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Its a Wrap!

A successful Durban International Film Festival

Awards Night for the 28 th Durban International Film Festival took place at NuMetro Cinecentre at Suncoast on Saturday June 30th, with 18 prizes in form of traditional Zulu dolls, being awarded. The Best Film prize was awarded to Ezra , by UK-based Nigerian director Newton Aduaka, a story set within the conflict of Sierra Leone . The International Jury's commendation highlighted Ezra as a “ bold and daring film that takes us into the heart of the politics of war and hatred”. The award carries a cash prize of R30,000.

Best South African Film award, with a cash prize of R20, 000, went to Heartlines , directed by Angus Gibson. The jury praised the film for its “ attention to cinematographic detail and its unflinching adherence to its core message of redemption”. South African director Teboho Mahlatsi's Sekalli Le Meokgo (Meokgo and the Stickfighter) scooped both Best Short Film and Best South African Short Film awards, while The Mother's House by Francois Verster won Best South African Documentary award. The Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award, accompanied by 2,000 euro cash prize, went to Shame, a film from Pakistan directed by Mohammed Naqvi.

The festival presented over 300 screenings, drawing an overall audience of over 19,000.

DIFF coordinated 33 workshops over an intensive twelve-day period, and with an overall attendance of 1580, these fora proved a valuable tool for professionals, aspirant filmmakers, and the general public. In particular the high-level of audience participation in these workshops offers a tangible foothold for aspirants in the often daunting sphere of film and television production in a region where the film industry is still in infant stages.

The NFVF maintained a strong presence throughout the festival, hosting a Roundtable with KZN Training Providers and a Roundtable with KZN Producers; and the NFVF Open Session with KwaZulu-Natal both at the principal festival workshop venue the BAT Centre as well as at Ekaya Multi-Arts Centre in KwaMashu, another festival screening and workshop venue. The SABC presented a series of four workshops which drew good interest. The full programme of workshops, films and awards is on www.cca.ukzn.ac.za

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About the festival

The 28th Durban International Film Festival presented a selection of the best in cinema from South Africa, Africa and around the world, most of which are premiere showings in this country. Over 300 screenings were showcased at 22 venues across the Durban district between 20th June and 1st July. Including numerous award-winners, the line-up of cutting edge feature films was supplemented by a prime selection of topical documentaries and short films.

Themes and focus areas of DIFF 2007 included a South African and African perspective featuring the cream of the new crop of productions from this continent; the New Crowned Hope series of films commissioned to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth; the Poverty and Inequality Challenge Film Festival; the 3rd Wavescapes Surf Film Festival; Focus on Italian Cinema; Focus on Cinema of the Middle East; New Danish Cinema; Indian Ocean Islands Panorama; a Gay and Lesbian Cinema focus; the IceBox package of experimental films and animation; Films on Music and live music events.

The festival also offered free workshops, industry seminars, and public discussion forums with visiting filmmakers.

Principal festival venues were NuMetro CineCentre Suncoast, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre; Musgrave Ster-Kinekor; Cinema Nouveau Gateway; Ekhaya Multi-Arts Centre; BAT Centre; KwaSuka Theatre; and outreach screenings in township areas where cinemas are non-existent.

	DIFF Films and Programme of Activites - Subject to change
	Film Festival Awards HTML / MS Word Version
	Daily Film Schedule PDF     HTML
	Festival Themes PDF
	Workshops and Special Events PDF in HTML
	Feature Films: HTML NEW feature - If you liked this film then see these   Competition Films and Opening Night Film PDF Panorama Features PDF Documentary Films PDF   Short Films PDF   Wavescapes Surf Film Festival   Films and programme (black and white) PDF Films and programme (colour) PDF   Print Source PDF   Ticket Information in PDF

The Centre for Creative Arts acknowledges funders and partners with great appreciation:
The Durban International Film Festival is organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN) with principle funding and support from the National Film & Video Foundation, National Lottery Distribution Fund, Department of Economic Development - KwaZulu-Natal, HIVOS, Stichting Doen Postcode Lottery, City of Durban and Ethekwini Municipality. Other partners include: SABC, Durban Film Office, Danish Centre for Culture and Development, Audio Visual Centre UKZN, Videovision Entertainment, Royal Netherlands Embassy, Wavescapes Surf Film Festival, Out In Africa Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Nu Metro Cine Centre Suncoast, Cinema Nouveau Gateway, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Ekhaya Multimedia Arts Centre KwaMashu, Ster Kinekor Musgrave, BAT Centre, Suncoast, Eagle Taxis, Gearhouse, Film Lab, Video Lab, Imagination Lab, TNT International, Italian Consulate Durban, Italian Institute of Culture - Pretoria, Sunday Magazine, Dynamic Korea, Japan Foundation, French Embassy, Alliance Francaise, Goethe-Institute Johannesburg, Swedish Film Institute, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Durban University of Technology, Multimedia Learning Centre @ UKZN MTB, Centre for Civil Society, AFDA, BAT Centre, Public Affairs Division UKZN, National Film Board of Canada, Kentucky Fried Chicken François Road

Last updated on 5 July 2007