Making the festival circuit rounds ahead of its international release, Darfur (Attack on Darfur, USA), scooped up Best International Film at the recent New York International Film Festival. Directed by Uwe Boll, Darfur is as gut wrenching and brutal as it is poignant. The story revolves around six Western Journalists who get caught up in atrocities perpetrated by the state sponsored Janjaweed militia.
“The award is great. We wanted to open eyes to what is happening in Darfur, and hopefully awards like this will help generate a wider audience,’ says Boll.
Darfur has been selected at several film festivals, including PAFF and VIFF, and has received praise from the likes of director Ron Howard and Amnesty International. The NYIFF award is the first win for Darfur, and is, according to writer/producer Chris Roland, part of a grass roots approach to marketing the controversial film.
Darfur is being released in the US and Canada by Phase 4 Films on 26 October. The film has sold in several territories in Europe, including Germany, France and the UK, as well as Russia and Austraila through Event Film. ZenHQ Films is currently planning distribution in Sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa.
“TV and DVD sales are the main revenue generators in Africa. Theatrical releases focus predominantly on star driven mainstream US films, and more recently in South Africa a shift to homegrown local stories. I’d love to see a wider theatrical release, because Darfur really gets under your skin on the big screen,’ says Roland.
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