A defining feature of DIFF 2026 is its expanded industry programme, which continues to prioritise talent development, professional training and market access for filmmakers.
By Adedamola Jones Adedayo
The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), widely considered Southern Africa’s largest and longest-running film festival, is set to return for its 47th annual edition, furthering its positioning as “Africa’s showcase film festival for authentic visual narratives”. The announcement follows a call for submissions that drew over 2,600 films from 125 countries, with official selection notifications scheduled for 1st May, 2026.
A defining feature of DIFF 2026 is its expanded industry programme, which continues to prioritise talent development, professional training and market access for filmmakers. At the centre of this programme is the isiZulu Scriptwriting Workshop, a flagship initiative dedicated to training local writers to become professionals with a focus on preserving linguistic and cultural heritage, maintaining technical excellence, and telling authentic South African stories to the world.
With applications currently ongoing, the isiZulu Screenwriting Workshop will run from 6th to 31st July 2026, exposing final-year or graduate film students to a hybrid learning adventure that includes an in-person experience in Durban.
Participants will develop short film scripts under the mentorship of acclaimed screenwriting educator and storytelling consultant Zunaid Mansoor, who has worked in Hollywood on the long-running TV series The Bold and the Beautiful and with Oscar-nominated producer Alex Rose.
Over the past 15 years, Mansoor has mentored thousands of emerging creatives through institutions such as the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority, and the Durban Film Office—many of whom have become alumni of platforms like Berlinale Talents, Talents Durban, MultiChoice Talent Factory and Mandela Rhodes Scholarship.
Another major feature of DIFF 2026 is the Isiphethu Industry Programme, which offers specialised training and networking to help emerging filmmakers become full-fledged professionals and take on the global film industry. With a strong focus on audience engagement and interaction with industry experts, this year’s Isiphethu will take place from 27th to 31st July at the Belaire Suites Hotel, Durban. For the upcoming programme, SABC-trained South African script editor and writer Amanda Halimana (Meet The Khumalos (2025)) will lead a training on “Pitching” while seasoned entrepreneur and executive producer Isabelle Rorke will focus on “Artificial Intelligence”.
Equally central to DIFF 2026 is the Film Festival Residency, bringing together eight festival directors who will engage around strategic planning and curation models during a period of interaction in Durban from 20th to 27th July.
Every year, DIFF welcomes over 100 African and global narratives, expanding beyond the big screens to also feature community township screenings and serve as a launchpad for the careers of emerging talents through requisite student programmes, industry exposure and market opportunities.
Since its inception in 1979, the festival has attracted local and international stakeholders and is committed to enriching South African audience experiences. It enlists films for the Oscars race, offering automatic qualifications to compete for Best Documentary and Best Short Film at the festival. The DIFF programme also caters to student films, helping young filmmakers currently enrolled at any tertiary institution get through debut projects while opening them to other industry-wide opportunities.
The 47th Durban International Film Festival will take place from 23rd July to 2nd August, 2026.