40th Durban International Film Festival Award Winners 2019

The 40th Durban International Film Festival announced its winners recently at its awards ceremony at the Elangeni Hotel in Durban, South Africa.

Features jury member Ziyanda Macingwane with Back of the Moon Associate Producer, Kutlwano Ditsele; actress Moneoa Moshesh; Director, Angus Gibson; 

Producer, Desiree Markgraff;Lebogang Tsipa as they accept their award for the Best South African Feature Film at the 40th Durban International Film Festival (Image: Supplied) 

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 X T Qubeka

Best Actress: Nisrin Erradi for Adam directed by Maryam Touzani

Best Documentary: For Sama directed 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                                                            

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 were 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).