Mpumalanga International Film Festival 2027
Beyond the Screen
Your story deserves an afterlife.
2–10 August 2027 · Mpumalanga · South Africa
SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN · Early Bird 31 Oct 2026 · Regular 15 Dec 2026 · Late 31 Jan 2027 · Extended 20 Feb 2027* · Notification 31 Mar 2027
*Final deadline being confirmed — submit via FilmFreeway or Festhome; always check the official listing before submitting.
Why submit to MIFF 2027?
MIFF is more than a screening — it is a platform that connects your film to audiences, industry and opportunity in the heart of South Africa’s wildest province.
Cinema screenings & Q&As
Your film on the big screen in Mbombela, followed by a moderated audience Q&A.
Industry access & masterclasses
Keynotes, workshops and funding sessions with local and international experts.
Networking & markets
Meet producers, investors, broadcasters and distributors across the festival week.
Destination experiences
Skukuza and Kruger National Park experiences for selected filmmakers.
Awards & recognition
Competitive awards across eight core categories, celebrated at the closing ceremony.
Optional MPPLUS consideration
An optional pathway to digital audiences after the festival — you keep your rights.
2027 Competition Categories
Best Feature Film
Narrative feature-length films demonstrating strong storytelling, direction, performance and cinematic execution.
Best Short Film
Short-form narrative filmmaking showcasing original and memorable storytelling.
Best Documentary
Feature and short documentaries exploring people, communities, environments, history, ideas and contemporary issues.
Best Student Film
Films produced by students or as part of recognised educational or training programmes.
Best Animation
Traditional, digital, stop-motion, experimental and hybrid animation.
Best African Film
Films from Africa and African storytellers representing African experiences, perspectives and imagination.
Best Mpumalanga Film
Films and filmmakers connected to Mpumalanga — its people, languages, landscapes, heritage and communities.
Best Wildlife, Environment & Conservation Film
Wildlife, biodiversity, conservation, climate, landscapes, indigenous knowledge and humanity’s relationship with nature.
US$3,500 Prize Pool
Five major winning categories each receive US$700 (per the current FilmFreeway award description).
- Official MIFF recognition
- Potential MPPLUS licensing for selected films
- Potential MPPLUS streaming / digital arrangements
- Potential future development consideration
- Selected Skukuza experience
- Selected Lime Time travel opportunities
- Festival screening & audience exposure
- Industry networking
MIFF 2026 Award-Winning Stories
Before we welcome the next generation of filmmakers, we celebrate the stories that defined MIFF 2026.
Best Wild Film
The Legacy of Megaherbivores
Tom Bouyer & Aimee Tallian
United States
United States
Local Is Lekker Award
A Dream (Liphupho)
Siphosethu Nkosivile Sibandze
Eswatini
Eswatini
Women Behind the Scenes Award
Mufunwa: Kiss of the Blood
Lufuno
South Africa
South Africa
Best Producer
Remember Their Names
Sihle Hlophe
South Africa
South Africa
Could your film be next?
MIFF in Mpumalanga
MIFF lives in Mbombela, the capital of Mpumalanga — a naturally cinematic province of mountains, heritage sites and communities, connected to the Kruger National Park through conservation storytelling partnerships.
WildMarket Africa
Wildlife × conservation × film — in Skukuza and the Kruger National Park, in partnership with conservation bodies. Where wildlife filmmakers meet the industry.
Film Industry Summit
Funding, co-production, technology, production, investment, distribution and market access — the working heart of the festival.
From MIFF to MPPLUS
An optional post-festival discovery pathway. Filmmakers retain their rights; submission does not license your film to MPPLUS, and any streaming arrangement requires a separate agreement.
MIFF 2026 Festival Highlights
Eight days across Mbombela and the Kruger National Park — 98 films from 25+ countries, 40+ industry sessions, WildMarket Africa and a closing awards ceremony that launched this journey.