Nine feature films competed for the festival’s prestigious accolades: AÏCHA, DON’T LET’S GO TO THE DOGS TONIGHT, DREAMS, LURKER, MY FRIEND AN DELIE, ON FALLING, PROMISED SKY, THE COURAGEOUS, and THE THINGS YOU KILL. The jury panel faced with the tough decisions MELISSA PARRY, a freelance editor nominated for the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative; RETHABILE RAMAPHAKELA, a South African producer, writer, director, showrunner, and creative director of Burnt Onion Productions; THEMBA SIBEKO, a former CEO of the Gauteng Film Commission; and IKENNA EZENYIRIOHA, Artistic Director of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF).

The jury commended AÏCHA, directed by Mehdi Barsaouithe, as the winner of the Best International Feature by commenting, “We were moved by the powerful story of Aya, a woman from a traditionally conservative country trying to reclaim her power. However, she soon finds that her choices have unintended consequences, keeping her embroiled in a crisis that has a seismic effect not only on her life but also on the lives of those around her. This film reminded us that life isn’t fair, but hope is never out of reach.”

As Embeth Davidtz’s directorial debut opens at venues around the country following its South African Premiere at DIFF, DON’T LET’S GO TO THE DOGS TONIGHT was announced as the Best South African Feature. The adaptation of Alexandra Fuller’s memoir to screen has already received rave reviews at the 2024 Telluride, Toronto, and Zurich Film Festivals, and the jury commended her as follows: “For a first-time director who also wrote the screenplay and featured in an autobiographical narrative, Embeth Davidtz took a risk that pays off in telling the story through the eyes of a child that gave such depth in a powerful performance whose voice painted such an emotive picture of a time and place in the throes of a historical transition.”

LURKER, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, was announced as the Best Edited film, presented by the South African Guild of Editors. The citation acknowledged the skill required once the cameras are packed away. “An edgy and well-paced thriller that keeps you engaged through exceptional editing. The central character, Matthew’s unhinged and menacing performance keeps the audience on edge; through his voyeuristic and uncomfortable discomfort, this powerful performance draws you in, where less is said and more is shown in LURKER.”

Several short films impressed the jury of THABANG MOLEYA, GABE GABRIELS, and TANYA ROSSOUW. Still, it was VOX HUMANA from the Philippines, directed by Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan, which was acknowledged as the Best Short Film. “This international short film was selected for its breathtaking cinematic prowess and global thematic resonance. Using immersive sound design, expansive cinematography, transfixing physical performances, lyrical editing, and directorial restraint, it delivers an urgent call from the near future for connection across cultures—and across species—in the face of climate collapse.

” B(L)IND THE SACRIFICE, directed by Nakhane, was selected as the Best South African Short Film, with the jury saying, “This South African short film was selected for its bold vision, technical mastery, and thematic audacity. Through striking desert cinematography, smouldering colour grade, and haunting score, it builds an atmosphere of oppressive family ritual before erupting in moral reckoning. The commanding performance at its centre anchors the film’s probing scrutiny of patriarchal authority, obedience, and the violence of conditional faith.”

The Best Documentary Award went to OF MUD AND BLOOD, directed by Jean-Gabriel Leynaud. “The film explores the lives of miners in Numbi, a village in the Democratic Republic of Congo, who extract coltan under extreme conditions—a mineral used in all our mobile phones. With culturally sensitive directing and beautiful cinematography, this poetic documentary explores the harsh reality on the ground, delivering a sucker punch. The deep and dark layers are complemented by the gentle love story. This is a poignant, urgent African story.” The documentary jury members, AYANDA HALIMANA, DIANA KEAM, and FIBBY KIORA, were immersed in a variety of documentaries from Asia, Europe, and the United States of America.

The student jury of IBEE NDAW, LAUREN FLETCHER, and SHARON GUMEDE also watched films from every corner of the globe including South America and the Middle East, which showcased the talents of the next generation of filmmakers. The Best Student Film, a TASTE OF PORK BELLY from Taiwan, directed by Sophie Shui, was selected for its nuanced and poetic storytelling, capturing the quiet and steady resilience of a mother doing what she must to save her family during a dark and tumultuous time. Culturally poignant while remaining accessible and stunningly shot, it’s hard to believe that this film was created by someone at the start of the film journey,” said the jury.

The Best South African Student Film, LEAPT NICHES, directed by Dominique Spies from The Animation School, drew praise from the jury, who said, “Captured through a child’s lens, the animation pivots seamlessly from loneliness, fear, and tension to awe, wonder, and belonging. Through its sweet storyline and beautiful, bright style, the animation radiates a sense of magic.”

The films on the 2025 programme showed the world through a variety of perspectives, including children, and were filmed in deserts, remote villages deep in the mountains in Africa, and bustling metropolises in Asia. The festival congratulates all the winners and looks forward to watching the next films they create on their creative journeys.

The stellar cast is led by the multi-talented Namibian-South African actress, singer, writer, director and film producer Zenobia Kloppers. Best known for her lead performance in the internationally acclaimed film Fiela Se Kind, she has been nominated as best actress for SAFTA, AMAA and kykNET Silverskerm awards and was crowned as the best actress by the SAIFF. Other veterans in the cast include Mayuri Naidu (Noughts + Crosses, Reyka 2, Savage Beauty and Binnelanders), Mehboob Bawaa (Sanju, Mr. X, Aashiqui 2 and Bhai’s Cafe), Jack Devnarain (Isidingo, The Ghost and the Darkness, High Rollers and 31 Million Reasons) and Carishma Basday (Deep End, Jimmy in Pienk, Material and Blood & Water). Jailoshini Naidoo (Strike Bac, Kandasamys: The Wedding, Trippin’ with the Kandasamyas, Kandasamyas: The Baby) requires no introduction since bringing the Kandasamys to local screens, and Siyasanga Papu is a favourite in the series Ekhaya Backpackers.

Younger members of the talented ensemble cast include Mekalia Mathys (Blood & Water, Arendsvlei and Deep State), Hermione Reddy, and Kathleen Stephens (Runs in the Family, G20, One Piece and My Spy: The Eternal City). Kiroshan Naidoo (The Mauritanian, White Lies, Catch Me a Killer and Sniper: The Last Stand) already has several film and television credits under his belt since graduating in 2015. For him, the filming experience was a homecoming of sorts. He thoroughly enjoyed filming in eThekwini, as he is based primarily in Cape Town. Filming in Indian areas familiar to him from his childhood was a highlight of the process for him, as was working with a crew and cast who he said all stepped up to the plate.

For Leah Mari, another young graduate, filming in the city where she was born and raised was extra special. Although this was only her second filming experience, she felt anchored and supported. She had praise for the ensemble and said, “The majority of the scenes were all of us together, and when I say all, I mean the cast of women that I was with. Such incredible women, led by Mayuri, and we really became so close in the process, which is always lovely. Coming from a theatre background community and becoming a team is hugely important.” The strength of the ensemble and cast camaraderie is evident in the film, and Leah says she believes audiences have a lot to look forward to. “The main themes of the film are community, the importance of a positive body image and the value of family. For my character, the journey is that of becoming comfortable in my skin. My favourite sequence is the talent audition sequence in the film. Audiences can look forward to a lot of laughs and a lot of family moments. It’s a film you want to watch with your family – it screams community, love and all things good in the world. The end of the film is a lovely surprise, and there are several surprises throughout the film.”

With that hearty endorsement, it’s clear that this is a film that is suitable for a family audience, and families are encouraged to bring their grandparents and children along to experience this light-hearted story, which reminds us all that beauty is more about what’s on the inside than what we see on the outside, or, as the film tagline says, “beauty isn’t only ‘fin’ deep.” Producer Luke Rous says, “This film is our love letter to Durban, to our eccentric families, and to everyone who’s ever felt like they didn’t belong.”

Lucky Fish opens the festival on a high note and is evidence of the local film industry’s ability to reflect our national zeitgeist and showcase the immense talent in South Africa and is a celebration of the vibrant culture and unconventional characters that can be found in so many communities. While the opening film included reflections on the sea, the closing night film takes us higher as Promised Sky ends the programme. The title is borrowed from the song of the same name by the France-based band, Delgres. A line from the chorus, “They promised me heaven/but I’m still here on earth,” encapsulates the essence of the song, which follows the journey of a young boy in Africa who is promised a better life. Amplifying the vast difference between dreams and reality that faces most migrants, both the song and the film afford us an insight into the emotional impact of broken promises. Directed by French Tunisian Erige Sehiri, the film, her third, had its world premiere as the opening film in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard. Her previous film, Under the Fig Trees, played in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight in 2022 and was selected to represent Tunisia at the 2023 Academy Awards.

Promised Sky reflects on the complex relationships between migrants who often find themselves in situations and circumstances over which they have no control. The film centres on Marie (Aïssa Maîga), an Ivorian pastor and former journalist, who, despite her decade-long residency in Tunisia, still does not have settled status. She runs an underground church in her illegally rented home, which she shares with two close friends – Naney (Deborah Christelle Lobe Naney), a hopeful young mother determined to reach Europe, no matter the cost, and Jolie (Laetitia Ky), a university student under tremendous pressure. An orphaned four-year-old girl, a survivor from the shipwreck of a migrant boat, is brought to them to avoid the Tunisian foster care system. Named Kenza (Estelle Kenza Dogbo), she is assumed to be Ivorian. Her arrival tests their unity amid a tense social climate, revealing their fragility and strength. Tensions have arisen in Tunisia in recent years over the issue of migration, and mass arrests and raids occurred during the filming process. Sehiri has said that while it was not her intention to document what was happening in Tunisia at the time, reality caught up to her, and the film began to mirror the political situation of the country. She said that while trying to have a perspective on what was happening, she wanted to avoid unnecessary violence on screen and “wanted to see these women live their lives, in spite of everything.” Writer Sarah Manvel concluded that the film is “a reminder that we are all just people under the sun, with the chance to hold out helping hands to the people next to us, wherever they are from.” While this is overwhelmingly true for the characters in the film and Tunisia, it is a timely reminder for everyone, everywhere.

The opening and closing night films at DIFF reflect polar opposites of communities, one firmly entrenched in their surrounding society, and another deemed to be on the fringes. What they have in common, though, is a testament that the combined strength of people working together against all odds provides some measure of belonging in a fragmented and hostile world.