DURBAN, South Africa – The 47th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), presented by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, has officially announced the award winners of its 2026 edition.
Following a robust and highly competitive programme running from 23 July to 2 August 2026, the festival’s esteemed international and local jury panels have awarded top honors across the Feature, Documentary, Short Film, and Student Film categories. The winning films reflect a dynamic global dialogue, highlighting profound stories of resilience, cultural celebration, and cinematic innovation.
The Durban International Film Festival management team extends its deepest gratitude to the festival’s generous award sponsors who continue to uplift and support the global and local film industry. A special thank you to the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC) for sponsoring the Best South African Feature, Best South African Documentary, and Best South African Short Film Awards. We also extend our sincere appreciation to Dante Languages for sponsoring the Best South African Student Film Award, and to the South African Guild of Editors (S.A.G.E) for sponsoring the Best Edit Award.
Below is the complete list of the 47th DIFF award winners and their official jury citations:
FEATURE FILM AWARDS
Best Feature Film Winner: COTTON QUEEN – Directed by Suzannah Mirghani (Germany, France, Palestine, Sudan)
Jury Citation: “Cotton Queen succeeded in bringing the smell and taste of a whole nation to the screen. There are incredibly beautiful moments of cinema – for example, the angel in the tree, the young girls bathing in the river. The film has the smell of a new cinema from the continent. Director Suzannah Mirghani demonstrates a passionate love for her people. It is captured in every frame. Through the film she honours and respects her culture, her elders, the world of the story. The film is not monolithic – it operates on so many layers. There is an amazing juxtaposition of tradition and modern. This coming of age film is a celebration of innocence and is full of love and dreams and makes you believe in love again.”
Best South African Feature Film Winner: DANCE WITH ME – Directed by Romanuse Lindelani Langa (South Africa)
Jury Citation: “Dance with Me is a film full of innocence and possibility. It is a story of a journey to the self. The film lends strength to the traditions of dance and a celebration of culture – and cinema embodies culture. The film is fresh and has an authentic voice. There is a healing journey. The lead character has an arc that showed growth in that she overcame her trauma. Minenhle Sithole as Phindi proposes something new and exciting with her performance. The film certainly was the most cinematic out of all four South African films in competition.”
Best Editing Award Winner: COTTON QUEEN – Directed by Suzannah Mirghani (Germany, France, Palestine, Sudan)
Jury Citation: “The Best Editing Award goes to Cotton Queen for an edit of exceptional sensitivity, rhythm, and emotional intelligence. The film’s seamless transitions between memory, dream, and reality create a rich cinematic tapestry, allowing every image to breathe while building a deeply immersive world. The edit masterfully balances tradition and modernity, weaving together multiple layers of story and emotion into a coming-of-age film that honours culture, celebrates innocence, and leaves a lasting sense of hope, love and wonder.”
Special Mention: EARLY WINTER – Directed by Özcan Alper (Turkey)
Jury Citation: “The film Early Winter deserves a Special Mention. This visceral film explores surrogacy and class differences and leaves a deep emotional impact long after the credits roll. The pace and cinematography is moving and beautiful. The film is filled with silences that speak loudly and say so much. It is virtually a two-hander, but a special mention has to go to Leyla Tanlar for her deeply moving performance. You walk away from the film feeling something, she has crept into your heart.”
DOCUMENTARY AWARDS
Best Documentary Winner: A FOX UNDER THE PINK MOON – Directed by Mehrdad Oskouei, Soraya Akhlaghi (Iran, France, United Kingdom, United States, Denmark)
Jury Citation: “This film impressed us with its unique and intimate approach to storytelling, following a young girl’s journey of resilience and self-discovery. Through a creative blend of animation, artwork and thoughtful editing, it highlights the challenges women face while celebrating strength and empowerment. The use of a mobile phone camera provides remarkable access to the subject’s emotions and experiences, creating a powerful sense of closeness and authenticity. For its innovative filmmaking, emotional impact and compelling perspective, the award for Best Documentary goes to A Fox Under a Pink Moon.”
Best South African Documentary
Winner: From Dust We Spin – Directed by Julia Jansch (South Africa)
Jury Citation: “This documentary inspired us with its powerful story of resilience and empowerment. Through the world of spinning, a sport often misunderstood, it shows how a young women can overcome fear, challenge negative influences and create new possibilities for themselves. The film also highlights the strength of family bonds and the support of mothers and female role models. With creative storytelling and camerawork, strong visuals and effective use of music, it delivers a moving and memorable experience. For its ability to challenge perceptions and celebrate courage, the award for Best South African Documentary goes to “From Dust We Spin.”
Special Mention: Documentary Film: Hope is a Word – Directed by Maria Galliani Dyrvik (Norway, Italy, Nigeria) Jury Citation: “For the dedication in building the documentary in many years while using poetry to tell a powerful narrative, a special mention to Hope is a Word”
Special Mention: South African Documentary Film: Fosta – Directed by Eldon Van Aswegen (South Africa) Jury Citation: “for capturing how the power of art and music can change lives and bring positivity in challenging situations, a special mention for Fosta”
SHORT FILM AWARDS
Best Short Film Winner: Close Your Eyes Hind – Directed by Amir Zaza (Netherlands)
Jury Citation: “Close Your Eyes Hind tells the story of a young girl trapped inside a car, surrounded by the bodies of her family, praying for a way out during the genocide in Gaza. While its setting is vast in its political and historical weight, the film chooses intimacy, allowing one child’s experience to become a profound universal experience of fear and loss. Carried by a remarkable performance from its young lead, the film handles its subject matter with enormous care. The result, a deeply affecting film that linger with you, long after it’s ended.”
Best South African Short Film Winner: Vultures – Directed by Dian Weys (South Africa / France)
Jury Citation: “Vultures is a film that never lets its ambition get in the way of its humanity. Set in the frantic aftermath of a car accident, it unfolds with remarkable confidence and control, and yet always keeps its focus on the people at its core. The film uses chaos not just to create tension, but more importantly to explore the difficult choices people make when morality and self interest collide.”
Special Mention: Please Hold – Directed by Solal Bouloudnine (France) Jury Citation: “This film was immersive, funny and engaging. Excellent performances and a unique story”
Special Mention: South African Short Film Film: A Nation’s Fight for Identity and Justice – Directed by Pretty Mothata (South Africa) Jury Citation: “This Documentary get a special jury mention. Not only does it bring to the fore a historic legend that many have forgotten or never known, and the families search for justice.”
STUDENT FILM AWARDS
Best Student Film Winner: Besieged – Directed by Kiarash Ardeshirpour
Jury Citation: “For the Best Student Film, high technical quality matched with a moving performance, and compelling story. This film reminded us that the camera is a storyteller too. As the story looped in a circle, so did the camera, sinking us deeper into the protagonist’s own spiral and feelings of entrapment. What impressed the jury most was the unity of performance, cinematography and direction, each element strengthening the other.”
Best South African Student Film Winner: Just Like Clockwork – Directed by Saeedah Sayed (South Africa)
Jury Citation: “The film that we’d like to award as the Best South African Student Film showed artistic excellence and compelling storytelling. This film did not only grip us but also showed the beginnings of a distinct creative signature that we would like to see expand, to what we suspect will be a very successful film career. We’ve been talking a lot about AI in the creative industry, and this film presents an allegory of how artists don’t need to rely on “magic” or artificial intelligence as we know it, we can still rely on our intrinsic creative instincts.”
The Durban International Film Festival extends its sincere gratitude to all our funders, sponsors, stakeholders, partners, filmmakers, and the broader film industry for your unwavering support throughout the ten-day festival. This year’s festival once again delivered an outstanding programme and diverse screening line-up, providing opportunities for filmmakers at every stage of their journey from aspiring storytellers outside formal film schools, to recent graduates, emerging practitioners, and established industry professionals. We remain committed to creating a platform that celebrates creativity, nurtures talent, and showcases exceptional African and international cinema.
‘As we conclude another successful edition, we now look ahead with great excitement to the 48th Edition of the DIFF in 2027, a remarkable milestone in the festival’s rich history and a celebration of five decades of cinematic excellence. We look forward to welcoming you all as we celebrate this historic occasion and our road to 50 years’ said Sakhile Gumede, festival manager.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
About the Durban International Film Festival Founded in 1979, the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) is Southern Africa’s oldest and largest film festival, hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Screening over 70 films annually, DIFF provides an essential platform for contemporary African and international cinema.
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