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031cinephile · 2 years

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16 Tops Films for European Film Festival 2022

The European Film Festival in South Africa returns with a hybrid event for its 9th edition between 13 and 23 October 2022.

Festival co-director Magdalene Reddy explains that the festival will continue to cater for its viewers and followers who have become accustomed to the ease of watching films in the comfort of their own homes, while also providing for those who long to return to the full cinema experience. ‘This is our transitional approach of coming back to theatres gradually,’ she says. The online screenings will be free while a ticket price will be charged for the theatre screenings. Each film will have a single screening at both Ster-Kinekor’s The Zone in Johannesburg and at The Labia in Cape Town.

Sixteen award-winning films, eight of them by women directors, will be screened. This year’s theme, Innocence and Beyond, explores innocence not just as a legal concept, but as a human quality. This includes two stand-out perspectives through the eyes of children in Petite Maman and Playground. Petite Maman is a tender tale of memory, friendship, and family by the gifted and often unpredictable French filmmaker Céline Sciamma, while in Playground Belgian director Laura Wandel deploys cameras rigged at child level to effectively portray the emotions and experiences of school bullying from a child’s point of view.

There is no set age for when loss of innocence can occur and a number of films focus on youth as they navigate the often turbulent process of growing into adults. From the Netherlands, Shariff Korver's slow-burning psychological thriller Do Not Hesitate depicts unprepared Dutch youths thrown into the crucible of war, a situation complicated by their naiveté when encountering other cultures. Swiss film Olga, by Elie Grappe, is a tense but sensitively handled tale of exile reflecting the clash between the personal and the political in a young Ukrainian gymnast's search for identity against the backdrop of revolution in her mother country. The riveting women-driven film Small Body is an adventure story infused with a wonderful mythological sensibility that earned Laura Samani the best new director prize at Italy’s David d’Donatello awards. How much does innocence inform a young woman's quest for love and meaning as she enters her 30s without any idea about her identity and purpose in life? This is the question in Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World, a Norwegian/ French/ Danish/ Swedish co-production that earned two Oscar nominations this year. Then, Stefan Arsenijević’s Serbian/ French/ Luxembourgian/ Bulgarian/ Lithuanian co-production As Far As I Can Walk highlights that it’s not just securing a roof over one’s head but also the challenges of emotional and intellectual deprivation that young migrants in Europe face today.

Is innocence solely about what’s right and what’s wrong? Sometimes it’s about what we don’t do. Sometimes it’s about making choices that impact both ourselves and those around us, and in some cases society and the wider world? Silent Land, by Poland’s Aga Woszczyńska, is a case of what the protagonists didn’t do, and how that leads to the collapse of a relationship. The film is also about the collapse of value systems in the modern world, about a general indifference to reality, and about social lethargy. Erik Poppe’s Swedish film The Emigrants is an epic period drama about a poverty-stricken family who emigrate from Sweden to the United States in the 1800s. Told from a woman’s perspective, their search for a second chance in life is, like the stories of migration in our current era, about a journey of hope. From the Republic of Georgia, Levan Koguashvili’s comedic Brighton 4th is a portrait of parental sacrifice and the love of a father for his son that also offers an authentic look at the immigrant experience and the elusiveness of the American Dream. Enveloped in music and humour, Ali and Ava, written and directed by one of the UK’s most distinctive cinematic voices, Clio Barnard, is about a couple from different cultural backgrounds beginning a relationship with a mixture of nervous excitement, openness and innocence. The Good Boss, directed by Fernando León de Aranoa, is the Spanish film in this year’s festival – it’s a hilarious satirical comedy about the indignities of working life, with the questionable innocence of Javier Bardem in the spotlight.

Overturning conventional definitions of innocence Austrian Sebastian Meise’s Cannes-winner Great Freedom explores tenderness, love, lost time, and the tenacity of the human spirit while chronicling an ignominious chapter in queer history. Portuguese director Catarina Vasconcelos’s unorthodox film The Metamorphosis of Birds sifts through the memories and dreams of her ancestors in an extraordinary homage that demonstrates how something deeply personal can be profoundly universal. Is a humanoid robot innocent? That’s one of the questions in the witty and delightfully entertaining German film I’m Your Man by Maria Schrader. It’s a spunky sci-fi dramedy that also asks what it is that humans want in relationships, and if AI beings should have rights.

Finally, the world is again witnessing and affected by a terrible war, and innocence is an unfortunate casualty during wartime, at all levels. Along with the already mentioned war drama Do Not Hesitate, there is director/screenwriter/editor Maryna Er Gorbach’s Ukrainian-set drama Klondike. About the travails of parents-to-be living near the Russian border this film couldn’t be more timely as it exposes the absurdity of war and how it affects those who aren't directly involved just as easily as those who are.

The EU Ambassador to South Africa Sandra Kramer comments; “This year’s European Film Festival has been inspired by innocence as a human quality. The festival’s theme – Innocence & Beyond – tries to capture our loss of innocence on a number of levels as we deal with the present and lay foundations for the future. I invite you to join us for the best of European cinema: award-winning films that will not only offer a temporary escape, but also a space for pause and reflection.”

eSwatini and Lesotho

This year’s festival extends its reach to neighbouring countries eSwatini and Lesotho with 3-day programmes of screenings and discussions taking place at the Alliance Française in Mbabane (21 to 23 October) and the Alliance Française in Maseru (28 to 30 October).

Side Events

Real-time Zoom panel discussions and Q&A’s with film directors will enrich the experience and understanding of the filmmaking processes and motivations as well as the topics raised in the films, while a programme of Filmmaker Engagements is formulated to inspire young filmmakers at film schools in South Africa. In addition, with an emphasis on youth, the festival will again provide a number of screening and discussion programmes at select secondary schools and community centres in different parts of the country.

For film synopses, trailers and how to watch visit www.eurofilmfest.co.za

The European Film Festival 2022 is a partnership project of the Delegation of the European Union to South Africa and 14 European embassies and cultural agencies in South Africa: the Embassies of Austria, Belgium, Georgia, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the British Council, Camoes Institute of Portugal, French Institute in South Africa, Goethe-Institut, Italian Cultural Institute and Wallonie-Bruxelles International. The 2022 festival is presented in partnership with the Labia Theatre and Ster Kinekor The Zone. The festival is organised in cooperation with Cineuropa and coordinated by Creative WorkZone.

#European Film Festival #EUFF2022 #freefilm #onlinefilmfest #european film fest 2022 #DIFF #DFM #feature films #freeonlinefilmfest

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031cinephile · 2 years

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#DIFF2022 Finally Returns to our Sunny Durban Shores!

The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) once again takes place from 21 to 30 July 2022. The 43rd edition features a theme of “Adaptation, Survival and Sustainability”. This year’s festival will present a unique hybrid event of a carefully curated selection of South African premieres, screening virtually online for free on www.durbanfilmfest.com and in person at CineCentre Suncoast Casino, for regular cinema ticket prices.

On 21 July, DIFF2022 opens with the live and virtual screening of 1960, directed by Michael Mutombo and King Shaft. You’re My Favourite Place by Jahmil X.T. Qubeka will close the festival on 29 July, after which film-lovers will still have the opportunity to see the film online the following day, on 30 July. The #DIFF2022 awards will also take place virtually on 30 July. Festival manager, Valma Pfaff, is proud to announce the films in competition that are diverse but have a common thread of adaptation and instilling hope for the future. “The past two years have proven to be trying times, and the narratives of many of these films offer us a reflection on these sometimes desperate moments. At the same time, filmmakers also share stories of hope and optimism, bringing to life the way people support each other while carefully looking forward to a brighter future.” Says Pfaff. The organisers of DIFF have this same cautious optimism about the future of film. “The industry has changed, and offering the DIFF as a hybrid festival felt like the best solution to cater for our audiences in different ways. We are beyond excited to be able to invite our audience in person to the cinema again. We also acknowledge the many opportunities to keep expanding our audiences virtually.” Says Centre for Creative Arts Director Ismail Mahomed.

Documentaries in the 2022 Competition:

Adam & Ida, a German film directed by Jan Tenhaven, tells the story of Polish-Jewish twins who survived the Holocaust.

African Moot, directed by Shameela Seedat, shares the story of the competitors in the prestigious African Human Rights Moot Court Competition.

Batata, directed by Lebanese -Syrian filmmaker Noura Kervokian follows the plight of Syrian Migrant workers.

From Germany hails Black Mambas, directed by Lena Karbe, follows an all-female anti-poaching unit in Kruger National Park.

Forgotten Dreams, directed by Marwa El Sharkawy from Egypt, follows the story of a young, talented, colloquial poet who discovers he has kidney failure.

Girl, Taken, from South Africa and Ireland, directed by Simon Wood and Francois Verster, tells the incredible story of two parents whose baby was stolen from Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, who miraculously found her 17 years later, and who then lost her again.

German documentary; Kash Kash, Feathers without Wings, directed by Lea Najjar, tells the story of how her hometown, Beirut, was torn apart by a corrupt political elite, anti-government protests, and one of the biggest explosions of the 21st century.

Umkhumbane In Me, directed by Malcolm Sonnyboy Nhleko from South Africa, shows us life through the eyes of Madala “Bafo” Kunene. One gets a raw glimpse of the painful moments that defined his musical journey.

Music Is My Life, directed by Mpumi Supa from South Africa, is the official story of African icon Joseph Shabalala, who rises to international fame with his band Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

N-Ice Cello, directed by Corrado Bungaro from Italy, tells a story from the heart of a glacier in the Italian Alps in which an American sculptor shaped a cello entirely made of ice.

No Simple Way Home, directed by the South-Sudanese Akuol de Mabior, is an intergenerational conversation that charts the struggle to reconcile family and country.

No U-Turn, directed by Nollywood filmmaker Ike Nnabue goes back to the path he took at the dawn of his adult life when he wanted to reach Europe.

Portraits Of The Future, directed by Virna Molina from Argentina, paints a picture of how before the pandemic, filmmaker Virna Molina was shooting a film about the resistance of the subway delegates in Buenos Aires that was interrupted by “lockdown”.

Taamaden, directed by Seydou Cissé from Cameroon, follows three young immigrants from West Africa who take the viewer into the world of African spirituality in the age of new technologies.

In The Delights, director; Eduardo Crespo hailing from Argentina, shows how more than 120 kids live together in Las Delicias agrotechnical boarding school in the Argentine countryside.

Wind Blows In The Border, by directors; Laura Faerman and Marina Weis from Brazil is about the fight for ancestral lands.

Feature Films in the 2022 Competition:

1960, directors; King Shaft and Michael Motumbo from South Africa show what happens when the remains of an apartheid-era policeman are discovered 60 years after he went missing; a retired singer revisits her past to help with the investigation. But how much does she know, and what is she holding back?

2 Thirds of a Man, directed by Earl Shaun Kopeledi from South Africa, draws an image of how Justin returns to Cape Town as a first-year student at Rocklands University after spending most of his teenage years living in Beaufort West, where his mom took up a teaching job after the untimely death of his father, a musician on the brink of success.

Bangarang, directed by Robin Odongo from Kenya, is inspired by actual events. Otile, a poor ‘bodaboda’ rider, is jobless ten years after graduating with a second-class honours degree in automotive engineering. When election violence erupts after the disputed Kenyan presidential elections, Otile leads other rioters in the streets of Kisumu.

Bantú Mama, directed by Ivan Herrera, follows, after being arrested in the Dominican Republic, an Afropean woman who escapes and is sheltered by three minors in a dangerous district of Santo Domingo.

Dealer, directed by Jeroen Perceval from Belgium, let’s one in on a story about a fourteen-year-old drug runner Johnny, staying in a home for young people from challenging backgrounds. He dreams of a better life.

Donkeyhead is a 2021 Canadian comedy-drama film written and directed by Agam Darshi in her directorial debut. The plot follows Mona (37), a failed writer who carves out a life of isolation while caring for her ailing traditional Sikh father

Good Madam, directed by Jenna Cato Bass, is a psychological thriller and a commentary on the contemporary state of race relations in South Africa following the end of apartheid.

Juwaa, directed by Nganji Mutiri and shot in Belgium and the Congo, is a powerful drama based on African characters rarely seen on screens. Years after a traumatic night, a son and a mother slowly reveal all the layers that redefine what they mean to each other.

Klondike, directed by Maryna Er Gorbach from Ukraine, follows July 2014, when expectant parents’ nervous anticipation of their first child’s birth is violently disrupted as the vicinal crash of flight MH17 elevates the forbidding tension enveloping their village.

Public Toilet Africa, director; Felix (Kofi) Ofosu-Yeboah from Ghana follows after several years of her disappearance; a reticent Ama returns to the city where she was gifted to a white art collector as a little girl. Her quest to even the score results in a heist-gone-wrong that sends her and an ex-lover on a lonely country road.

Ring Wandering, director; Masakazu Kaneko from Japan captures a story in central Tokyo, where a young man named Sosuke aspires to be a manga artist.

Streams, directed by Mehdi Hmili, hailing from Tunisia, Amel works in a factory in Tunis. She lives with her alcoholic husband Tahar, a former local football player, and their only son Moumen, a talented teenage football goalkeeper.

Tug of War, directed by Amil Shivji from Tanzania, brings a coming-of-age political love story set in the final years of British colonial Zanzibar. Denge, a young freedom fighter, meets Yasmin, an Indian-Zanzibari woman, in the middle of the night as she is on her way to be married.

Films will compete for titles such as Best Feature Film and Best Documentary, Best Performer and Best Cinematography. The jury consists of industry specialists from over the globe. Programme and details

DIFF 2022 will be presented in a hybrid edition with online screenings at www.durbanfilmfest.com and a diverse live programme at CineCentre, Suncoast Casino, Durban. Tickets for all live screenings are accessible on www.cinecentre.co.za. The entire festival programme can be seen on www.durbanfilmfest.com

The 43rd edition of the festival is produced by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts, in partnership and with the support of KZN Film Commission, the National Film and Video Foundation, KZN Department of Arts & Culture, Avalon Group and other valued funders and partners.

Happy watching cinephiles! Keep an eye on my socials for top picks, mini-reviews and #tweetreviews to be discovered and shared. See you in the cinema or on the social scene if watching online!

#The Durban International Film Festival #DIFF2022 #Centre for Creative Arts #Suncoast #cinecentre #cinemas #Durban #FreeFilm #Online #DFM2022

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#my french film festival #freefrenchfilm #online #worldwide #freefromafrica #features #shorts #frenchfilm #filmfestivals #decadence #couchcinephile

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031cinephile · 3 years

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Free Virtual European Film Festival 2021

Hot on the success of last year’s virtual European Film Festival, this 2021 edition will be taking place predominantly online from 14 to 24 October.

This wonderful selection of 18 award winning films from across Europe, 13 of which have been directed by women, will be screened free of charge, providing a window onto what is fresh and new in the film industries of the respective countries. Four new participants – the Czech Republic, Denmark, Switzerland and Ukraine – will complement those from last year: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, along with the return of Portugal.

This diversity is reflected in the theme of this year’s festival, Healing Journeys. Healing – be it mental, physical, spiritual or societal – is vital to the human condition, to our humanity, to our existence. This applies in both South Africa and in Europe, where despite our different contexts and histories, there exists common experience and a mutual need for healing.

The films screening will present, through the lenses of European filmmakers, a snapshot of experiences of re-establishing oneself after sometimes traumatic and possibly cathartic experiences. They deal with journeys that include organic growth, transition, and processes of self-discovery. Many include a healthy dose of humour, bringing some possibly much-needed laughter into our lives. Much of the humour is of a more cerebral nature … films that make you smile and think at the same time.

Essentially, these films present stories of hope, humanity and thought-provoking intrigue, show-casing new work by some of Europe’s most accomplished filmmakers alongside exciting new talent.

“We are deep into our second year of confronting the threat of Covid-19, both in terms of our lives and our livelihoods. It has been difficult … everyone is affected. This year’s European Film Festival has been inspired by overcoming difficulty and challenge. Its theme, Healing Journeys, seems rather appropriate for our times. I take this opportunity to invite you – irrespective of whether you are a repeat or a first-time viewer –to join us on this year’s exciting cinematic, and healing, journey,” says EU Ambassador Riina Kionka.

Austria

A woman needs a new kidney, but is her husband ready to donate? Michael Kreihsl’s Risks and Side Events is a lively comedy about marriage, hypochondria, friends, architects, secrets, and taking risks.

Belgium

Jan Verheyen and Lien Willaert’s film Save Sandra is based on the true and highly topical story of a girl diagnosed with a rare muscular disease, and her father’s fierce battle with the pharmaceutical industry to gain access to medical treatment, raising ethical and societal questions in the process.

Czech Republic

Agnieszka Holland’s politically charged drama Charlatan takes us inside the conflicted life of a non-conformist herbalist, exploring his unshakeable commitment to his calling, the illicit relationship with his assistant, as he perseveres first under Nazi then Communist regimes in Czechoslovakia.

Denmark

The 2021 Oscar for Best International Feature Film went to Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round, in which four jaded high school teachers embark on a risky experiment to maintain a constant level of intoxication throughout the workday. Mads Mikkelsen is at his scintillating best in this mature blend of comedy, tragedy, and human behaviour.

France

Starring Gérard Depardieu and Déborah Lukumuena, Robust is an outstanding feature debut by Constance Meyer about an aging film star and a young security guard responsible for watching over him. Despite their differences, life has shaped them in ways more similar than they thought, and their unlikely friendship becomes a search for authenticity, laden with intrigue and humour.

Germany

In Mr Bachmann and His Class the ever-patient teacher uses unconventional methods to inspire his young citizens-in-the-making with a sense of curiosity and appreciation of the complex social and cultural realities of their worlds. Maria Speth’s life-affirming documentary beautifully highlights what a quietly spectacular process education can be.

Ireland

Ruth Meehan’s The Bright Side is a moving and uplifting story about a stand-up comedian diagnosed with breast cancer. Armed with cynicism and blackly comic jokes, her exit strategies are upended when she encounters four powerful women whose unsolicited friendships challenge her, soften her and ultimately blow open her shut-down heart.

Italy

On the face of it, the brightly paced comedy Parents vs Influencers, directed by Michela Andreozzi, seems to focus on the world of social media and influencers, but the heart of it is about change and resistance to change. And father-daughter relationships! And family!

Lithuania

A high-seas jump from a Soviet ship to a US vessel in an attempt for political asylum goes horribly wrong. About an ordinary man who became a symbol for freedom-seeking refugees everywhere, director Giedrė Žickytė’s The Jump takes us on a stranger-than-fiction journey that reaches all the way up to the White House.

The Netherlands

Antoinette Beumer’s My Father is an Airplane is about a woman’s poignant search for the puzzle pieces of her past, a journey that raises questions about parental boundaries, the risks and dangers of childhood as well its joys, and of what it means to be loved and understood.

Poland

Never Gonna Snow Again is writer/ director Malgorzata Szumowska’s exquisitely off-beat story about how a masseur and hypnotist gains acceptance and stature in a wealthy gated community, touching on class, immigration, and global warming.

Portugal

With magnificent black and white cinematography, João Botelho’s The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis brings to screen José Saramago’s novel about a fictitious author’s homecoming, his romantic dalliances, and his mysterious encounters with the ghost of Fernando Pessoa.

Spain

Icíar Bollaín’s gem of a romantic comedy Rosa’s Wedding concerns a woman making radical changes in her life, and this includes a surprise wedding, much to the dismay of her family. A film about self-empowerment and gaining independence.

Sweden

Run Uje Run is an biographical music dramedy about the way life takes turns you could never have imagined. Henrik Schyffert’s directorial debut features musician and actor Uje Brandelius playing himself in this unusual and darkly witty indie drama about appreciating what you have.

Switzerland

Writer-director duo Stéphanie Chuat and Véronique Reymond’s, My Little Sister is an intimate, personal tale about sibling love in which a sister gives her all to support her ailing twin brother, and inspires herself at the same time. A powerful look at the bonds both breakable and unbreakable in family.

Ukraine

Kateryna Gornostai’s Stop-Zemlia anchors its open-ended narrative around an introverted schoolgirl and her classmates in this sympathetic portrait of the tidal forces of teenage-hood. A deeply personal story about self-discovery and the patience it requires.

United Kingdom

In Aleem Khan’s ground-breaking feature debut After Love, Joanna Scanlan puts in a phenomenal performance as a white, English Muslim convert uncovering secrets after the death of her husband, while exploring complex themes of loss, cultural identity and reconciliation.

Special Co-Production Presentation

Oscar nominee Jasmila Žbanić’s Quo Vadis Aida? is an extraordinary co-production between nine European countries, in which a UN translator is caught between doing her job and trying to help local inhabitants and her own family when the Serbian army takes over the small town of Srebrenica.

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Please note that the films are geo-blocked for viewing in South Africa only. For more info please visit www.eurofilmfest.co.za

The European Film Festival 2021 is a partnership project of the Delegation of the European Union to South Africa and 17 European embassies and cultural agencies in South Africa: the Embassies of Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the British Council, Camoes Institute of Portugal, Diplomatic Representation of Flanders, French Institute in South Africa, Goethe-Institut, and Italian Cultural Institut. The festival is organised in cooperation with Cineuropa and coordinated by Creative WorkZone.

#European Film Festival #virtual #free #online #euro films #euro film fest #freefilm #global #worldwide #film festival #south africa #female directors

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031cinephile · 3 years

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The 42nd Durban International Film Festival - Framing the Future, Cinema Unleashed

Durban International Film Festival has selected films with the theme “Framing the Future, Cinema Unleashed”. The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts will host the Durban International Festival (DIFF) from 22 July to 1 August 2021. This year, for its 42nd edition, the festival curated a film programme that focuses on narratives that will speak hope for tomorrow.

The programming team received over 3000 films, and after an intense selection process, the festival has curated a film programme consisting of over 120 shorts, documentaries and feature films.

With the theme “Framing the Future, Cinema Unleashed”, the plots in the selected films, through different lenses, provide meaningful solutions on how to adapt to our dynamic and ever-changing environment. The programme includes several films that offer solutions to questions that haven’t been asked yet, broadening our viewpoints and allowing for robust critical discourse.

"The Durban International Film Festival has been a platform that celebrates a legacy of supporting South African and African filmmakers as well as our partnership with a global film industry. Programming DIFF 2021 was fascinating, given the challenges faced in 2020 globally across the different industries that contribute to the film landscape. The diversity in the narratives in the submissions is a testament to the resilience shown by filmmakers who continued to work their craft. As is every year, the selection is a daunting task, which the programming team took to diligently and as it is for me, yearly, the heartbreak that comes with not being able to screen more films than allotted. We hope that the selections, a culmination of months of hard work, will speak to our audiences as much as they have moved us.” says Head of Programming Chipo Zhou.

At the heart of the Durban International Film Festival is a mission to enable partnerships that aim to strengthen the film industry and create opportunities for African, and newer voices.

Encounters Documentary Film Festival will co-premiere four African documentaries in partnership with DIFF. Murder in Paris, directed by Enver Samuels, a political crime-thriller that traces the motives for the assassination of anti-Apartheid activist Dulcie September. I Am Here, where we meet the phenomenal 98-year old Ella Blumenthal through the eyes of the director Jordy Sank. The Colonel’s Stray Dogs, a profile of political activist Ashur Shamis, who lives with a million-dollar bounty on his head after a lifetime in Muammar Gadaffi’s crosshairs, directed by Ashurs father, Khalid Shamis. The Last Shelter, by Malian director Ousmane Samassekoou, in which we journey to the Malian city of Goa on the edge of the breathtaking Sabel Dester, where audiences get an inside look into the infamous House of Migrants. Zinder, directed by Aicha Macky, is a town in Niger, where in the impoverished area of Kara-Kara, which used to be the lepers’ district, a culture of gang violence reigns. In I am Samuel, directed by Pete Murimi, we are given a window into the life of Kenya’s LGBQTI community where Samuel, a gay Kenyan man, has to balance his duty to his family with the care of his partner.

The missions to create inclusion in the film industry is emphasised through a robust community engagement programme titled isiPhethu. This year, the programme will host various online workshops and seminars. Additionally, through valuable partnerships, some films by up and coming filmmakers will be screened as part of the DIFF programme. One of these partnerships is the one with Social Transformation and Empowerment Projects (STEPS). This non-profit media company works with documentary film to connect filmmakers, audiences, and organisations, giving marginalised and disadvantaged communities a voice to inspire social change. The recent Mzansi in the time of Covid-19 project, a collection of four documentary short films on Covid-19 that engages diverse audiences in open discussions about the impact of the virus on South African individuals and communities, will screen at DIFF. These films are Lindela under Lockdown, directed by Sihle Hlophe, Schools Shut Down, directed by Kastarine Kgola, Jeanette Makes Masks, directed by Nadine Cloete and Lefu – The Funeral, directed by Omelga Mthiyane.

The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts (CCA), will host the Durban International Festival (DIFF) from 22 July to 1 August 2021. This year, for its 42nd edition, the festival presents a programme of close to 140 feature films, documentaries and short films alongside an exciting industry programme: Isiphethu.

On 22 July, DIFF 2021 opens with a virtual screening of the action-thriller, The Eagle’s Nest, by Cameroon Born British director Olivier Assoua. From 23 July all other films will be available to watch for free online. Documentary ‘Threshold’ by the Brasilian Coraci Ruiz is the closing film and will be screening on 1 August just after the annual DIFF Award Ceremony. The DIFF jury is consisting of an international team of industry specialists including South African producer Cait Pansegrouw, filmmaker Sam Soko from Kenya and Dutch producer Raymond Van Der Kaaij.

The DIFF Awards Head of programming, Chipo Zhou is proud to announce the films in competition, that are diverse but have a common thread. “The DIFF deliberately cultivates indigenous talent development and grants access to audiences and aspirant filmmakers particularly women, children, LGBTQI+ communities in highly conservative regions of the world. Ultimately, all the narratives in competition speak to this vision and are an illustration of the challenges of overcoming adversity and adapting to an altered world — one where, sadly, not everyone has fared so well. These are the kinds of stories that DIFF sought out this year, stories of hope, stories that show the light at the end of the tunnel, even if for now, it seems like just a flicker. “ says Zhou.

Documentaries in the 2021 Competition:

Areum Married, in which director Areum Parkkang tries juggling her film and her marriage in this autobiographical documentary. The Republic of Korea, 2021

As I Want, directed by an emerging voice in Arabic documentary film making, Samaher Alqadi, who picks up her camera as a form of protection and begins documenting the growing women’s rebellion. Egypt, 2021

Downstream to Kinshasa, in which director Dieudo Hamadi shares the forgotten tragedy of the victims of the six-day war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 2021

Hard Livings, a film about a city, a country and a continent plagued by ills stemming from inequality, directed by Solomon Staggie, South Africa, 2021

I Am Here, in which we meet the phenomenal 98-year old Ella Blumenthal through the eyes of the director Jordy Sank. South Africa, 2021

I, Mary, in which director Aliki Saragas Georgiou shares a lyrical telling of Regina Mary Ndlovu’s story who is a survivor of a lifetime of sexual abuse, and a fiercely determined woman with Albinism. South Africa, 2021

Mein Vietnam, about a Vietnamese couple that has been living in Germany for the past 30 years by director Thi Hien Mai. Germany/Vietnam, 2020

Murder in Paris, a political crime thriller doccie that traces the motives for the assassination of anti-Apartheid activist, Dulcie September by director Enver Samuel. South Africa, 2021

Postcard, Finding an old picture postcard of a mountain village marks the start of an existential journey for director Asmae El Moudir. She explores life in Zawia, Morocco, where her mother was born. Morocco, Qatar, 2020

The Colonel’s Stray Dogs, a profile of political activist Ashur Shamis, who lives with a million-dollar bounty on his head after a lifetime in Muammar Gadaffi’s crosshairs, directed by Ashurs father, Khalid Shamis. South Africa, 2021

The Last Shelter, by Malian director Ousmane Samassekoou, in which we journey to the Malian city of Goa on the edge of the breath-taking Sabel Dester, where audiences get an inside look into the infamous House of Migrants. South Africa, 2021

The Sit-In, Harry Belafonte Hosts The Tonight Show, in which director Yoruba Richen examines the importance of this lost broadcast history through vibrant interviews. USA, 2021

Zinder, directed by Aicha Macky, is a town in Niger, where in the impoverished area of Kara-Kara, which used to be the lepers’ district, a culture of gang violence reigns. Niger, 2021

Features in the 2021 Competition:

Coming of age story, A Little Bird Reminds Me, directed by Shi Xin, follows the joys, sorrow and struggle of a Chinese boy and his family during the last decade of the 20th century. China, 2020

Granada Nights, directed by Abid Khan, in which a British-Pakistani tourist must mend his broken heart before he can restart his life in the transient city of Granada in Spain. UK, 2021

Psychological thriller Lost directed by Driss Roukhe in which a young woman finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy. Morocco, 2021

My Son, directed by Equan Choe, in which a father, taking care of his 18-year old, handicapped son, can’t turn his son down as he declares his independence, Republic of Korea, 2020

Nandi, directed by Khalid EL-Jelailati, follows the spiralling journey of Nandi in the underbelly of the criminal world. South Africa, 2021

Pusha Pressa Phanda, directed by Dick d’vLz Reubïn, follows the story of street youth Mandisa as she struggles to obtain medication and sanitary pads for her sister who is under her care, South Africa, 2021

Rickshaw Girl, a personal story, directed by Amitabh Reza Chowdhury in which a daring and artistic Bangladeshi teenaged girl disguises herself as a boy and braves the dangers of the big city. Bangladesh, 2021

Sons of the Sea, directed by John Gutierez, in which a gifted reclusive teenager from a poor South African fishing community, is pressured by his older brother to steal two bags of ocean treasure – abalone, from a dead man. South Africa, 2020

Valentina, directed by Cássio Pereira dos Santos in which trans girl and her mother move to a new town in order to start fresh, but quickly face dilemmas when the local high school needs a second parental signature for enrolment. Brasil, 2020

The opening film, action-thriller The Eagle’s Nest, directed by Olivier Assoua, a story set in Africa on migration and poverty.UK/Cameroon, 2021

The full programme of shorts, consisting of a selection of 52 powerful short films that were thoughtfully curated for DIFF2021, are in competition.

Programme and details The full programme, alongside all the films that will be screening, is accessible through www.durbanfilmfest.com. Tickets for the virtual screenings are only available from South Africa for free, and are only accessible through a booking system, which opened on 21 July.

The 42nd edition of the festival is organised by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts, in partnership and with the support of the KZN Film Commission, the National Film and Video Foundation, Department of Arts & Culture, the Film and Publications Board and other valued funders and partners.

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