The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), presented by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of Kwazulu-Natal, invites filmmakers to submit feature films, documentaries, and short films for the 43rd edition, which will take place from July 21 to July 30, 2022.
DIFF’s call for submissions being on October 27 is no coincidence, as it coincides with Unesco’s World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, which aims to recognise the importance of audiovisual documents. DIFF’s objective, like Unesco’s, is to emphasise the increasingly important role that audiovisual content plays in our lives, as it gives us the ability to understand the world and interact with each other.
The official call for submissions invites filmmakers worldwide to speak on the various ways we have all restructured our reality. The curatorial theme for the 43rd edition of the festival is ‘Adaptation,’ and DIFF is challenging filmmakers to rise above and present audiences with new perspectives of diversity and inclusion in these times of unprecedented transformation.
The festival is looking for films that look back while also looking forward, emphasising building the tapestry of indigenous and authentic African stories while considering sustainability and inclusiveness on a global scale. These could be films about migration, climate change, social isolation, hybrid integration, and films that explore other ways in which humanity is expanding.
“The Fourth Industrial Revolution has engulfed us, requiring us to adapt while also providing opportunity and benefit. We’re interested in seeing how filmmakers moderate these institutions, procedures, and behaviours to improve humanity without compromising it. “DIFF would like to see how we can augment and build on potential growth without sacrificing appreciation for nature and sustainable practices that will ensure our survival,” said Valma Pfaff, festival manager.
DIFF2022 will be presented as a virtual festival, with a small number of films being screened live per existing Covid-19 related restrictions.
Applications must be submitted by February 28, 2022. For additional information and to submit entries, interested parties can visit the DIFF profile on FilmFreeWay.
