Creative Minds Film Festival (3)

Festival start: 25 July 2026      Festival end: 26 July 2026

The Creative Minds Film Festival is a prestigious platform that celebrates and honors outstanding achievements in the realm of filmmaking. Our event is dedicated to fostering connections between industry professionals, emerging talents and students who share a passion for the art of storytelling through film.

The winners in our festival will each receive:

A custom Creative Minds Award trophy

An official Certificate of Achievement recognizing their excellence

Award Categories (10)

Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Editor
Best Student Film
Best Director
Best Documentary
Best Short Film
Best Feature Film
Best Sound design
Best Creative Film

1. Entry Form
Films and entry forms must be submitted exclusively through the Festhome website and must only be submitted by an authorised representative for the film.

2. Submission Deadlines

Regular Deadline: 31 March 2026
Notification Date: 15 May 2026

3. Categories

3.1. Features: African fictional films 41 minutes and over. Non-African submissions will be solicited.

3.2. Documentaries: African non-fiction films 60 minutes and over. Non-African submissions will be solicited.

3.3. Short Film: fiction or documentary films that are under 41 minutes. Open to all countries.

3.4. Student Film: fiction and non-fiction films under 60 minutes. The director of the film must be enrolled in a tertiary institution during the year that the film is produced and submitted for the festival. Open to all countries.

4. Competition Films

4.1. The competition section of the festival includes a selection of Features, Documentaries, Shorts and Student Films that will be adjudicated by an independent jury.

4.2. The decisions of the Jury are final, and no correspondence is entered into after the announcement of the Awards.

5. Eligibility

5.1. Feature films, documentaries, short films and student films that have been completed any time after January 2024.

5.2. Films submitted and declined for the previous edition will not be considered for the 2nd edition.

5.3. Films must not have been shown on South African television, internet streaming services or released in South African cinema before the CMFF24 presentation.

5.4. Should your film be selected, the festival requires a DCP for the exhibition. This is not applicable to student films.

5.5. Films where the language is not English, must have English subtitles.

5.6. Works solely promotional, educational or scientific in nature are not eligible for selection for CMFF.

5.7. A film selected to participate in the festival cannot be withdrawn from the festival during the event.

5.8. Films for the festival must be submitted by a representative who has the authority to do so.

6 Refunds

6. No submission refunds will be granted, it is the submitters' responsibility to ensure the film is eligible.

Any enquiries about the Creative Minds Film Festival can be directed to CMFF by email at creativeminds.filmfestival@gmail.com