Durban International Film Festival Award Winners Announced

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Award winners at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) - hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) within the College of Humanities - were announced during the closing ceremony at the Playhouse Theatre in Durban.

Winners were revealed prior to the screening of the closing film, The Space in Between – Marina Abramovic and Brazil, a documentary about the acclaimed performance artist’s search for spiritual healing in South America.

The international jury this year comprised an award-wining producer from the Philippines, Bianca Balbuena; the Programme Director of the Maisha Foundation, Fibby Kioria; a film critic who currently works for the Luxor African Film Festival, Sherif Awad, and a veteran of festivals in South Africa, Trevor Steele Taylor.

Members of the South African feature film jury were film-makers Jahmil Qubeka and Melissa Parry while the documentary jurors were film-makers Rehad Desai, Omelga Mthiyane and Riaan Hendricks, and the short film jurors were film makers Neil Coppen and Sumayya Rawat. The Amnesty Jury consisted of Coral Vinsen, Nonhlanha Mkhize, Betty Rawheath and Mark Povall.

On the night, the award for the Best Feature Film went to The Violin Player directed by Bauddhayan Mukherji. The jury described it as a seductive and mysterious tale of a violin player’s mundane life and an interesting take on how chance encounters were almost predestined.

‘By successfully weaving offbeat editing, brave cinematography, simple screenplay, honest direction and a lot of surprising elements, the film shows us that art, no matter how unimportant it may seem, can change people’s lives,’ said Balbuena.

The award for Best South African Feature Film went to Tess (a 2013 Durban FilmMart project), directed by Meg Rickards, which the jury described as ‘a measured and uncompromising debut feature’, while the Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award for the film that best reflects human rights issues went to Noma, directed by Pablo Pineda. The award included a cash prize donated by the Artists for the Human Rights Trust.

Director for the Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) Mr David wa Maahlamela said, ‘I congratulate all the DIFF Awards recipients, including adjudicators’ special mentions. Admittedly, the inevitable question of misrepresentation is more evident and there is an urgent call for redress of the international film landscape, a concern our developmental initiatives such as film workshops, Durban FilmMart and Durban Talents are unapologetically addressing.’

Other winners included:

Best Documentary: Martha and Niki directed by Tora Mkandawire Martens.

Best SA Documentary: The Journeymen, directed by Sean Metelerkamp.

Best Short Film: Grandma’s Day (Dzie'n Babci) directed by Milosz Sakowski.

The Best African Short Film Award: New Eyes directed by Hiwot Admasu.

Best South African Short Film: eKhaya (Home), directed by Shubham Mehta. 

Best Actor Award: Mohsen Namjoo for his performance in Radio Dream, directed by Babak Jalali.

Best Actress: Christia Visser for her role as Tess in Tess directed by Meg Rickards.

Best Direction: Ciro Guerra for Embrace Of The Serpent.

Best Cinematography: Chris Lotz for The Endless River.

Best Screenplay: Ciro Guerra and Thoedor Koch-Grunberg for Embrace Of The Serpent.

Best Editing: Tess which was edited by Linda Man.

Artistic Bravery: Neon Bull directed by Gabriel Mascaro.

Melissa Mungroo