Shahaad Ameen’s film Hijra won Best Feature Film at the 2026 Hollywood African Cinema Connection festival, known as HACC. The festival celebrated filmmaking from Africa and the Middle East, IOL reported.
Hijra is a production from Saudi Arabia and Iraq. It was recognised for its storytelling, its cinematic craft, its acting and its use of scenery.
“Audiences who watched it at HACC were equally taken with the film, and that response tells me it deserves a far wider audience,” festival creative director Weaam Williams said.
Williams said she first saw Hijra at the Red Sea Festival and “fell in love with it”. She said HACC will keep looking for ways to bring the film to local cinemas. She also wants it to reach communities across South Africa and the rest of the continent.
Izenzo Zami by Lwazi Duma received an honourable mention in the feature category. Williams said the jury was impressed by the film’s ambition and its direction. The jury also liked its use of established South African actors in a story about alcoholism.
Nigerian filmmaker Ella Ogechi Chikezie won Best Short Film for In Her Shoes. The film follows a tween girl living with autism in rural Nigeria, where understanding of the condition is limited.
Ori by South African filmmaker Sabelo Zamisa received an honourable mention in the short film category. It tells the story of a young person who loses a sibling. The film looks at grief, modern life and culture.
Paikar, directed by Dawood Hilmandi, won Best Documentary. The film looks at the lives of a family shaped by migration. It was produced across the Netherlands, Afghanistan and Iran.
Paikar was also selected as the official submission from the Netherlands for the International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
The honourable mention for documentary went to The Boy Behind the Wardrobe by Albert Maritz. The film is about Winston Wicomb, who was marginalised under apartheid because of the colour of his skin. It also looks at his work with heart surgeon Christiaan Barnard.
Okuruwo: Tale of the Holy Fire from Namibia won the Weaam Williams Founder Award. Namibian writer and producer Tekla Nakale held the trophy for the film. Williams praised its production quality and storytelling. She described it as an indigenous magical-realist tale of the Himba people.
The festival opened with Irkalla: Gilgamesh’s Dream by Mohamed Al-Daradji. It also held a special screening of Rise: The Siya Kolisi Story.
The festival thanked the filmmakers who screened their work and the team behind the event. That team was Nafia Kocks, Bheki Dladla, Thandekhaya Ncosani, Kastarine Kgola and Andrew Ngare. HACC also thanked its audience and its partners, including IOL, Photohire and the First Nations Collective.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Entertainment. Image: IOL Entertainment. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Entertainment desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Rirhandzu Baloyi writes about entertainment for Tzaneen Voice. Rirhandzu covers South African music, film, TV, streaming, awards and celebrity news, from amapiano and local soapies to Showmax and Netflix releases. Stories stick to what happened, who was involved and when fans can watch or listen.