The Chairperson of Namibia’s Arts Council, Patrick Sam, has been appointed as one of the programmers for the short film category at the 43rd Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), which will take place in June and July this year.
Sam considers it an honour to choose the short films to be shown at the event and encourages filmmakers to submit their work.
“We must ensure that female-told tales, as well as African-told stories, are represented, while also providing room for local and global stories that amplify the visual narratives of stories that are rarely heard and rarely screened.” Over 1300 short films have already been submitted, making this an enormous task.
“I encourage filmmakers to submit their work because the beauty of being an artist is that our stories nourish the soul and shape humanity’s multicultural spirit. Artists utilise creativity to communicate the human condition, expressing the different and pluralistic essence of humanity and how we need to cherish the many stories because they elevate us through film,” he said.
Sam will be judging this category alongside Diedre Jantjies, a South African writer, director, and producer, and Loren Loubser, an actor, filmmaker, documentarian, and facilitator.
Jantjies is a cultural activist who is concerned about telling women’s historical stories and the founder of Na Aap, an organisation dedicated to telling Southern Africa’s untold stories.
Loubser is likewise dedicated to sharing the untold stories of South Africa’s marginalised communities.
The Durban International Film Festival is the continent’s oldest and largest film festival. Teddy and Ros Sarkin, creatives and benefactors, founded the yearly event in 1979, and it now features over 200 screenings of African and South African premieres.
The festival offers workshops and screening outreaches in townships with no cinemas or arts activities.
