The Durban
International Film Festival award-winners were announced at the closing
ceremony of the festival’s 36th edition at the Suncoast Cinecentre,
prior to the screening of the closing film, The Prophet directed by Roger Allers. The festival closed
after a successful ten days of 255 screenings at 13 venues around the City of
Durban, with many sold-out houses.
The international
jury this year was led by former Manager of the DIFF and current Director of
the Sydney Film Festival, Nashen Moodley and included prolific and
award-winning South African filmmaker Robbie Thorpe, South African producer of
numerous award-winning films who sits on the advisory panel for NFVF, Moroba
Nkawe and award-winning Nigerian filmmaker, Newton Aduaka.
The South African
feature film jury consisted of film-makers Lizelle Bischoff, Thandeka Zwana and
Jenna Cato Bass while the documentary jurors were film-makers Annalet Steenkamp
and Sylvia Vollenhoven and the short film jurors were film-makers Darryl Els,
Zandi Tisani and Terrence Dalisu Ngobese.
The award for the
Best Feature Film, which carries
a R50,000 cash prize from the DIFF went to Sunrise directed by Partho Sen-Gupta. The film was described
by the jury as “an uncompromising, brilliantly-crafted film that takes us
through a fragmented mind, into a shady world allowing us to enter the reality
of Mumbai’s underbelly”.
The award for Best South African Feature Film, which
carries a prize of R25,000 courtesy of Film Finances SA, went to Necktie Youth directed by Sibs
Shongwe-La Mer, described by the jury as “a film desperate to reconcile the
seemingly disparate realities of its country, and whose urgent questions about
South African life are posed with such mischievous energy that they cannot help
provoke debate, itself one of the most important responsibilities of cinema.”
Shongwe La-Mer also won
the award for Best Direction,
for Necktie Youth, “for displaying a unique, contemporary voice
weaving together poetic images and a striking view of South African youth with
a boldness seldom seen in South African cinema.”
The Best Documentary and Best SA Documentary awards which
carries a prize of R25,000 each in cash, courtesy of the National Film and
Video Foundation went to Beats of
the Antonov directed by Hajooj Kuka and The Dream of the Shahrazad directed by Francois Verster,
respectively. The jury awarded Beats
of the Antonov “for its story, characters, relevance and
visual interpretation,” and for a “story told with grace, while honouring the
integrity of the people who gave them access as well as the subject matter.”
The Dream of the Shahrazad was awarded for the way in which “the filmmakers pushed themselves
beyond their comfort zone, taking mythology and bringing it into the centre of
modernity,” and for being “an ambitious film (that) addresses life post
revolution and what is left after heartbreak.”
Didier Michon for his
charismatic and captivating performance in Fevers directed by Hicham Ayouch received the Best Actor Award of R20,000 in cash from the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission.
The award for Best Actress, who also received R20,000
in cash from the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, went to Anissa Daoud for her portrayal of a determined activist who takes
a stand, in an important film Tunisian
Spring directed by Raja Amari.
Best African Short Film
award went to The Aftermath of the Inauguration
of the Public Toilet at Kilometre 375 directed by Omar el
Zohairy., which won R20,000 courtesy of the Gauteng Film Commission. The jury
described this as an “exceptional film explores and pushes new avenues in
political satire and the cinema.”
Unomalanga and The Witch directed by Palesa Shongwe, and cited by the jury as “a gentle and
unexpected film (that) sheds light on the subtleties of relationships between
women”, won the Best South African
Short Film award also receiving R20,000 courtesy of the Gauteng
Film Commission.
A new award, the Production Merit Award, sponsored by
Hollard carries a R25,000 cash prize and goes to Rights of Passage directed by Ntombizodwa Magagula, Mapula
Sibanda, Lerato Moloi, Valencia Joshua, Zandile Angeline Wardle, Tony Miyambo,
Rethabile Mothobi, Yashvir Bagwandeen.
Sabrina Compeyron and David Constantin, won the Best Screenplay Award
for “craftily tracking the age-old struggle between capital and labour spanning
the end of industry and the disenfranchisement of a society” in Sugar Cane Shadows directed by
David Constantin.
Jean-Marc Ferriere took
the honours for Best Cinematography “for creating a distinctive, atmospheric,
highly-crafted and visually dynamic world depicted almost entirely in the
dark”, in Sunrise
directed by Partho Sen-Gupta.
Special Mention for Direction was made of Kivu Ruhorahoza
for Things of the Aimless Wanderer,
“for a courageous and single-minded attempt by a director harnessing all means
at his disposal to tell a personal, intricate and political story.”
A Special Mention for Best Film was
given to Tunisian Spring
by Raja Amari, “for its powerful depiction of an event that has, and continues
to have, resonance in the world.”
Democrats directed by Camilla Nielsson, got a
Special Mention for a Documentary,
which is “commended for putting a human face on a story that is complex and
sometimes almost opaque.”
The Amnesty International Durban Human Rights
Award for the film that best reflects human rights issues which comes
with a cash prize of R10,000 donated by the Artists for the Human Rights Trust
went to The Shore Break,
directed by Ryley Grunenwald. The jury citation reads “The film powerfully
portrays a struggle within a local community regarding foreign mining rights in
a pristine environment … (and) concisely and movingly uncovers this complex and
urgent matter, which is still under investigation and in need of public
support.”
A further Amnesty International Durban Human Rights
Honorary Award was given to The
Look of Silence directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, a film that “bravely
uncovers the genocide in Indonesia in the 1960’s.”
The jurors for
these awards were Nonhlanhla Mkhize, Betty Rawheath, Professor Lindy Stiebel
and Coral Vinsen, convener of the jury panel.
Arterial
Network’s Artwatch Africa Award,
for an African film that meaningfully engages with the issues of freedom of
expression, went to Beats of the Antonov,
directed by Hajooj Kuka, who was presented a cash prize of R15,000. The jury
citation said: “This compelling film shows how the power of music, dancing and
culture sustains the displaced people living in the remote war-ravaged areas of
Southern Sudan.”
The Jury included
Junaid Ahmed, Gcina Mhlophe, René Alicia Smith, and Peter Rorvik.
The DIFF Audience
Award went to The Shore Break
directed by Ryley Grunenwald.
For more
information go to www.durbanfilmfest.co.za
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