Films competing at the 44th Durban International Film Festival this year

The 44th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) returns from 20 to 30 July 2023, bringing together a huge number of stars and celebrated filmmakers to this prestigious film festival.  We take a look at films produced by filmmakers from fifteen countries that will compete for awards this year.

The festival’s jury is drawn from eight countries and a total sum of R250 000 in awards is up for grabs across the various competition categories. The nine feature films that will compete for Best Feature Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Actor, and Best Actress are:

• BANEL & ADAMA by Ramata-Toulaye Sy (France, Senegal, Mali)

The film centres around Banel and Adama who are young adults in their late teens who live in a remote village in northern Senegal. The film is a feisty tale about romance, family relationships, and the chaos that ensues when Adama refuses to fulfil his birthright to serve as the village’s future leader.

• JORAM by Devashish Makhija (India)

It follows a father who is on the run with his little baby girl to escape the ghosts of his past and the forces that want him dead. A survival thriller about a father moving worlds to protect his infant daughter.

• OMEN by Baloji (Belgium, Netherlands, The Democratic Republic Of The Congo, France, South Africa)

After spending years in Belgium, a young Congolese man returns to his birthplace of Kinshasa to confront the intricacies of his family and culture.

• RICEBOY SLEEPS by Anthony Shim (Canada)

Set in the 90s, a Korean single mother raises her young son in the suburbs of Canada determined to provide a better life for him than the one she left behind.

• RUNS IN THE FAMILY by Ian Gabriel (South Africa)

An Indian father takes his transgender son on a road trip across South Africa to rescue his son’s long-lost mother from a rehab clinic in eSwatini.

• SIRA by Apolline Traoré (Burkina Faso)

After a brutal attack, a young nomad named Sira refuses to surrender to her fate without a fight and instead takes a stand against Islamist terror.

• SLOW by Marija Kavtaradze (Lithuania)

Dancer Elena and sign language interpreter Dovydas meet and form a beautiful bond. As they dive into a new relationship, they must navigate how to build their own kind of intimacy.

• THE BURDENED by Amr Gamal (Yemen)

Centers on Ahmed and Isra’a parents of three children who lost their job due to the country’s economic crisis. Isra’a finds out about her fourth pregnancy at this time when they cannot afford to raise one more child.

• TOTEM by Lila Avilés (Mexico)

Seven-year-old Sol spends the day at her grandfather’s home, helping with the preparations for a surprise party for her father. Throughout the day, chaos slowly takes over, fracturing the family’s foundations. Sol will embrace the essence of letting go as a release for existence.

The winners for awards will be selected by an international jury comprising of Jean Marie Teno (Cameroon / France), Lisa Aziz  (South Africa), and Lesedi Moche (South Africa).
 
South African and African features that have been officially selected for this year’s programme will all be eligible for the Best South African Feature and Best African Feature awards categories.
 
All documentaries, short films, and student films will be eligible for the Best South African Documentary, Best African Documentary, Best South African Short Film, Best African Short, Best South African Student Film, and Best African Student Film. The film that wins the Best Documentary Award will qualify for the Oscars. The jurors for the documentary awards are Kossa Lelly Anite-Gbouhi (Togo), Omelga Mthiyane (South Africa) and Sarah Dawson (South Africa).
 
The short films will be adjudicated by Akona Matyila (South Africa), Aliaa Talaat (Egypt) and Melissa Adeyemo (USA). The jury for student films is comprised of Karemangingo Ishimwe (Rwanda), Marc Nadal (Spain) and Shoki Joy Nkgapele (South Africa).  Amnesty International will present the Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award.
 
Award winners will be announced on Saturday, 29 July 2023. The Durban International Film Festival takes place from 20 – 30 July. The full programme is available at ccadiff.ukzn.ac.za. Bookings can be made at cinecentre.co.za.