Steven Markovitz is stepping down from his role at the Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival after 26 years of service as co-founder, co-director, and board member. 

In 1999, Nodi Murphy and Steven Markovitz founded Encounters, which has since become the leading Creative Documentary Festival in South Africa and on the African continent. 

Steven says: “We started the festival at a time when there was almost no support for documentaries, no community, and no documentaries in the cinemas. It felt important to start contributing to building this ecosystem, creating opportunities for both new and established filmmakers, and fostering robust debate around crucial issues in our young democracy. This feels as relevant today as it did in 1999.

During his 26 years at the Festival, Steven’s contribution has been significant, but he says his biggest triumph “is being able to leave the board knowing that under the leadership of Mandisa Zitha, the festival is thriving, healthy, vibrant, dynamic and making an important impact on the filmmakers and audiences alike”.

This year’s Encounters festival, currently taking place in Cape Town and Johannesburg until June 30, features a compelling lineup of over 50 films from around the world. The documentaries are certain to spark debates, stimulate thought-provoking conversations, and shed new light on controversial subject matter – hallmarks of the Encounters festival.

Reflecting on moments that most impacted him over the years, Steven says: “There have been many special moments at the festival. Some include honouring Black WWII veterans at the opening night screening of ‘A Pair of Boots and a Bicycle’. Witnessing Winnie Mandela appreciating the film on her ‘Winnie’ playing at the festival, and experiencing veteran UDF activists watching a short documentary on the UDF and listening to them reconnect with each other, reflecting on what principles have been lost since the 1980s and which ones have endeared.”

Steven will continue to produce films and contribute as a board member of Electric South and Documentary Africa ( DocA), and calls for filmmakers in Africa to “double down on documentaries”. 

“There is a global crisis in creative documentary right now. Funding has decreased, viewing patterns are changing, slots are diminishing. At the same time African filmmakers’ craft and talent are on the rise, there is more funding within Africa than ever before. 

“We need to double down on documentaries and also diversify how we create work in the non-fiction genre by producing short films, immersive media and finding new forms of exhibition and distribution. As most news outlets’ credibility plunge, more in depth documentaries continue to attract loyal audiences.

“The biggest struggle has been securing sufficient funding for the festival on an annual basis. Hopefully those with resources will see the value of the festival after all these years and will support the festival more substantially.”

Steven and Nodi’s Encounters legacy includes prioritising the appointment of Black staff in key positions in the organisation, and providing mentorship and on-the-job training in the areas of curating, funding, and festival management. This support has now been passed on to a new generation of film festival professionals. The current Encounters board consists of a diverse mix of talent and expertise in film. It is led by Chair Toni Monty, and directors Mandisa Zitha, Moroba Nkawe, Karen Meiring, and Tiny Mungwe.

As for advice for aspiring documentary filmmakers, Steven says: “Tenacity, innovation, curiosity, integrity, humility, collaboration and a sense of humour will get you far in documentary filmmaking.  You can never do enough research and there is always something to work on in your spare time even before the funding has come. Don’t give up, we need the next generation to tell stories that are important to them and to find new forms of storytelling.”