The RapidLion International Film Festival returns for its fifth edition this year promising a show of African excellence in film-making. This annual festival showcases original productions by filmmakers from across Africa and the African diaspora, as well as a special focus on films from the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries that concern humanitarian issues.

There is a packed programme of film screenings showing some major films from African and diasporan filmmakers who have done remarkably well. The festival opens with the premiere screening of the award-winning film, Letters of Hope by Director, Vusi Africa (showing Mar 6 at 18:30 and Mar 11 at 18:45, book tickets here).

Other premiere events at the festival include the screening of André Odendaal’s Gat In Die Muur, a story of a terminally ill man negotiating life as he faces death, and Fried Barry (Fri Mar 13)by Ryan Kruger a wacky new South African horror film which spins the tale of a heroin addict living in an abandoned Cape Town building who is abducted by aliens and taken on a wild joyride. Also look out for Jahmil X.T. Qubeka’s epic boxing thriller Knuckle City which has a special screening that is followed by a question and answer session with the director and producer Layla Swart.

Alongside the packed programme of new films is a series of masterclasses in filmmaking for aspiring auteurs, led by Brazilian Hariolo Araujo and South African Aryan Kaganof as they elaborate on film appreciation and how to shoot cinema on a mobile device. The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) also hosts a workshop on how to access its funding allocation while All Africa Access Entertainment’s Pascal Schmidt hosts two masterclasses on film distribution and its future.

Tickets for this event can be purchased at Market Theatre.