Film Festival Award Winners Announced on Final Night

BY: .

The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) within the College of Humanities announced its award-winners at the closing ceremony held before the screening of The Prophet directed by Roger Allers.

The international jury this year was led by former Manager of DIFF and current Director of the Sydney Film Festival, Mr Nashen Moodley, with other members including prolific and award-winning South African filmmaker, Robbie Thorpe; South African film producer, Moroba Nkawe and award-winning Nigerian filmmaker, Newton Aduaka.

The South African feature film jury (Arterial Network’s Artwatch Africa Award jury) consisted of various film-makers and included producer, Junaid Ahmed; renowned story-teller, Gcina Mhlophe; Dr René Alicia Smith of the Durban University of Technology, and DIFF pioneer, Peter Rorvik.

The jurors for the Amnesty International Durban Human Rights awards were Nonhlanhla Mkhize, Betty Rawheath, Professor Lindy Stiebel of UKZN and convenor, Coral Vinsen.

Speaking about her involvement, Professor Lindy Stiebel of English Studies at UKZN, said this year’s documentaries in the Human Rights Award category were widespread in terms of countries they represented – South Africa, Mali, South Sudan, Egypt, Burkino Faso, Indonesia - and themes they covered - environment, freedom of expression, right to work, safety from torture, and war crimes. ‘The Shore Break set in the Eastern Cape, followed by The Look of Silence set in Indonesia, were our front runners.’

The award for the Best Feature Film, which carries a R50 000 cash prize from 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, with a prize of R25 000, went to Necktie Youth directed by Sibs Shongwe-La Mer.  It also won the award for Best Direction.

The Best Documentary award went to Beats of the Antonov directed by Hajooj Kuka and Best SA Documentary award to The Dream of the Shahrazad directed by Francois Verster.

 

WINNERS:

Best Actor: Didier Michon in  Fevers

Best Actress: Anissa Daoud in Tunisian Spring

Best African Short Film: The Aftermath of the Inauguration of the Public Toilet at Kilometre 375

Best South African Short Film: Unomalanga and The Witch

Production Merit Award: Rights of Passage

Best Screenplay Award: Sabrina Compeyron and David Constantin for Sugar Cane Shadows

Best Cinematography: Jean-Marc Ferriere for Sunrise

Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award: The Shore Break

Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Honorary Award: The Look of Silence

Artwatch Africa Award: Beats of the Antonov

DIFF Audience Award: The Shore Break.

Melissa Mungroo