Fifth EU film festival draws over 600 fans in Mbabane

Mbabane – More than 600 film lovers packed the Mbabane Theatre Club over four days for the fifth edition of the European Film Festival, making it the best attended edition of the event since it started in the Kingdom.

The festival ran from 13 to 16 May 2026 and was organised as a Team Europe initiative bringing together the European Union in Eswatini, Alliance Française de Mbabane, and ten EU member states accredited to Eswatini, namely Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden.

The opening night on 13 May set a high bar, with four local films including a Swati and Belgian collaboration taking to the screen alongside a French film. The closing night on 16 May proved equally memorable, with four films keeping audiences glued to their seats throughout the evening. A Swedish blockbuster, The Dance Club, brought the curtain down on the festival to loud applause from the crowd.

At the end of each screening, audience reactions confirmed that the films were a hit, and many in attendance were already looking forward to the next edition in 2027.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, EU Ambassador to Eswatini Karsten Mecklenburg thanked Alliance Française, the ten EU member states, and all stakeholders involved in pulling off a successful festival. He said the aim of the event was to share European cultures, in all their richness and diversity, with emaSwati, and that the inclusion of local films ensures an ongoing cultural exchange between Europe and Eswatini.

Running alongside the film screenings was a mobile photo exhibition showcasing the impact of the EU’s partnership with the Kingdom of Eswatini through cooperation projects carried out across the country over the past 50 years. The exhibition forms part of a wider campaign marking the 50th anniversary of EU-Eswatini partnership, which was launched at the start of May.