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Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) – 48th edition

Open for submissions

About

Southern Africa's oldest film festival (since 1979), run by the UKZN Centre for Creative Arts. Best Documentary, Best SA Documentary and Best Short Film qualify for Academy Awards consideration. Submissions opened 15 Sep 2026; notification 4 May 2027.

Location
Durban, South Africa
Festival dates
15 July 2027 – 25 July 2027
Deadlines
23 November 2026 · Early Bird
15 January 2027 · Regular deadline
Fees
Features $17 early / $22 regular; documentaries $12 / $17 (FilmFreeway). Other categories on the listing.
Eligibility
African/South African features and documentaries of 60 min or longer (non-African features/docs are by invitation), plus short and student films. Completed after 1 Jan 2026; South African premiere; English subtitles; films declined for DIFF 2026 not eligible.
Categories
Fiction, Documentary, Short, Student
Region
Africa
Details checked on
7 October 2026
Official websiteSubmit / apply (official page)Source

Details are shown in the original language of the organizer.

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