What to watch at the 2019 Shnit Worldwide Shortfilmfestival

A total of 135 South African and international short films make up this year's screening programme –from fiction to documentary, animation and experimental films, in genres spanning drama, science-fiction, romance, comedy, thrillers and more.

Shnit is presenting a 50% female-directed film programme in 2019. Both Shnit’s South African and international lineups include films with body- and sex-positive focus, confrontations of gender-based violence, political allegories and interrogations, as well as Shnit’s characteristically irreverent, quirky humour and human touch.

Selected from 150 South African entries and thousands of films globally, Shnit’s 10th year in SA is full of the strong voices Shnit has sought to seek out yearly since our very first edition.

Here’s what to watch:

Made In South Africa

The Made In South Africa competition category sees 14 of South Africa’s most accomplished short films compete for The Flaming Faun trophy from both jury and audience over three screening blocks.

Local Flavour

Cape Town’s long-standing Local Flavour South African showcase returns in its 10th Edition; 21 South African films set the screen alight over three screening blocks.

Worldwide Competition

A new Shnit category, the Worldwide Competition sees films from six continents side by side in each of three screening blocks. Presented by the collective audience and jury around the world, one film will take home the Flaming Faun.

International Competition

The International Competition sees films of all shapes and sizes, genres and themes compete for Flaming Faun trophies in multiple categories. Magic Mix: Pink/Magenta/White – Each MAGIC MIX presents a cross-section of festival highlights, in multiple genres and formats. Three separate screening blocks in Cape Town in 2019.

Shnit Documents/Shnit Animates

Masterful works in the documentary and animation fields, over two screening blocks apiece. Challenging, informative, enlightening, dazzling, hypnotic and jaw-droppingly inventive.

Comedy Shnit/Feel Good/Love Shnit

In three specially-curated screening blocks, you’ll laugh, you’ll love and you’ll leave feeling on top of the world. Comedy Shnit offers something to tickle the funny bone, no matter your taste. Love Shnit gives different perspectives on love and relationships, some with happy endings, some without. Feel Good is a Shnit festival favourite, winding down the weekend in an easy-going style.

Shnit Frontier

Specially-curated by the Cape Town festival team, this block of genre and genre-adjacent films lives on the edge; a little deeper and darker, a little trippier and a little spacier.

For the full lineup and schedule details, go to the capetown.shnit.org. To buy tickets go to Webtickets.