The 39th Durban International Film Festival saw thousands of people visiting the South African city's cinemas to watch a range of films from across the continent. Angelo Coppola reports from Durban.

Transformation is happening in the South African film scene. But it doesn't happen in isolation. It takes focus and commitment.

LWAZI MVUSI WRITER & DIRECTOR, FAREWELL ELLA BELLA "It really was just about kind of creating relationships with cast and crew, and bringing them over with every project that I do, in order to deepen that relationship and then also to start new relationships, so a lot of the interns and assistants that we had on our film were young women who were in film school, who were interested in studying film, bringing them on so that they could actually be on set and see what the process is like."

It's becoming more and more evident that continental story tellers have to take ownership of how African stories are told. This film festival is one of those drivers of change.

LWAZI MVUSI WRITER & DIRECTOR, FAREWELL ELLA BELLA "DIFF is interesting because it's definitely challenging what those stereotypes are. It is showing films that focus on different types of stories, different genres, are a little more experimental and I think that's incredibly important because the rest of the world, what they perceive to be African cinema isn't always what we perceive to be African cinema."

CAIT PANSEGROUW PRODUCER, THE WOUND "There is an amazing energy and feeling being in a room with other Africans that get it. The European festivals and the American festivals are amazing but there is this kind of disconnect, so that's the wonderful thing about DIFF. I do think there's scope to be doing a lot more. I would like to see more films being taken into communities, more pop up cinemas that it's no this kind of separate experience only for film makers."

Another concern is that of Patriarchy. It's a major issue in the film industry continentally. And it's stifling the progress of up and coming women.

CAIT PANSEGROUW PRODUCER, THE WOUND "People are really, old men, specifically are really condescending. So it's that much harder to get the meeting, it's that much harder to negotiate the contract, to do the funding application, just everything. You're kind of ten steps behind, and then women of colour are another ten or 20 steps behind me, even. So it's you're just constantly feeling like you're on the back foot."

The film industry is all about collaboration. This also applies equally to working with people to drive that transformation agenda.

CAIT PANSEGROUW PRODUCER, THE WOUND "So really surrounding yourself with other strong women and men that are about development and transformation and uplifting people and empowering people. Just surrounding yourself with the right people just makes everything better, easier, and you're going to go further if, this business is all about who you know."

ANGELO COPPOLA DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA "Transformation was one of the key themes that came through at the Durban international Film festival today. I'm Angelo Coppola for CGTN in Durban, South Africa."