The selection of films aims to speak to the diversity of experiences from within the LGBTQ community.

Two African films, one from South Africa and one from Nigeria, will have red carpet premieres during the festival and tickets will be available via the CTIFM&F website.

The South African film Kanarie will premiere on Wednesday, 10 October at 08:30 at the Nouveau V&A Waterfront. The film, directed by Christiaan Olwagen and starring Schalk Bezuidenhout, has won numerous awards. 

Set in South Africa in 1985, Kanarie follows a boy, Johan Niemand, who is bullied in his small town for enjoying British new wave music and Boy George.

He gets called on by the military and auditions for the Kanaries (the South African Defence Force Church Choir and Concert Group), believing the choir will be his ticket out of fighting the war. On tour, he develops feelings for a fellow Canary, leading to a confrontation with his commanding officers.

The Nigerian/United Kingdom co-production Walking with Shadows will have its world premiere at the CTIFM&F on Friday, 12 October 20:00 at Nu Metro5.

Based on the novel by Nigerian author Jude Dibia, the film tells the story of a man who has to come to terms with his secret and choose between keeping his family or accepting a life of possible loneliness and rejection.

The Miseducation of Carmen Post is based on the novel by Emily M Danforth and follows Cameron (Chloë Grace Moretz) as she is sent to a gay conversion therapy centre after getting caught with another girl in the back seat of a car on prom night.


CTIFM&F director Leon van der Merwe says, "The diversity of films reflects a shift in cultural conversations around identity, but also the festival’s own spirit as welcoming and inclusive."

"We try to forget the labels and look for queerness in all kinds of films. It really works because this section of the festival is very successful within the community, but also for an audience who’s just interested in seeing these films," adds van der Merwe. 

Below is the full list of films competing within the LGBTQ category of the 2018 film festival:
  • Girl Belgium (Netherlands) – Lukas Dhont
  • I Miss you when I see you (Hong Kong) – Simon Chung
  • Just Friends The Netherlands – Ellem Smit
  • Kanarie (South Africa) – Christiaan Olwagen
  • Malila: The Farewell Flower (Thailand) – Anucha Boonyawatana
  • Mario (Poland) – Marcel Gisler
  • Postcards From London (UK) – Steve McLean
  • Retablo (Peru/Germany/ Norway) – Alvaro Delgado Aparicio
  • Soldiers Story From Ferentari (Belguim/Romania/Serbia) – Ivana Mladenovic
  • The Miseducation of Cameron Post (United States) – Desiree Akhavan
  • Walking with Shadows (Nigeria/UK) – Aoife Kelly, Funmi Iyanda
From Wednesday, 10 October to Friday, 19 October, 80 feature films, 20 documentaries and 66 short films will be screened at various venues at the V&A Waterfront. Full schedules and ticketing information can be found on the CTIFM&F website.

For more information, visit www.filmfestival.capetown. You can also follow the CTIFM&F on Facebook or on Instagram.