The 47th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), presented by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, has officially unveiled its highly anticipated selection of feature films and feature documentaries for the upcoming edition, taking place from 23 July to 2 August 2026.
The 2026 programme showcases 34 exceptional films competing across the festival’s prestigious Feature Film and Documentary categories. Together, these works explore personal journeys, historical reckonings, environmental transitions, social realities, and human resilience, offering audiences a rich and diverse cinematic experience from South Africa, the African continent, and beyond.
A standout feature of this year’s programme is the growing presence of international co-productions anchored in South Africa, reflecting the country’s expanding role in global filmmaking and strengthening its position as a creative hub where local and international stories intersect.
“The Features programme is one of the most anticipated sections of the festival calendar, and this year we are proud to present globally acclaimed titles with a strong international footprint. DIFF remains a gateway to African cinema, and our curation is guided by inclusivity through programming titles with a broad range of topical issues. Film also plays a key role in tourism and economic development by showcasing destinations, attracting visitors, and creating opportunities within the creative sector,” says DIFF Festival Manager Sakhile Gumede.
Speaking on the documentary selection, Gumede adds: “Documentaries are an important part of cinema because they tell real stories and show the world as it is. They help us understand people, events, and issues by sharing truth and real-life experiences.”
Official DIFF 2026 feature films in competition
South African Films & Co-Productions
Themba – Directed by Luthando Mngomezulu
THEMBA is a riveting and emotionally charged drama that delves into the complexities of grief, marriage, and redemption. When Thembalethu and Nokuthula lose their only son in a tragic hit-and-run, they find themselves on opposing paths. Thembalethu is desperate to erase all reminders of their son while Nokuthula clings to his memory. Their grief pulls them apart, fracturing their marriage and deepening into suspicion, resentment, and painful secrets. Nokuthula leaves. On their late son’s sixth birthday, Thembalethu arrives drunk at a family gathering, his outburst shaking him to his core. Haunted and broken, he finally allows himself to grieve. In a moment of vulnerability, he opens up to Nokuthula, and together they begin to heal. Cast includes Mbalenhle Mavimbela, Ntando Mncube and Sbani Mbongwa.
Protea – Directed by Desmond Denton
Step into a world undone in Protea, the latest Afrikaans film by visionary director Desmond Denton. Set in a post-apocalyptic Cape Town, the story follows Dante, a former military commander turned bounty hunter, as he navigates a desolate city where water is the ultimate currency. When a desperate father hires Dante to rescue his son, the mission unravels hidden truths, challenging Dante’s loyalties and igniting a quest for redemption. With stunning visuals and a narrative that explores humanity’s resilience, PROTEA is a cinematic journey of sacrifice, survival, and the untamed human spirit. The cast includes Eric Uys, Christine Tesco, Greg Kriek, Jenny Umhau, Abdurgaman Adams, Scot Cooper, Rico Hatting, Daisy May, Paul Steyn, Bernadette Beyer, Chase Lutron, and Mel Jo Pel.
The Drive – Directed by Bruce Retief and Tafara Nyatsanza
A man’s life falls apart as he is driving home from a conference, and betrayal from those closest to him threatens his daughter’s life. Starring Anele Matoti and Luvo Tamba.
Dance With Me – Directed by Romanuse Lindelani Langa
One month after Phindi began learning the gumboots dance, Mphathi announced that the Annual Gumboots Dance Competition would take place in six months, with one spot available for a promising dancer to join the Senior crew. Phindi is selected as a contestant. Although she struggles with the new routine and cannot perform with confidence, she remains committed to competing for the scholarship prize. Despite the dance triggering traumatic memories, she advances through the early rounds. After completing therapy, Phindi returns to win the MVP dancer award at the competition. Cast includes Minenhle Sithole, Mfanafuthi Lushozi, Sibonile Ngubane and Samkelisiwe Hlophe.
Pan-African & International Perspectives
- Calle Malaga – Maryam Touzani (Morocco, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium)
- Cotton Queen – Suzannah Mirghani (Germany, France, Palestine, Sudan)
- Early Winter – Özcan Alper (Turkey)
- If I Go Will They Miss Me – Walter Thompson-Hernández (USA)
- Lefty – Vladimir Besedin (Russia)
- My Friend – Mohamed Zran (Tunisia)
- No Good Men – Shahrbanoo Sadat (Germany, France, Norway, Denmark, Afghanistan)
- One Woman One Bra – Vincho Nchogu (Kenya, Nigeria)
- Poachers Moon – Tom Datnow (United Kingdom)
- Red Silk – Andrey Volgin (Russia)
- Shame and Money – Visar Morina (Germany, Kosovo, Slovenia, Albania, North Macedonia, Belgium)
- Tableau Ferraille – Moussa Séne Absa (Senegal)
- The Color of Exile – Azlarabe Alaoui (Côte d’Ivoire, France, Morocco)
- The Little Sister – Hafsia Herzi (France, Germany)
- Unidentified – Haifaa Al Mansour (Saudi Arabia)
Official DIFF 2026 documentary films in competition
South African films & co-productions
After Oil – Directed by Boima Tucker
Shot in collaboration with three communities across the African continent, After Oil is an intimate look at the effects of the green energy transition on the Global South. Starring Nonhle Mbutuma, William Shoki, Wangui Kimari, Monica Nduku Kaviru and Taleb Brahim.
Fosta – Eldon Van Aswegen
FOSTA is an intimate, unflinching portrait of Thulani ‘Fosta’ Headman, a former gang member from the Cape Flats who has spent years confronting the consequences of his past. After prison for gang-related activity, Fosta returns to his community carrying remorse and resolve, determined to rewrite the story that shaped him. Electronic music becomes his lifeline, a pulsing, defiant language through which he transforms anger into creation and chaos into rhythm. Through raw testimony, family encounters, and the restless streets that raised him, the film explores masculinity, memory, and redemption. A story of reckoning, survival, and the saving power of sound.
From Dust We Spin – Julia Jansch
When a troubled young woman from the gang-ridden Cape Flats meets a car spinner haunted by his past, she defies her mother’s wishes and takes the wheel, entering a forbidden world of smoke, danger, and screaming tyres. As their lives begin to mirror one another, he fights to break the cycles that nearly destroyed him while she searches for a way out, together discovering that salvation can be found in the most unlikely places. Starring Logan Maart, and Mark “Bull” Linden.
Who is Still Alive – Directed by Nicolas Wadimoff
Who is Still Alive? is a haunting, deeply human film about loss, identity and resilience amid humanitarian catastrophe. Nine Palestinian refugees recall life in Gaza before the war, speaking of their families, friendships and profound connection to their homeland. With their former lives in ruins, conversation becomes a way to reclaim memory, dignity and a path back to life. No longer ghosts, their voices reveal a Gaza rarely seen on screen, one shaped by entrepreneurs, artists, doctors and creators who once built its future. Intimate and universal, the film highlights resilience, creativity and hope. Premiering in Venice, it received major awards for its emotional power and social relevance.
Pan-African & international perspectives
- A Fox Under the Pink Moon – Mehrdad Oskouei, Soraya Akhlaghi (Iran, France, United Kingdom, United States, Denmark)
- A Russian Winter – Patric Chiha (France)
- Chronicles of the Forgotten Genocide – Ramesh Sharma (India)
- Dear Ancestor – Nantenaina Lova (Madagascar)
- Hair, Paper, Water… – Nicolas Graux, Trương Minh Quý (Belgium, France, Vietnam)
- Hope Is a Word – Maria Galliani Dyrvik (Norway, Italy, Nigeria)
- Lady Lifers: Women Behind Bars – Jake J. Smith (USA, United Kingdom)
- Paikar – Dawood Hilmandi (Netherlands)
- The Other Side of the Sun – Tawfik Sabouni (Belgium, France, Saudi Arabia)
- The Soul of the Giant – Aser Álvarez (Spain)
- True North – Michele Stephenson (Canada, USA)
With a compelling mix of award-winning filmmakers, emerging voices, and international collaborations, the 2026 Durban International Film Festival continues to cement its reputation as one of Africa’s leading cinematic platforms, bringing together stories that challenge, inspire, and connect audiences across borders.
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