Surprises at Cape Town world cinema festival awards

South African poet Wally Serote, the chief juror, praised Chweneyagae's "ability to draw his audience into the soul of a despised character".

"This actor brought an impressive mix of compassion, rage and naiveté to his performance. We believe he has a bright future in South African cinema," said Serote.

Jurors were also moved by Malatsi's "heartfelt emotive performance", commenting, "Without words, this young woman spoke volumes."

The honours capped a week of high energy and cinematic excellence that saw 120 movies screened in theatres all over the Mother City. Fourteen films had been selected for competition, including three from South Africa. In the wider context of the festival they also commended the organisers for building bridges to a pan-African culture, and to world cinema.

The prize for Best Feature went to a Palestinian film, 'Private', by Italian filmmaker Saverio Costanzo, which the jury described as "a master class in how to work with limited resources". They noted the 30-year-old director's rare courage in "exploring the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in all its complexity", saying, "The film works on many levels as a tense thriller, political allegory and as a family drama."

An Angolan work claimed the coveted prize for Best African Feature Film. Director Zeze Gamboa's 'The Hero' revealed a new wave of cinematic excitement promised by Angola's transition to peace and stability. The jurors called it an "intimate and tender" depiction of healing out of the "brutal truths of war".

The award for Best Director went to Vietnamese director Minh Nguyen-Vo, with the jury commending his film, 'Buffalo Boy', for its "unforgettable images and timeless rhythms."

Mexican director Fernando Eimbcke and Paula Markovitch won Best Writer for the screenplay of 'Duck Season'. "We were impressed by a sharp, beautifully constructed story fuelled by a lively imagination. The writers crafted unpredictable teenage characters and gave them just the right words," the jury commented.

Festival Director and CEO of the Sithengi market, Michael Auret, said: "We are very happy. The awards are a balanced spread of films in competition. We were hoping for more, but the awards show how strong we are in the acting department."

A special spotlight lingered on the talent of South African director Khalo Matabane, who won unanimous praise from jurors and earned the Lionel Ngakane Prize for Most Promising Filmmaker.

According to the jurors, Matabane's piece, 'Conversations on a Sunday Afternoon', "marks the arrival of an original new voice on the world stage, and new possibilities for South African cinema".

Special Mention went to 'Le Grand Voyage' by Moroccan filmmaker Ismael Ferroukhi for his powerful drama that offered "a rare vantage point on one of the pillars of Islam".

The jury congratulated filmmakers for engaging the most urgent conflicts facing the world today, saying the films offered "glimpses of hope", and encouraged the South African film industry to "build on its current momentum by seeking out and supporting stories told by black South African filmmakers".