The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), presented by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal invites filmmakers to submit features, documentaries, short and student films for consideration to participate in the 45th edition of the festival, set to take place from the 18 to 28 July 2024.
The 44th edition presented a bumper programme featuring ninety films from fifty-four countries. The memorable cinematic experience included courageous tales and innovative storytelling of often shared experiences. Highlights included the Riceboy Sleeps (Canada), Runs in the Family (South Africa), All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (USA), Milisuthando (South Africa), Banel and Adama (France, Senegal, Mali) and The Mother of All Lies (Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt).
The competition section of the festival includes a selection of features, documentaries, short and student films – with the Best Documentary and Best Short Film automatically qualifying for the Oscars race. The festival will continue to bring world expanding films to South Africa and screenings will once again extend beyond traditional cinema venues.
Eligibility Criteria
The categories for submissions are as follows:
- Features – African fictional films 60 minutes and over. Non-African submissions will be solicited.
- Documentaries – African documentaries 60 minutes and over. Non-African submissions will be solicited.
- Short Films – Fictional and non-fiction films under 60 minutes. Open to all countries.
- Student Films – Fictional and non-fiction films under 60 minutes. Open to all countries. The film director must be enrolled in a tertiary institution during the year that the film was produced.
- Only films that were completed after 1 January 2023 are eligible to apply.
