The departure of Peter Rorvik from the UKZN’s Centre for Creative Arts concludes an exciting growth period for arts and culture in Durban, represented through the four annual CCA festivals – Time of the Writer, Poetry Africa, JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience, and the Durban International Film Festival. All of these landmarks in Durban’s event calendar have contributed significantly to the cultural life of this city, delivering hosts of cutting-edge writers, poets, dancers...
The AFDA Annual Film Festival
Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban
23, 24 and 25 November 2012
Each year AFDA (The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance) hosts an annual film festival which showcases more than 50 new third year graduates and fourth year honours (post graduate) students’ films. The festival is a unique opportunity for graduate students to attract and experience an audience in a public cinema environment.
The festiva...
'OTELO BURNING'
One of most talked-about films in S. Africa today.
One of the most talked-about contemporary films from South Africa, is ‘Otelo Burning ’, which combines sport, racism, politics, family and peer relationships with gentle but awesome power.
It will have a special screening at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT),in Bangkok .
The film is the debut feature of Sara Blecher, who has made many notewort...
The 33rd edition of the Durban International Film Festival, with principal funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, this evening (Saturday, July 28) announced its award-winners, prior to the closing film. Winner of the Best Feature Film award, Love (Amour) was applauded by the International Jury as “unmissable”, and the film’s director Michael Haneke, as a “contemporary master with an astute understanding of his cinematic world”. The Best Feature Film award carrie...
Award-winners announced at Durban International Film Festival
The 33rd edition of the Durban International Film Festival, with principal funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, this evening (Saturday, July 28) announced its award-winners, prior to the closing film. Winner of the Best Feature Film award, Love (Amour) was applauded by the International Jury as “unmissable”, and the film’s director Michael Haneke, as a “contemporary master with an astute under...
My fifth and last day at the cinematic wonderland that is DIFF consisted of three
documentaries.
The films are very diverse - two were made by Western filmmakers and the third one is
by an Iranian who was stopped from filming his latest film and this doccie was smuggled
out of Iran on a flash drive hidden in a cake!
I kicked off my day with Semisweet: Life in chocolate that focuses on 4 different stories
about chocolate - the top chocolatier in France, a spiritual couple's chocolates fro...
Day 4 and it had two distinct themes - the Palestinian/Israeli issue and Africa in all its glory.
Things sometime happen to me that seem too coincidental. I was traveling by Peoplemover to see two films about Palestine and then suddenly noticed the Durban Holocaust Centre. I've been trying to find it for years and then it just pops up. Maybe it was a sign...
5 Broken Cameras is an intensely personal documentary made by a resident of Bil'in called Emad Burnat , who started filming his life, t...
Film allows you to see the world without leaving your seat.
My third day at DIFF took me from Lisbon to a farm in Africa, the Deep South, the Philippines and Paris. Dark clouds rolled into Durban yesterday, but the sun always shines at the movies (thank you A-Ha).
My first film was the wonderful black and white Portuguese film, Tabu. The competition film is filled with nostalgia. It is set in modern-day Lisbon and in 1930s colonial Africa.
It is a wonderful love story remi...
My annual pilgrimage to the Durban International Film Festival kicked off on 20 July.
I went straight to the media briefing at the Blue Waters Hotel where I chatted to Oliver Hermanus and Deon Lotz, director and star of last year's Beauty. This year Hermanus is part of the international jury and Lotz can be seen in the much anticipated Sleeper's Wake, which is having its world premiere in Durban. Lotz also told me that the film has been accepted for Toronto!
I saw two film...
The Durban International Film Festival returns for its 33rd year to celebrate the magic of cinema in all its beauty and diversity. From the 19th to the 29th July, Durban will be illuminated by the glow of the silver screen, with over 290 screenings in 10 venues across the city. Alongside world-class cinema from across the globe, comprising 80 feature films, 40 documentaries and 45 short films, the festival offers a comprehensive workshop and seminar programme that facilitates the sharing...
The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) which takes place from 19 to 29 July, with principal funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, has announced the introduction of a new multi- and block booking facility through GoingPlaces SA, a Durban-based entertainment and leisure website with a shopping portal.
“We are pleased that we are able to offer our festival goers, the opportunity to plan and book for the entire festival in advance” says Peter Rorvik, Director of DIFF...
The Durban International Film Festival has announced the selection of Elelwani as the film that will open the curtains on the 33rd edition of South Africa's largest and longest running film festival.
This groundbreaking world premiere takes place on July 19, made possible by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (who was both the first funder of the film, and principal funder of the festival), and the National Film and Video Foundation, a crucial partner both of this pioneer...
By Maria Esteves – April 21, 2012
The Eleventh Annual 2012 Tribeca Film Festival Festival (TFF2012) South Africa Industry Reception was held at TFF Filmmaker Industry Lounge, New York, Friday, April 20, 6:00 pm. The event hosted by the South African Consulate General in New York, the Film Commissions of Cape Town & Gauteng, and Durban Film Office in collaboration with Tribeca Film Festival announced the South African film mission to New York and U.S. filmmakers. Twenty filmmakers from ...
By Maria Esteves – April 21, 2012
The Eleventh Annual 2012 Tribeca Film
Festival Festival (TFF2012) South Africa Industry Reception was held at TFF
Filmmaker Industry Lounge, New York, Friday, April 20, 6:00 pm. The event hosted
by the South African Consulate General in New York, the Film Commissions of Cape
Town & Gauteng, and Durban Film Office in collaboration with Tribeca Film
Festival announced the South African film mission to New York and U.S.
filmmakers. Twen...
Talent Campus Durban Calls for Filmmakers and Film Critics
Superimposing an African imagination on filmmaking processes, the 5th Talent Campus Durban (20-24 July) will ignite the creativity of 40 selected filmmakers from Africa in a series of masterclasses, workshops and industry networking opportunities during the Durban International Film Festival. Talent Campus Durban entices filmmakers to enhance skills, develop collaborations and interface with the dynamic future...
The International Film Festival Rotterdam welcomes 78 young film producers taking part in the 12th edition of the Rotterdam Lab. The participants of CineMart’s successful event for emerging producers have been nominated by the twenty-eight Rotterdam Lab partner organisations. Rotterdam Lab, part of CineMart, takes place January 28 – February 1. (See full list of participants attached and partner organisations below)For its 12th edition, Rotterdam Lab also welcomes eight new partner organisat...
Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) Call for Entries
The 33rd edition of DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL will take place from 19 to 29 July 2012.
Supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), the National Film and Video Foundation, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism and other valued funders and partners, the festival will present over 200 screenings of films from around the world, with a special focu...
Durban International Film Festival manager Nashen Moodley has been appointed as director of the Sydney Film Festival. Previously a journalist at Independent Newspapers, for whom he still writes film reviews, Moodley has been centrally involved in the development and management of Durban International Film Festival programmes since joining the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Centre for Creative Arts in 2001.
Announcing Moodley's new appointment, Peter Rorvik, director of the CCA and ...
2nd Malatya International Film Festival, held from 18th to 24th November 2011, will be screening a special selection of impeccable movies under the title of ‘Panorama’. Including the Dardenne Brother’s ‘THE KID WITH A BIKE’ which shared the ‘Grand Jury Prix’ with Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s ‘ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA’ at Cannes this year, the Festival will also be showcasing the critically acclaimed other samples of the World Cinema.
With the support of the Malaty...
The Durban International Film Festival has announced a significant increase in attendance for its 32nd edition which concluded on 31 July. The festival which is supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), National Film and Video Foundation, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism and other valued funders and partners, recorded total attendance of 29 792 including attendance of 2 452 at the festival’s workshop and seminar programme. T...
The 32nd edition of the Durban International Film Festival, with principal funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, last night announced its award-winners, prior to the closing film.
Winner of the Best Feature Film award, Nader and Simin, A Separation (Iran), directed by Asghar Farhadi, was lauded by the International Jury as a “masterpiece” with “astonishing performances from the ensemble cast”.
The Best Feature Film award carries a cash prize of R50 000. ...
31 July: Day 7
The last day of the festival arrived with Durban basking in sunlight. I saw three award-winning films today, the wonderful and candid Position among the stars, the shocking lesbian drama Circumstance and closed off with black butterflies, a fly-on-the-wall production about the life of the iconic SA poet, Ingrid Jonker.
I loved Position among the stars with its colourful family who would have felt right at home in reality TV, breathtaking photography - especially the wa...
30 July: Day 6
The second last day of DIFF was my best day of all. I saw four films and they all have one thing in common - queer cinema - although the content is very different.
I don't know if these films were scheduled on the same day intentonally or by accident. I, however, was very surprised to see that the inaugural Durban Pride parade also took place on this day with the gay flag draped over City Hall.
I see myself as an afficionado of gay cinema and could not wait for the films ...
29 July: Day 5
Day 5 was a great day with outstanding movies, a nice chat with the manager of the festival and a sold out premiere!
The source (La source des femmes) is a fantastic film, fresh from its debut at Cannes.
It's set in North Africa or the Middle East in a very conservative society and it must have rocked the boat of the Muslim community when it was released.
I've never seen a film set in such a society that dares to talk about sex so openly.
In the film, the women of the v...
28 July: Day 4
Day 4 was filled with very serious movies and a light-hearted Canadian doccie that had its first screening outside North America.
I loved St Henri, the 26th of August, maybe its because of my journalistic background as we're always trying to find these little stories in the community - the hairstylist, the boxer, the shopkeeper. It's candy to the soul.
This Montreal suburb, although it seems ghetto-like, has wonderful characters and the 14 filmmakers did a fine job to f...
