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Film Festival NEWS 

40th DIFF announces its award winners

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The 40th Durban International Film Festival announced its winners at its awards ceremony on 23 July at the Tsogo Sun Elangeni Hotel in Durban, South Africa.

A total of 19 awards were given out at the ceremony:

Best Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award at DIFF 2019: For Sama directed Edward Watts and Waad al-Kateab.

Artistic Bravery: Letters Of Hope directed by Vusi Africa.

Best Cinematography: Divine Love directed by Gabriel Mascaro.

Best Editing: Cronofobia directed by Francesco Rizzi.

Best Screenplay: Les Misérables directed by Ladj Ly.

Best Short Film: Acid directed by Just Philippot.

Best African Short Film: Brotherhood directed by Meryam Joobeur. The film also received a cash prize of R20, 000 sponsored by the Gauteng Film Commission.

Best South African Short Film: Miracle directed by Bongi Ndaba. The film received a cash prize of R20,000 from the Gauteng Film Commission.

Best Actor: Bongile Mantsai for Knuckle City directed by Jahmil XT. Qubeka.

Best Actress: Nisrin Erradi for Adam directed by Maryam Touzani.

Best Documentary: For Sama directed by Edward Watts and Waad al-Kateab. The film received a cash prize of R25, 000.

Best South African Documentary: Buddha in Africa directed by Nicole Schafer. The award is accompanied by a cash prize of R25, 000.

Best Direction: Divine Love directed by Gabriel Mascaro.

Best South African Feature Film: Back of the Moon directed by Angus Gibson. The film received a cash prize of R25,000.

Best Feature Film: Les Misérables directed by Ladj Ly.  The award is accompanied by a cash prize of R50, 000.

DIFF Legacy Award: Peter Rorvik.

DIFF Legacy Award: Roz Sarkin and Moosa Moosa.

DIFF Legacy Award: Julie Frederikse and Madoda Ncayiyana.

DIFF is included as a Documentary Feature Qualifying Festival by the Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences. This means that both the winners of the Best Documentary – For Sama – and Best SA Documentary – Buddha in Africa – automatically qualify for consideration for an Oscar nomination.

The features jury was made up of Emrah Kilic (Turkey), Diarah N’Daw-Spech (USA), Laurence Boyce (UK), Diana Keam (South Africa) and Mohammed Siam (Egypt).

In the documentary jury were Patricia Van Heerden (SA), Florian Weghorn (Germany), Tracy Clayton (UK/SA), Rehad Desai (SA) and Ziyanda Macingwane (SA).

The short film jurors were Jaime E. Manrique (Colombia), Silas Miami, (Kenya), Jacintha De-Nobrega (SA), CJ Obasi (Nigeria) and Mpho Ramathuthu (SA).