Festival powers into 3rd year instalment as interest and entries grow
DURBAN, KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA – The Power24 International Film Festival (PIFF), an inclusive event dedicated to celebrating global storytelling and highlighting powerful films from marginalized communities, has officially announced its list of nominees for the 2026 awards.
The festival is scheduled to run from August 21 to August 23, 2026. The Award ceremony will be held on 22 August 2026 at the Southern Sun, Garden Court, Marine Parade at 18h00. Red Carpet to start from 17h00.
The selected nominees across all major categories are as follows:
Feature & Documentary Categories
Best International Feature Film:
* Illusion of Faith: Aleksa Ristovic, Malta
* Joseph and Simeon: DRC
* The Witchdoctor and the Windmill: Robert Hamilton, Australia
Best Documentary Film
* The Truth will out: Hector Abaunza, Amanda Eliasch, United Kingdom, United States
* Enough Enough: Julia Novacek, Austria, Montenegro, Serbia
* A Life Blighted Yet Beautiful: Ralitza Dimitrova, Bulgaria
* Afrikki: Gaëlle Le Roy, Senegal
* Amanene Beyond Voices: Maggie Mercier, Canada, South Africa
Best African Film
* Izenzo Zami: Lwazi Duma, South Africa
* Defect: N.R Seehofer, Cameroon
* Blood in my Stool: Project Pink, Nigeria
Short Film Categories
Best Short Film
* La loca Prudencia (The crazy Prudencia): Alessandro Molatore, El Salvador, Mexico
* Conception Game: Natalie Arle-Toyne, UK
* Tabula Rasa: Mark Petrasso, Italy
* The Millionaire “Lottery ticket”: Kaunda Mabuya, South Africa
Best Low Budget Film
* The Escape Room: Marcin Mielczarek, Błażej Pyrka, Poland
* Indlela: Thangithini Mkhwanazi, Lungelo T. Sthole, South Africa
Best Student Film
* Isinamuva: Thulisile Sithebe, South Africa
* Us and Them, India: Anne Michell, US
Special & Thematic Categories
Best Children Film
* Until the Rain Stops: Pai Chen, Taiwan
* Alice In Melaraland 2 – Christmas Tree Forest: Clarissa Torcelli, Italy
* Birds of a Feather: Helen Mavourneen Farrell, Igor Coric, US
* Africa: Delphenia Lodiong, Uganda
Best Disability Film
* Picture Girl: Simon Brown, Ireland
* Kev: Mike Bennion, UK
* Boys Born This Way: Bonaventure Tain, Malaysia
Best Health Awareness Film
* From February to Hopes: B. Çağlar Barikan, Türkiye
* What You Feed: Omer Hoca
* Blood in my Stool: Project Pink, Nigeria
Best Women Film
* Hadda: Ahmed Riad, Algeria
* The Polished Absence: Wen Shan Lin, Taiwan
* Curse of Hippocrates: Tatyana Pavlova, Russian Federation
* The Salon Stays Open!: Vanesa Valdemoros, Spain
* Escape: Mark Owen, UK
Best Humanitarian Film
* Between Sky and Sea: Ismail Abu Hatab, State of Palestine
* Express for Malia: Mimi Helm, Sam Herath, Australia
* Aulda Heroes: The Sentinel,RSA
Best LGBTQIA+ Film
* IUS of Time: Roberto F. Canuto, Xiaoxi Xu, Spain
* Honorable: Rhadem Musawah, Francis Tanglao-Aguas, Philippines
Best Social Awareness Film
* Liminal Space: Daria Tchapanova, Romina Kolb, Austria
* Invisible Wounds: Torsten Lang, US
* Boys Born This Way: Bonaventure Tain, Malaysia
* Hiroshima – 10 seconds: Virag Vida, Hungary, United States
Best Religion Film
* Illusion of Faith: Aleksa Ristovic, Malta
* My Savior: Fishel Pustilnik, Canada
* The House Beyond the Stairs: Jeon-Han Kim
* Waterfront Memories: Marton Olympio, Brazil
Directing & Craft Awards
Best Emerging Filmmaker
* Ikhaya Lami (My Roots): Ayanda Makhanya, South Africa
* Honorable: Rhadem Musawah, Francis Tanglao-Aguas, Philippines
* Tin Hinan the Last Nomad: Leila Artese Benhadj, Algeria, France, Italy
* Taboophen: Naeem Esmaeeli, Iran
Best Female Director
* Alone Against All: Mazigna Barros, France, Senegal
* Abu Jabal, Bisan Owda: State of Palestine
* Mostly Cloudy: Antea Ratkovic, Croatia
* Fraternus: Ciara Kelleher, Ireland
Best Male Director
* Bingo Man: Chris Beadnell, Australia
* The Secret OF MONTENEGRO KATUNS: Miki Dragićević, Montenegro
* Until the Rain Stops: Pai Chen, Taiwan
* Izenzo Zami: Lwazi Duma, South Africa
* La loca Prudencia (The crazy Prudencia): Alessandro Molatore, El Salvador
Best Director/Actor/Actress with Disability
* I See Dark (Veo Oscuro): Domingo Pisón, Spain
* Joyeux Anniversaire: Julien Bourges, France
* Mutis: Pol Diggler,Spain
* Masked Out: Masina Taule’alo, Australia
* Kev: Mike Bennion, UK
Best Narration Award – “Story Telling”
* THE SECRET OF MONTENEGRO´S KATUNS: Miki Dragićević, Montenegro
* The Great Adventure of Bati, the Bat Knight: Jesus Pertinez , Maria Carmen Hidalgo, Spain
Best Music Score
* My: Fishel Pustilnik, Canada
* You Say: Christian Pasquariello, Germany
* Horror Tale For Night Fantasies: Gregory Golub, Israel
* Valkirias: Virginia Mercedes, Argentina
* Our Bare Feet – Light111, Australia
Best Cinematography
* La loca Prudencia (The Crazy Prudencia): Alessandro Molatore, El Salvador
* The Secret OF MONTENEGRO´S KATUNS: Miki Dragićević, Montenegro
* Sites of Memory: Castel Sweet , PhD, US
* The Escape Room: Marcin Mielczarek, Poland
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