The 47th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) concluded on August 2, with French and Franco-African productions featuring prominently across this year’s programme. As Southern Africa’s longest-running film festival, DIFF once again served as a platform where African cinema intersected with international filmmaking, highlighting the growing role of cross-border collaborations in the independent film sector.
Founded in 1979, the Durban International Film Festival remains one of Africa’s leading showcases for independent and world cinema. Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, this year’s edition presented 34 feature and documentary films, with organisers highlighting the increasing presence of international co-productions involving South Africa. The programme reflected the country’s expanding role as both a filmmaking destination and a meeting point for stories developed across multiple territories.
French-backed productions were particularly visible throughout the festival, appearing across feature, documentary and short film selections. Their presence reflected the longstanding collaboration between French producers and African filmmakers, with co-productions continuing to play an important role in supporting independent cinema and expanding international festival circulation.
Among the French-backed titles presented at the festival was The Little Sister, directed by actress-turned-filmmaker Hafsia Herzi. The French-German co-production previously premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Queer Palm and Best Actress. Based on Fatima Daas’ novel The Last One, the film follows Fatima, a 17-year-old growing up in a French-Algerian Muslim family in Paris as she struggles to reconcile her religious upbringing with her feelings for another young woman. Through its intimate character study, the film explores identity, family and belonging.
Also featured was A Russian Winter, the latest documentary from Patric Chiha. After premiering at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year, the French production arrived at Durban with a story centred on young Russians who left their country following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Filmed between Paris and Istanbul, the documentary focuses on the experiences of people living in exile as they attempt to rebuild their lives away from home.
The presence of films such as The Little Sister and A Russian Winter also reflects the broader significance of international co-productions within the festival ecosystem. French partnerships frequently provide access to additional financing, international sales opportunities and wider festival exposure, while African festivals such as Durban introduce those films to new audiences and strengthen connections between filmmakers, distributors and producers across different regions.
That collaborative approach extends beyond the festival screenings themselves. Alongside DIFF, industry initiatives such as the Durban FilmMart continue to provide spaces where independent filmmakers can develop projects, secure financing and build international partnerships. For many independent productions, these networks are an essential part of moving a project from development through festival premieres and, ultimately, to wider distribution.
The 47th edition of the Durban International Film Festival ultimately highlighted the growing importance of cross-border collaboration within global independent cinema. By bringing together African filmmakers, international producers and co-production partners, the festival continues to serve as an important meeting point for new voices and international partnerships. This year’s strong French presence underscored how collaborations between African and European filmmakers remain central to the development, financing and global circulation of independent films.
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