27 July: Day 3
As it is still raining in KZN, it's perfect movie weather!
The two films on my plate today have the same theme, love, although they are as different as night and day.
These two films will not be money spinners, although Tom Tykwer's Drei (Three) could get some bums on seats.
Snowflower and the secret fan will only appeal to a small audience, although it is a beautifully made, tender film with heart.
Both films were bought by big studios, Fox Searchlight and Warner, bu...
Durban, 26 July: Day 2
The miserable weather is busy getting the better of me as I spent most of the day in bed.
As I am in Durban for the film festival at great expense, I dragged myself out of bed for the night's delights.
I planned to see Dog Sweat at 22:00, but decided to rather skip that.
The two films that were shown tonight are both in competition and both are good - one is exceptional, in fact.
It's good to see young African directors at the festival and Andrew Dosunmu...
25 July: Day 1
The Weather Girls sing about it's raining men. In Durban it's raining wonderful films and the weather is miserable too in what is normally a balmy sub-tropical city.
I have been planning my viewing schedule since the programme was released a month ago and it constantly changed as there is so much to see and the films are so varied and the must-see ones clash. I try to include the big festival winners - and they are all in Durban. I left the schedule 80% percent comp...
Taking place from 21 to 31 July, the 32nd Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) will present a number of gay-themed films as part of its feature film selection.
From the powerful Man at Bath, which chronicles a week in the life of two soon-to-be ex-lovers, to Skoonheid, the latest award-winning film from South African prodigy Oliver Hermanus, DIFF 2011 offers a snapshot of life in the various gay, lesbian, bisexual and trangender communities around the world.
Oliver Her...
The remarkably diverse cinema of India is celebrated at the 32nd Durban International Film Festival this year, with a focus on both the classic and the daringly contemporary, with music and art also finding a prominent place. Six films from the great Indian master Satyajit Ray will be presented, alongside fine works by talented new Indian filmmakers, an exhibition dedicated to Bollywood by artist Ranjit Dahiya, and a performance by Indian slide-guitar maestro Debasish Bhattacharya. Taking plac...
Paul Watson at Durban International Film Festival
Time Magazine called him one of the 20 environmental heroes of the 20th century. The Guardian mentioned him as one of 50 people who could save the planet. These are some of the numerous accolades bestowed on Paul Watson which also include honorary citizenships, environmental, animal rights and human rights awards.He has also been denied visas, banned in certain places, and arrested on numerous occasions for his provocative activism....
Great Line-up at the 32nd Durban International Film Festival
The 32nd Durban International Film Festival kicks off on 21 July with the World Premiere of the South African film Otelo Burning, directed by Sara Blecher. Set during the last days of apartheid, the Durban-shot film tells the story of a group of South African township youngsters who discover surfing as an empowering escape from the political violence of the times. There is drama, romance, rivalry, and tragedy in this c...
Over 250 screenings will be presented at the 32nd edition of the Durban International Film Festival’s from 21 to 31 July. With principal support from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, the line-up of films from over 50 countries includes numerous award-winners and premiere screenings, with a core component of the newest South Africa productions.
The festival proudly opens with the World Premiere of a film shot in Durban - Otelo Burning, directed by Sara Blecher. Beginning in the ...
The Durban International Film Festival's 32nd edition takes place from 21 July to 31 July 2011 and will present over 200 screenings of films from around the world, with a focus on films from South Africa and Africa.
Screenings take place throughout Durban including township areas where cinemas are non-existent.
The festival also offers an extensive seminar and workshop programme featuring local and international filmmakers, and the return of the very success...
BERLINALE IN 3D
On Sunday, the Berlinale was host to three back-to-back 3D films that demonstrated that the technology is not only good for computer animation and big budget sci-fi. In TALES OF THE NIGHT, French animator Michel Ocelot provides a shadow-puppet retelling of famous fairy tales, much in the manner of the films of famed 1930s storyteller Lotte Reininger. The film mixes classic silhouette animation with strong colorful backgrounds to amazing effect. In PI...
The dates for 2011 have been announced and Durban will be buzzing!
Dairise 21 - 31 July 2011 for the 32nd Durban International Film Festival. More information to be released.
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The Durban International Film Festival is pleased to announce that the winner of the Best Feature Film of its 31 st edition is The White Meadows ( Iran ). Directed by
Mohammad Rasoulof, the film was lauded by the International Jury as a “timeless and poetic narrative.” “The film conjures up a landscape that is visually stunning and intriguing because it is both harsh and beautiful. It is an enigmatic and poignant political allegory and takes the viewers through a journey on life's ...
The last day has arrived with 5 films to catch! As The White Meadows won the best film and it was showing on the last day, it was definitely on my schedule. This white, salty landscape of Iran looks like a lunar landscape, but it actually exists and the performance seem so real. I would not have voted the film as the best, but it has its merits. My day kicked off with the doccie, Game of Death, which shows how powerful TV has become. I felt a little cheated as I put myself in the shoes of ...
Day 4 took me around the world and from cinema complex to cinema complex. I have never been in taxis so musch as today! I travelled to Slovenia, Switzerland, France, England and Georgia all in one day and thankfully all on screen. The quality of the films varied today. The day kicked off with the life of a prostitute in Slovenian Girl, followed to the very colourful world of Pepperminta and the bond she has with menstrual blood, than went to France for Wild Grass and one of the weirdest love a...
Day 3 of my Durban trip kicked off with a fire! As I walked out of my apartment block, I thought it was raining, just to see firemen, firetrucks, lots of bystanders and police as the building across the road was on fire. The journalist in me found it hard to just walk away, but I did just that although I couldn't resist to take some pictures. Everywhere I went during the day, I was asked whether I'm going to the Durban July on Saturday. The July is one of the world's top horse racing events. M...
I have arrived yesterday 28 July and what a day it was! Flying in from Johannesburg was memorable as I saw two South African singing sensations making out at the drop-off. They can be compared to Bollywood stars as they have just starred in a local film together called Jakhalsdans where they fell in love on the set! It was something to behold to see thse two kissing as they would have been arrested in places like Dubai. The flight down - just under 50 mins - was routine and then Durban hit me...
Now that everybody knows why I like film festivals, this is my programme for Durban. As the city is so big and the venues far apart, I have to close my eyes and miss some excellent films such as Baaria, The Concert, Lebanon, Loose cannons, Sex, drugs and rock 'n roll and A woman, gun and noodle shop. Luckily Baaria, The concert and A woman, gun and noodle shop will be released on the SA art film circuit soon.
The films in Durban cover a huge array with themes such as Ecolens, Wavescap...
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Hello out there!
This is my first entry for my trip to the 31st Durban International Film Festival. The festival kicks off with the world premiere of the SA film, State of Violence, on Thursday 22 July. I'll be in Durban from 28 July till the end of the festival on 1 August. More about my programme and what's to offer at DIFF in my next blog entry. First I have to thank the organisers for allowing me, a small-town journo, to travel to their city and attend their esteemed event. This wil...
Filmmakers are key agents in keeping a watchful eye on not just on social and political issues but on environmental abuse that often slips unobtrusively into our daily lives. A number of films at this year’s Durban International Film Festival conscientise us about the need for integrated approaches to development, and the threats to human ecology and environmental balance. With genetic modification shifting global food production increasingly further from nature, Scientists Under Attack is an ...
Berlinale World Cinema Fund: Latest Jury decisions and WCF-Spotlight in South AfricaAt the 12th session of the World Cinema Fund (WCF) jury on July 4, three new film projects were selected for production funding.Since its establishment in October 2004, the WCF has awarded production and distribution funding to a total of 73 projects chosen from 1275 submissions from Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Central and South East Asia, and the Caucasus. All of the WCF films completed so far have s...
Daring, innovative and controversial films and filmmakers from around the world will take the spotlight at the 31st Durban International Film Festival which takes place from 22 July to 1 August. The festival programmers have scoured the globe for films that excite, thrill, raise awareness and provoke. These films will be presented in over 200 screenings at venues across Durban and in surrounding communities.Alongside the screenings of films, the festival offers an extensive workshop and seminar ...
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3rd TALENT CAMPUS DURBAN 23 - 27 July 2010 at the 31st Durban International Film Festival (22 July - 1 August 2010) Talents Announced The Durban International Film Festival has announced that the selection for this year's edition of Talent Campus Durban has been finalised. Over 40 young filmmakers representing nearly 20 African countries, including Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, an...
Eminent Chinese director, screenwriter and producer, Huang Jianxin, will head the International Jury for the third annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA). He will be joined by Australian playwright and screenwriter David Williamson, Iranian filmmaker Tahmineh Milāni, Indian playwright, screenwriter and director Feroz Abbas Khan and Korean writer/director Gina Kim. The International Jury will determine winners in the 2009 Asia Pacific Screen Awards to be announced in a ceremony on Australia'...
