The 46th edition of the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), which ended this weekend,is also marked by the end of Andrea Voges’ time as Festival Manager and Head of Programming of DIFF for the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
“When Andrea Voges was listed by the prestigious film industry magazine, Screen International, at the Cannes Film Festival last year as one of the 25 film festival curators around the globe it was inevitable that with this glowing accolade, we might lose her to other more competitive career opportunities that engage the world’s leading professionals”, said Ismail Mahomed, the Director of the Centre for Creative Arts.
Andrea has been at the helm of the Durban International Film Festival over the past three editions. Following the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, she successfully transitioned the festival from an online programme to an in-person festival in 2023, brimming with not only film screenings but also opportunities for those in the industry and newcomers to the world of film.
“With passion and vision, Andrea nursed DIFF out of the pandemic years and returned the festival to the live space with boldness, courage, and clear strategy”, he added.
Andrea is an alumnus of the Southern Africa-Locarno Industry Academy. Her entry into the film industry was serendipitous. She joined the Durban International Film Festival as the jury minder in 2009, and while she had always loved films, this allowed her to experience the inner workings of the festival, the jury and, of course, watch dozens of films. The film festival bug had bitten, and she has never looked back.
Andrea’s previous experience includes working for the Joburg Film Festival and the Red Sea International Film Festival. She coordinated festival distribution for STEPS, a documentary production company. From 2014 to 2016, Andrea was the project coordinator for the South African/United Kingdom Cultural Seasons programme, an intergovernmental initiative to promote arts and culture between the two nations. Her passion for African films was developed during her time as Programmes Manager for the Realness Institute and Sales & Distribution Manager for Urucu Media.
“I am delighted to be part of the exciting period that African cinema is experiencing. I love films with very human, complex characters that subtly share our realities and quietly ring true, without the filmmaker imposing their conclusion on the audience”, says Andrea about what influences her curatorial choices.
In bidding her farewell, Ismail Mahomed says, “With absolute passion, a strong eye for curation, and impeccable administrative skills, Andrea Voges has programmed and managed the Durban International Film Festival with boldness, courage, and a clear strategy. We are sad that she is moving on to other career opportunities, but we are delighted that she has built a very strong architecture for her successor at DIFF. We are hopeful that in her new career direction that we may still have opportunities to engage with her.”
Acknowledging her contributions to the Durban International Film Festival, Mahomed said that Andrea has certainly followed her maxim and elevated the Durban Film Festival and all its participants to new heights. She developed the Isiphethu programme, which gives opportunities to emerging filmmakers, fuelled by her vision that participants should learn from industry professionals on every aspect, from pitching to promoting their films. She meaningfully restructured the festival’s isiZulu Scriptwriting Workshop and the Film Festival Residency.
“Andrea’s commitment to the next generation of film professionals was evident in this year’s vibrant student film festival, with contributions from 16 film schools in 11 countries.
“The quality of student films has been impressive, and the wide range of topics and styles has broadened audience appreciation of student films, often an overlooked programme section”, says Andrea.
As the festival’s Programme Director, she has also offered strong mentorship and leadership in engagements with interns, juries, and reviewers. She is as mindful of the curation of jury panels as she is of the films on the programme, and the standards of the jury and the prestige of the awards at the festival have grown in stature during her tenure. This year, 89 films from 39 countries were presented, all of them premieres, and the festival presents awards in the Oscar-qualifying categories of Best Documentary, Best South African Documentary and Best Short Film, as well as other awards.
Andrea has also deepened the festival’s international collaborations over the past three years, and the support from international festivals and foreign embassies has strengthened the global element of the programme. In 2024, she participated in the first edition of the Brazil-Africa Audiovisual Encounters hosted by the Mostra de Cinemas Africanos. This initiative, designed to foster partnerships and collaborations between African and Brazilian cinema, also allowed for an opportunity for young South African filmmakers to visit Brazil and for DIFF to host Brazilian filmmakers Pedro Freire and Guto Parente at last year’s festival. At this year’s festival, Andrea turned her gaze to the east and a partnership with the Korean Cultural Centre in South Africa, which enabled a retrospective of one of Korea’s most celebrated artists, Lee Chang-dong.
With online options from streaming and other platforms readily available, it remains a challenge to entice audiences out of their homes and back into the cinemas. Andrea’s programming of engaging post-screening discussions with directors and other film professionals was one of the many aspects that offered opportunities that are not available from home. Her initiative of extending festival screening films at satellite venues in Johannesburg and Cape Town has allowed those not in Durban to enjoy some of the programme delights.
Mahomed credited Andrea for laying a solid foundation in administration that has allowed her to streamline the operations of the festival, a legacy that will remain even after her departure.