In its  20th year Encounters faces closure after the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) declined funding on opening night. After two applications the NFVF responded on 31 May, saying they will not be supporting the festival.
“This is a call to action to all documentary fans, filmmakers and the media to save our festival,” says board member Mandisa Ralane. “Encounters has a proud two decade legacy of bringing the best documentary films to South African audiences but will be unable to continue unless R700 000  is raised in the next week.”
The festival board urgently asks you to  support Encounters  by contacting https://www.thundafund.com/project/helpsaveencounters
Encounters opened  last night with Whispering Truth to Power, Shameela Seedat’s award winning film about the last year in office of Thuli Madonsela. It is films like this that start important conversations.
Without Encounters there  would be very limited opportunities for films like this to be seen in South Africa. “It is sad that it should happen at this juncture, at the last minute, after years of providing a platform to so many filmmakers to present their work, aiding filmmakers with development of their films into marketable and distributable products, providing training, skills transfer and other opportunities to so many,  particularly aspiring filmmakers from historically disadvantaged communities,” says festival director Reggie Khanzi.