Afghanistan

Director: James Glancy, Marty Stalker

Year: 2023

Director James Glancy, a former British Royal Marine commando who was decorated for his actions in combat, returns to Afghanistan with a handpicked team to help him answer the question that has haunted him for ten years. Was it worth it? Dramatically, mid-way through filming, President Joe Biden announces that the US will be pulling troops out by 9/11, starting a Taliban offensive that leads to the dramatic fall of the Afghanistan Government, amidst chaotic evacuation scenes in Kabul, as American forces withdraw.

Director: Jake J Smith

Year: 2026

For the first time in 30 years, a film crew gains rare access to Pennsylvania’s maximum-security women’s prisons. Inside, The Lady Lifers – a band led by former soul singer Naomi Blount – turn grief into music and defiance. Though Naomi never took a life, she is serving life without parole. To have any hope of freedom, she must express guilt she does not feel – a cruel paradox of the justice system. As her music echoes beyond the prison walls and reaches the public, lawmakers and activists, the question remains: Will her voice be enough to finally set her free - and to free those she left behind? Official Selection Durban International Film Festival 2026

Director: Pamela Ryder

Year: 2026

A kind hearted, working class volunteer dons the Santa suit each year, quietly transforming his community through simple acts of generosity, testing whether his belief in giving can inspire others to carry the magic forward.