FILM INDUSTRY

The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) celebrates its 30th anniversary starting July 23, 2009. Regarded as one of the top film festivals on the African continent, the DIFF will showcase over 200 feature films, short films, short documentaries, documentaries and dramas in seven main cinemas and 20 other venues around Durban. Most films are premiere showings and many are by young directors. Appropriately, this 30th edition of the festival will open with the Durban film My Secret Sky (Izulu Lami), directed by Madoda Ncayiyana, and featuring a wonderful cast of child actors who have never performed for the screen before. The movie is about a young girl and her little brother who leave their rural homestead for the city when they are orphaned, and meet up with a gang of street kids. Hoping to fulfill their mother's dream, in the end they find their own. Various townships throughout Durban will host screenings. For example, Folweni Township will show an Indian short film, Broken Borders by director Ian McDonald, and three other films -- Thembalethu, Blood on my Hands and Shan at the Dawn. Press Gwabeni, a coordinator of the Folweni screening and a young aspiring filmmaker says, "the festival encourages young filmmakers to take part and see the works of people that have made it and maybe learn more from them, since many of the now famous filmmakers they themselves come from townships and their works are very inspirational." "We are also hoping that after the festival there will be more works on films and any other production works in townships and get to recognise and appreciate young talents," he said He also concluded by saying people are very enthusiastic about attending since the venue is at the Folweni learning centre and entrance is free. Folweni will also feature films by South African directors including Shirley Adams by Oliver Hermanus, Long Street, the new film from Revel Fox which features Durban icon Busi Mhlongo, and For Better for Worse, Naresh Veeran and Raeesa Mahomed's charming Durban-set romantic comedy. The DIFF is organised by the Centre for Creative Arts situated at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Howard Campus) and is supported by the National Film and Video Foundation, National Lottery Distribution Fund, the SABC, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, HIVOS, Stichting Doen, the German Embassy, the Goethe Institute, the City of Durban and the Industrial Development Corporation. The festival will also offer an extensive seminar and workshop programme featuring local and international filmmakers, and 2009 will see the return of the very successful Talent Campus Durban. The main screening venues for the festival include the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Nu Metro Cinecentre (Suncoast), Ster Kinekor Junction (Musgrave), Cinema Nouveau (Gateway), Ekhaya Multi (Arts Centre in KwaMashu) and The Royal Hotel. Source: http://www.orato.com