A year after her passing, the late actress Connie Chiume is honoured with a youth film festival launching on Mandela Day.
Mapaballo Borotho
In commemoration of the late legendary actress and activist Connie Chiume, the inaugural Connie Chiume International Youth Film Festival will launch on Nelson Mandela Day, July 18, and run through the weekend at the Sibikwa Arts Centre in Benoni.
This year’s festival carries special significance as the first edition since Chiume’s passing. She passed away in August 2024, after a period of illness.
More than a tribute, the event is a powerful continuation of her life’s mission — creating platforms for young people, democratising access to the arts, and championing authentic African stories on a global stage.
Nothando Mabuza, Chiume’s daughter and Executive Producer of the festival, spoke on the impact and purpose behind the initiative:
This is more than just a celebration of emerging talent — it’s a vital platform that gives students a real opportunity to enter the film industry, tell their stories, and build meaningful careers. It empowers communities, inspires creativity, and helps create sustainable employment in the arts. Most importantly, it keeps my mother’s legacy alive — a legacy rooted in passion, perseverance, and the belief in uplifting others.
The three-day festival will feature a bold, youth-led screening lineup with films tackling pressing themes such as mental health, gender equality, and social inclusion.
Festival Spokesperson Nongelo Chiume added:
The Connie Chiume International Youth Film Festival is a celebration of what’s possible when we give young people the tools, spaces, and platforms to dream and create. We’re not only building future filmmakers — we’re expanding access to an entire economy of opportunity that Mama Connie cared deeply about.
A standout moment of the festival will be the screening of the South African classic What Did You Dream?, directed by Karabo Lediga and starring Connie Chiume. The film will serve as a powerful tribute to her decades-long impact on stage and screen.
Also featured is Uprise, a gripping documentary by Sifiso Khanyile inspired by the 1976 Soweto Uprising, reflecting on youth resistance and generational memory.
Student short films from across the country will also be showcased, bringing together a multigenerational audience of learners, educators, creatives, and industry leaders — exactly the kind of vibrant, inclusive space that Connie Chiume envisioned.
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