19 – 21 NOVEMBER 2026 · MASERU · LESOTHO

KINGDOM
IN THE SKY

Conservation International Film Festival — where film unites gastronomy, fashion, music, tourism, wool & mohair.

THE FESTIVAL

Heritage, told at altitude.

An annual, rotating festival at the meeting point of heritage conservation and cultural preservation — told through film and storytelling. Inaugurated in 2025 to carry Lesotho's cultural heritage across all ten districts, the 2026 Maseru edition is reimagined: cost-effective, impact-driven, and built to immerse participants in heritage while equipping creatives and conservationists through education, networking and storytelling.

  • Position the Creative Cultural Industry as a business sector — and a future.
  • Promote conservation as a cultural and economic asset.
  • Use film and media as tools for advocacy, education and economic opportunity.
  • Connect creatives, conservation actors, policymakers and funders.
  • Build local and international visibility for Lesotho's creative and conservation sector.
ASCENDING · BASE CAMP AHEAD — 1 400 M
DAY 1 · 19 NOV · BASE CAMP — 1 400 M

Heritage & Immersion

The History Walk. A three-hour guided tour of Maseru's iconic historical sites, led by local historians and residents — the city telling its own story.

Opening Ceremony & Street Exhibition. A snack reception after the walk, then the streets take over: a public exhibition of traditional music, fashion, crafts and live narrative, with performances built to celebrate local culture and pull the whole community in.

VENUE · UNESCO BUILDING + MAKOANYANE SQUARE & SURROUNDING SIDEWALKS
ASCENDING · MID-SLOPE AHEAD — 2 400 M
DAY 2 · 20 NOV · MID-SLOPE — 2 400 M

Symposium, Masterclass & Networking

Five panels on Lesotho's heritage, culture and creative economy — the working climb.

Film · Heritage · Tourism · Investment
Leveraging film to promote heritage, tourism and investment
Gastronomy · Cultural Heritage
Beyond the table: gastronomy as a catalyst for tourism, film and cultural development
Fashion · Economic Development
Weaving identity into opportunity: fashion as a driver of heritage, tourism and the economy
Music · Destination Branding
The sound of heritage: music as a driver of culture, tourism and economy
Wool & Mohair · Creative Economy
From fibre to future: unlocking the cultural tourism and economic potential of Lesotho's wool and mohair
FINAL ASCENT · THE SUMMIT — 3 482 M
DAY 3 · 21 NOV · THE SUMMIT — 3 482 M

Screenings & Awards

Official selections from four countries, screened and honoured under the highest sky in Southern Africa.

LESOTHOSOUTH AFRICABOTSWANAZIMBABWE

Awards ceremony and closing networking sessions — the kingdom in the sky, earned on foot.

AFTER THE CLIMB

Two doors off the mountain.

OPEN CALL · OFFICIAL SELECTION 2026

Send your film up the mountain.

Screenings take place on Day 3 at the summit — official selections from Lesotho, South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Submissions are free.

Front-end prototype — submission is simulated, and composes a structured payload ready for backend wiring.

GET INVOLVED

The mountain has room for you.

Choose how you climb — then leave your details and we'll take it from there. No payment required; the festival is free to join.

▲ Choose a role above first.