DIFF Winners

DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

39th DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS – 2018

Best Feature Film: The Reports on Sarah and Saleem, directed by Muayad Alayan, and produced by Muayad Alayan, Rami Alayan, Hans de Wolf, Hanneke Niens, Rebekka Garrido, Rodrigo Iturralde, Georgina Gonzalez, and Alejandro Duran. The award is accompanied by a cash prize of R50 000.

Best South African Feature Film: High Fantasy, directed by Jenna Bass and produced by David Horler and Steven Markovitz. The film received a cash prize of R25 000.

Best Documentary: New Moon, produced and directed by Philippa Ndisi-Hermann. The film received a cash prize of R25 000.

Best South African Documentary: Sisters of the Wilderness, directed by Karin Slater  and produced by Ronit Shapiro. The award is accompanied by a cash prize of R25,000.

Best Direction: Constantin Popescu for Pororoca 

Best Cinematography: Liviu Marghidan for Pororoca 

Best Screenplay: Jennifer Fox for The Tale

Best Actor: Bogdan Dumitrache for his role as Tudor in Pororoca, directed by Constantin Popescu 

Best Actress: Maisa Abd Elhadi for her role as Bisan in The Reports on Sarah and Saleem 

Best Editing: Anne Fabini, Alex Hall and Gary Level for The Tale

Artistic Bravery: was won jointly by High Fantasy, directed by Jenna Bass and Supa Modo directed by  Likarion Wainaina.

Best South African Short Film: Stillborn, directed by Jahmil X. T. Qubeka and produced by Huanxi Media Group, Xstream Pictures, and Yellowbone Entertainment. The film received a cash prize of R20 000 sponsored by the Gauteng Film Commission.

Best African Short Film: Aya, directed by Moufida Fedhila and produced by Appel d’Air Films. The film also received a cash prize of R20 000 sponsored by the Gauteng Film Commission.

Best Short Film: –The Patience of Water (La Paciencia Del Agua), directed by Guillem Almirall,. The film received a cash prize of R20 000 from the Gauteng Film Commission.

Audience Choice Award: The State Against Mandela and the Others, directed by Nicolas Champeaux and Gilles Porte, which received a cash prize of R25 000.

Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award: Silas, directed by Anjali Nayar and Hawa Essuman and produced by Appian Way, Big World Cinema and Ink & Pepper Productions

Best Wavescape Film: Heavy Water, directed by Michael Oblowitz

38th DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS – 2017

Best Feature Film – A Father’s Will

Best South African Feature – Vaya

Best Director for a South African Film: John Trentgrove The Wound

Best Direction – A Father’s Will (Bakyt Mukul, Dastan Zhapar Uulu.)

Best Cinematography – A Father’s Will (Akjol Bekbolotov)

Best Screenplay – La Soledad (Jorge Thielen Armand, Rodrigo Michelangeli)

Best Actor – Nakhane Touré (The Wound)

Best actress – Mariam Al Ferjani (Beauty and the Dogs)

Best editing – La Soledad (Felipe Guerrero)

Artistic Bravery – Liyana 

Best International Short Film – Witnesses                        

Best African Short Film – All of Us                        

Best South African Short – The Hangman                        

Best South African Documentary Film – Strike A Rock

Best International Documentary Film – Dusk Chorus

37th DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS – 2016

Best Feature Film – The Violin Player directed by Bauddhayan Mukherji.

Best South African Feature Film – Tess directed by Meg Rickards.

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.

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 (Radio Dream) directed by Babak Jalali.

Best Actress – Christia Visser (Tess) directed by Meg Rickards.

Best Direction – Ciro Guerra for Embrace Of The Serpent. 

Best Cinematography – Chris Lotz ( The Endless River) 

Best Screenplay – Ciro Guerra and Thoedor Koch-Grunberg (Embrace of The Serpent).

Best Editing – Tess,edited by Linda Man.

Artistic Bravery – Neon Bull directed by Gabriel Mascaro.

The Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award – Noma, directed by Pablo Pinedo.

The Wavescape Audience Choice Award – No Country for Cold Men directed by Ryan Mattick.

36th DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FIM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS – 2015

Best Feature Film – Sunrise directed by Partho Sen-Gupta.

Best South African Feature Film – Necktie Youth directed by Sibs Shongwe-La Mer

Shongwe La-Mer also won the award for Best Direction, for Necktie Youth

Best Documentary – Beats of the Antonov directed by Hajooj Kuka

Best SA Documentary – The Dream of the Shahrazad directed by Francois Verster

Best Actor Award – Didier Michon (Fevers) directed by Hicham Ayouch

Best Actress – Anissa Daoud (Tunisian Spring) directed by Raja Amari.

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 directed by Palesa Shongwe

Production Merit Award – Rights of Passage directed by Ntombizodwa Magagula, Mapula Sibanda, Lerato Moloi, Valencia Joshua, Zandile Angeline Wardle, Tony Miyambo, Rethabile Mothobi, Yashvir Bagwandeen.

Best Screenplay Award – Sabrina Compeyron and David Constantin, – Sugar Cane Shadows directed by David Constantin.

Best Cinematography – Jean-Marc Ferriere (Sunrise) directed by Partho Sen-Gupta.

Special Mention for Direction – Kivu Ruhorahoza for Things Of The Aimless Wanderer

Special Mention for Best Film – Tunisian Spring by Raja Amari

Special Mention for a Documentary – Democrats directed by Camilla Nielsson

Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award – Shore Break, directed by Ryley Grunenwald

Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Honorary Award – The Look of Silence directed by Joshua Oppenheimer

Artwatch Africa Award – Beats of the Antonov, directed by Hajooj Kuka

The DIFF Audience Award – The Shore Break directed by Ryley Grunenwal