The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) returns this year from September 10-20 at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts (CCA).

Now in its 41st year, the oldest film festival in Africa remains an important event on the cultural calendar.

This year, screenings will be held virtually and at drive-in theatres in Durban, Port Shepstone, Newcastle and Zululand.

The opening film “This is not a Burial, but a Resurrection”, is led by Mary Twala with direction from Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese.

A co-production between South Africa, Lesotho and Italy, the film was specifically chosen to open the festival because it touches on the timely and important land issues in Lesotho.

“Its sophisticated imagery, the stunning, haunting landscapes that appreciate the depth of the magnificence that is the African landscape and how this was intertwined so effortlessly into the narrative is a true homage to African folklore,” says Head of Programming Chipo Zhou.

The closing film this year is the thriller To Dust directed by Pieter du Plessis with actress Shana Mans in the lead role.

A story of female oppression and emancipation, the film fills an important role in facilitating discussion on women’s rights, particularly given the backdrop of the coronavirus and its effects on women in South Africa.

“Both narratives are about finding strength and resilience in the face of seemingly insurmountable injustice and speak very much on the human emotional need to connect, belong and be a part of something much greater than themselves.

“Set in two very different worlds, and centred on seemingly unconnected issues, both films tackle loss and trauma delicately and uniquely.” says Zhou.

This year’s edition of isiPethu, DIFF’s industry-focused programme, will feature a variety of well known facilitators, guest speakers and participants in a continued bid to make the festival one of the biggest and most important on the continent.

The curators of this year’s programme come from a variety of backgrounds as DIFF endeavours to remain inclusive and relevant, drawing voices from a wide range of industry professionals.

Chipo Zhou heads the group which includes Canadian writer, film curator, and PhD candidate in Communication and Culture, Nataleah Hunter-Young, an American short film programmer who works with Sundance Film Festival, Lisa Ogdie, and a South African freelance curator and cultural programmer specializing in the arts in areas of film, music, literature, visual and performing arts, Mitchel Harper.

The full programme of events will be released by DIFF on August 31, after which tickets will be made available for drive-in screenings and more information will made available about the booking system for free online screenings of the more than 100 films.

The festival is organized by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts, in partnerships and with the support of Durban Film Office, eThekwini Municipality, National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, KZN Department of Arts and Culture and other funders and partners.