What started as a small project some years ago has grown into a giant of an event that is respected by people in high places. This is how Umlazi International Film Festival (UIFF) is seen today. Addressing the media that attended the launch at MUT’s newly revamped Dining Hall (DH) on 11 November 2025, the UIFF CEO, Michael Ngema, said they started the project with a zero budget, but their zeal and determination carried them through and made their dream a reality. The event also attended by the UIFF supporters, KwaZulu-Natal and Film Authority (KZN TAFA), Creative Arts College, Durban Film Office, Filmmaker & Actor, Bursary Programme Beneficiaries, seasoned actors, and US academic. Dr Syleecia Thompson, from Orlando, Georgia, in the state of Florida, shared a message of support. Dr Thompson has ambitious plans that will involve South African artists and venues. Dr Thompson manages her singer sister, Syleena Johnson. Dr Thompson says that her work “lives at the intersection of music, television, film and education”. The event was also supported by filmmaker Sabelo Ndlovu, whose movie, ‘Amathambo’, will be unveiled soon. The event’s theme was: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Intellectual Property, and Innovation.
MUT is one of the supporters of this initiative. The University opened its doors to the UIFF four years ago when the CEO and UIFF Chief Operations Officer (COO), Sabelo Ngema, came looking for a venue to host their first festival. Mbali Mkhize, Senior Director: Marketing and Communications, asked her staff for permission to halt a meeting in progress so she could attend to the visitors. The relationship between UIFF and MUT began then and has grown strong since. The festival’s profile is growing so fast that its President, Sandile Dlamini, admitted that MUT venues may soon not be big enough. But, as they say, this is a nice-to-have problem.
CEO Ngema talked about their struggles, “when we had nothing except the vision, some people believed in us. MUT was one of those. That time the UIFF was a sleeping giant”, said the “young CEO” as Ngema was described by his President, who said “we are going to push you. We are going to hold the light, and you will run”. Dlamini said they had created an atmosphere that has enabled the artists and actors to thrive.
Among the big names that attended the event were seasoned Uzalo actors. One of them thanked UIFF for bringing the event to Umlazi.