It's time to load up the Chevrolet and head for the coast

There are more reasons than the beach, mild weather and great Indian food to go to Durban. For the last 34 years, the Durban International Film Festival has been the best reason for film lovers to visit South Africa's third city.

Older than democracy, the Grahamstown Festival and me, 40-year-old DIFF is the one place where, for 10 days, cinephiles of all tastes can get their fix of the best films from around the world, and take the pulse of the local film industry.

With so much to choose from, what should the average avid silver screen addict see?

Forty local films and 38 shorts are on the bill, ranging from thrillers such as Cold Harbour to the romantic comedy Love the One you Love. The opening night film is Hard to Get, directed by newcomer Zee Ntuli.

This year's local documentary programme is themed around the celebration of 20 years of democracy and junkies of the genre will want to catch Khalo Matabane's long-awaited Nelson Mandela: The Myth and Me, Rehad Desai's Marikana documentary Miners Shot Down and films about Albie Sachs, the negotiated settlement and Afrikaner identity post-apartheid (Fatherland).

There's also Future Sounds of Msanzi, produced by Spoek Mathambo, which examines the electronic music scene and features Sibot, Mujava and Felix Laband.

In the international documentary selection check out 20000 Days on Earth, a documentary fiction hybrid following 24 hours in the life of Australia's most menacing export, Nick Cave.

As always, the festival highlights a range of films from around the world including Africa - there's the sequel to the world's first Ghanaian Pidgin musical Coz of Moni 2: Fokn Revenge, featuring the continued exploits of Ghanaian rap duo the FOKN Bois - one of those interesting oddities you have to see to believe.

Malian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako's Timbuktu examines the recent occupation of the ancient city by Islamic rebels, and there's the much-hyped Moroccan mocumentary They are the Dogs, set in the north African country after the Arab Spring.

This year is the first of a two-year focus on films from the UK. Highlights areMarley and Last King of Scotland director Kevin Macdonald's How I Live Now, the critically acclaimed The Selfish Giant directed by Clio Barnard, and Jim Jarmusch's latest UK-produced film, Only Lovers Left Alive, a tale of vampire love starring Tilda Swinton.

If you've been wondering what all the fuss is about Lars von Trier's latest, Nymphomaniac, this is your chance to find out.

If your interests are specialised, say, surfing or nature or architecture, there are mini-festivals just for you.

There's really something for everyone's cinematic palate this year in Durban, so it's time to load up the Chevrolet and head off towards the coast.

The Durban International Film Festival runs from July 17 to 27. www.durbanfilmfest.co.za