The 39th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), which takes place from 19 to 29 July, has announced its films and jury members for this year’s competition. Award categories are Best Feature Film, Best South African Feature Film, Best Documentary, Best SA Documentary, Best Short Film, Best African Short Film, Best South African Short Film, Best Actor Award, Best Actress, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Artistic Bravery, Audience Choice Award, Wavescape Audience Choice Award and the Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award.
The documentary film jury includes Uzanenkosi one of the SA’s busiest and most prolific producers, who created InterSEXions the award-winning first of its kind, world over drama series that won an unprecedented 11 SAFTA awards. Nakai Matema, a veteran Zimbabwean producer who has produced several ground-breaking documentaries including Rehad, Desai’s My Land, My Life and Leo Phiri’s A Fighting Spirit from the STEPS for the Future series. Nigerian filmmaker Mahmood Ali-Balogun who has directed numerous films including multiple award-winning film Tango With Me, and has been on the juries of numerous festivals such as Cairo International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Abuja International Film Festival and African International Film Festival (AFRIFF). Dorothee Wenner is a Berlin-based freelance filmmaker, writer and curator who has been on the selection committee of Berlin’s International Forum since 1990 and serves as the Berlinale’s delegate for India and sub-Saharan Africa.
Documentary films in competition are We Could Be Heroes (Denmark, Morocco, Tunisa, Brazil) directed by Hind Bensari; Silas (Canada/South Africa/Kenya) directed by Anjali Nayar and Hawa Essuman; Whispering Truth To Power (South Africa/Netherlands) directed by Shameela Seedat; New Moon directed by Philippa Ndisi-Herrmann; Kinshasa Makambo (Democratic Republic Of The Congo/France/Switzerland/Germany/Norway) directed by Dieudo Hamadi; Amal (Egypt/Lebanon/Germany) directed by Mohamed Siam; Spell Reel (Germany/Portugal/France/Guinea-Bissau) directed by Filipa César; Shakedown (Usa) directed by Leilah Weinraub; The Silk and the Flame (Fei’e Pu Huo) (United States) directed by Jordan Schiele; The State Against Nelson Mandela and the Others (France) directed by Nicolas Champeaux and Gilles Porte.
All SA documentaries and features are also eligible for the SA Best Documentary and SA Best Feature awards.