THE 44th installment of the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) programme was announced on Tuesday, 6 June.
It returns to the Suncoast Cinecentre, three years after the lockdown.
The University of KwaZulu-Natal will host the festival from 20 to 30 July, and it will showcase 90 films from 54 countries.
Some films that will be premiered include Banel and Adama, Omen and The Mother of all lies. These films first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
Festival manager Andrea Voges said: "We are thrilled to bring DIFF back to life this year, allowing audiences to come together to share in these incredibly special stories, feasting on some of the best African and world cinema."
He said the festival will also feature a South African documentary called What the Soil Remembers. It tells of the trauma of uprooted communities during apartheid. In February, the film also won the Ammodo Tiger Short Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.
Another film which will be premiered is Mapantsula by Oliver Schmitz. This film premiered in February in the Berlinale's classic section.
ALSO READ | Top organiser brings BIG guns!
"The original Mapantsula was the first anti-apartheid film that had its premiere screening at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival after the apartheid government had banned the film in South Africa," said Andrea.
"DIFF is pleased to present this restored and important film on the first Sunday of DIFF, 23 July, at selected cinemas throughout South Africa."
The programme will also include the 6th edition of iSiPhethu.
This is a developmental programme that includes the Zulu Scriptwriting Workshop, Industry Programme, and screenings at community centres.
The second installment of the International Student Film Festival is also making a comeback.
"This is the first of its kind on the continent. It will showcase 30 student films from all over the world at the KwaZulu-Natal Society for the Arts (KZNSA) free of charge. DIFF is widely regarded as one of the leading film festivals on the African continent," Andrea said.
NEW PODCAST ALERT: How to access weight-loss surgery at a public hospital
