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The Durban International Film Festival has announced a significant increase in attendance for its 32nd edition which concluded on 31 July. The festival which is supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), National Film and Video Foundation, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism and other valued funders and partners, recorded total attendance of 29 792 including attendance of 2 452 at the festival’s workshop and seminar programme. This reflects a 19% increase on 2010 attendance figures. The success of the 2nd Durban FilmMart and 4th Talent Campus Durban programmes and the strong international linkages all bode well for industry development locally and across the continent.

Says DIFF Director, Peter Rorvik: “We are extremely pleased with the increase in attendance and this clearly shows that there is an eager audience in South Africa for cinema from around the world. It was also great to see so many sold-out screenings and that the South African films did particularly well at the festival. We congratulate the many award-winners, and thank the juries and also the audience for voting in the audience awards. Apart from the afore-mentioned funders, the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and DIFF would like to acknowledge HIVOS, City of Durban, German Embassy of South Africa, Goethe Institut of South Africa, Industrial Development Corporation, KZN Department of Arts and Culture and other valued partners who support our efforts. We look forward to the 33rd edition of the Durban International Film Festival, which takes place from 19th to 29th July 2012,  and have already begun planning a range of exciting enhancements.”