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).