International
Swedish film wins top feature award at Durban International Filmfest
NEW DELHI: ‘The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared’ by Swedish director Felix Herngren won the Audience award for features at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF).
Based on the internationally best-selling novel by Jonas Jonasson, this energetically black comedy begins with irrepressible pensioner and dynamite expert Allan Karlsson’s escape from a retirement home. His subsequent cross-county shenanigans are interspersed with flashbacks to a past studded with extraordinary events and famous historical figures. The film received nearly unanimous votes of excellent from the DIFF audience.
While ‘The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared’ won the best feature, the DIFF 2014 audience award for best documentary went to ‘1994: The Bloody Miracle’ directed by Meg Rickards and Bert Haisma.
As South Africa celebrates the 20th anniversary of the advent of democracy, ‘1994: The Bloody Miracle’, chronicles the many deaths and widespread chaos in South Africa during the early ‘90s when the country made its transition into democracy.
More than 700 industry guests from around the world attended DIFF and its sister event the Durban FilmMart (DFM). The festival had 202 films spread over nine venues and more than 350 screenings. With just over 30,300 seats occupied, including workshop and attendance at DFM, attendance at the festival increased slightly, with the number of sold-out venues increasing dramatically.
More than 2800 people attended the beach screenings, including the annual Wavescape opening event as well the additional four outdoor screenings funded by the British Council and the National Film and Video Foundation. As a visual literacy programme, the festival once again presented a programme of youth-oriented films for more than 4000 students from schools in the region.
The Durban International Film Festival took place from 17-27 July in Kwazulu Natal.
International
Russia-India cinematic spectacle Persimmon of My Love set for grand Moscow debut
Hindi cinema style musical revives Indo-Soviet cinema ties for today
MUMBAI: A new chapter in cross-border storytelling is set to unfold as Persimmon of My Love gears up for its premiere in Moscow on 1 April 2026, marking the first large-scale cinematic collaboration between Russia and India in decades.
Positioned as a modern nod to the cultural exchange that once brought Indian classics to Soviet audiences, the film blends Hindi cinema flair with Russian storytelling, aiming to rekindle a long-standing cinematic friendship.
Directed by Marius Weisberg, the musical comedy follows two brothers navigating a lively world of music, family and romance. The lead roles are played by Demis Karibidis and Mikhail Galustyan, with Karibidis also contributing as a screenwriter.
Shot entirely in India, the production leans heavily into Hindi cinema style spectacle. Filming took place across Mumbai studios and the cities of Udaipur and Jodhpur, whose architecture was used to create the fictional setting of Khurmada. A crew of over 350 worked on the project, with large-scale sequences featuring up to 1,000 extras.
The film also brings Indian creative talent into the mix. Dance sequences are choreographed by Jay Kumar, while music by Zurab Matua features songs in both Hindi and Russian, adding to its cross-cultural appeal.
Backed by TNT channel, MyWayStudio and the Russian Cinema Fund, the project reflects a broader push to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries.
With its mix of colour, comedy and cross-border collaboration, Persimmon of My Love is not just a film release but a reminder that cinema, much like music, travels well across borders.
