDER’S VISION

The work of emerging filmmakers and collective contributions from the African diaspora is often left out of the conversation when people talk about African cinema. Often, the image of African cinema is almost stuck in a early post-independent francophone lens. With works of Ousman Sembene and Djibril Membety still being referenced as African cinema till today. While they paved the way for African cinema to be seen in the global arena, there has been so much growth since then. A lot of that growth is seen outside of mainstream media, and through the incredible work of independent films and emerging voices. Through the Reel to Reality Film Festival, we aim to provide film programming that is innovative, featuring a variety of genres to demonstrate the versatility and creativity of African filmmakers. It's important for us as a festival to give a platform to stories that are often overlooked or marginalised in mainstream media by providing a platform for diverse voices within the African diaspora to be heard and celebrated. For us, the film festival is an accessible platform in which these films and filmmakers can be celebrated, regardless of where in their filmmaking journey they are.

Reel to Reality Film Festival offers networking opportunities and promotes a culture of cinema through storytelling related discussions with filmmakers in a time where cinema is constantly changing and evolving. The main selection criteria prioritises films by people of colour from South Africa, where the festival originates, as well as the African continent and the African diaspora, to promote pan-Africanism and a growth in the industry. This festival aims to accommodate stories and filmmakers across socio-political divides.

As film practitioners in our various fields, we know the difficulty of finding employment in the traditional Film and Television industry. Film curation opens the door to an alternative career path for emerging film and television practitioners. Our team is made up of Freelancers whose expertise we seek seasonally, to prepare for the festival and through which jobs are created.

For the Reel to Reality Festival, community is the cornerstone of industry recovery and growth. Our community is made up of partners, collaborators, audiences and filmmakers, all within the African diaspora. To date, we have had 18 small to medium businesses, art and community collaborators, who have propelled our film festival forward, in addition to growing their own portfolios through collaboration and partnership. In addition, we seek collaborations with small enterprises and local South African brands that reflect the vibrant culture and entrepreneurial spirit of the country.

Submission Criteria:

• Films submitted MUST be from filmmakers from Africa or the African diaspora.

The African diaspora is the worldwide collection of communities descended from native Africans or people from Africa.

Films will be considered if they are:

• Directed, produced or written by a director, producer, writer of colour, from the African continent or the African diaspora.

• Are not directed, produced or written by a person of colour BUT showcase a cast, narrative or topic from an African/African diasporic context.

• Submissions are LIMITED to 2 films per director.

• Submitting more than 2 films per person, can result in no selection at all.

• Films over 40 minutes will be disqualified.

• Please ensure that your film is submitted with a trailer/teaser, poster and stills (from the film itself or BTS Stills. Failure to provide this can result in no selection.

• Please note that once you have submitted, you cannot withdraw your film from submissions after the notification date has passed.

CONSENT

Please note that submitting to the festival means you consent to having your film screened during the course of the festival.

Submitting also means you consent to having your work used, within reason, in the festival programme, curation, marketing and public relations promotion.

OWNERSHIP

All submitters MUST have/own IP rights to showcase the film. Should the festival be made aware of any copyright issues, your film will be immediately withdrawn. 

Submissions are only accepted via FilmFreeway: https://filmfreeway.com/ReeltoRealityFilmFestival