Weaam Williams, HACC's Filmmaker & Creative Director (in the red jersey), pictured with Evette Vargas, a Screenwriter & Producer associated with the New Hollywood Movement, at HACC's 2025 event.
Image: Supplied
From October 30 to November 2, 2026, the Hollywood African Cinema Connection (HACC) will return to Cape Town for its highly anticipated third edition.
This event is scheduled to take place across several venues, such as the V&A Waterfront and Robben Island.
The festival will unveil its sharpest selection yet, offering a curated showcase of premium African and Middle Eastern films under this year's overarching theme, "Our Land, Our Heritage".
Weaam Williams, who holds the esteemed positions of the festival's Creative Director, an award-winning filmmaker, and a co-founder of the African Film DAO, told IOL that "organising a film festival within the historical context of a former political prison necessitates a sophisticated comprehension of both the physical setting and the ingrained memories associated with it".
"It aligns perfectly with HACC's socio-political ethos, as well as our deep spirit of community and collaboration," Williams said.
Under Williams' guidance, the festival's streamlined curatorial philosophy targets professionals and audiences who seek a cinematic standard of excellence.
"There is so much out there, and I think that audiences, buyers, and talent seekers appreciate this streamlined approach," Williams tells IOL.
"Our festival takes pride in the fact that we are impartial; at HACC, we are not looking at the names attached to projects, but the quality of the work."
She also confirmed that several films previously shown at A-list festivals will have their African premieres at HACC 2026.
Williams’ own pioneering work heavily informs the festival’s forward-looking financial focus. Her 2020 feature film, *Two Hues, *which she wrote, co-directed, and starred in, confronts the internal landscapes of trauma and patriarchy, following a bipolar woman navigating PTSD and sexual assault.
In early 2022, Two Hues made history as Africa's first short film project to be funded via Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).
This successful pursuit of transparent, decentralised equity led to the formation of the African Film DAO, setting the stage for HACC 2026’s emphasis on alternative capital.
The 2026 iteration of HACC represents a critical point for the continent's creative economy, placing fintech, smart contracts, and DAO governance impartially on the cinematic stage.
IOL
