DURBAN FILMMART 2011 DEADLINE

The deadline for the submissions for the second annual Durban FilmMart is looming. Set to take place in Durban from July 22 to 26, 2011, during the 32nd edition of the Durban International Film Festival, the closing date for entries is February 15, 2011.

Aimed at raising the visibility of projects from the African continent and creating opportunities for African filmmakers, the Durban FilmMart is a joint venture between DFO, the film-industry development arm of the eThekwini Municipality and the Durban International Festival (DIFF), which is organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal).

The inaugural Durban FilmMart in 2010 saw 200 producers, directors, sales agents, distributors, financiers and funding organisations from across the world, attending meetings, project presentations and a series of master classes and workshops on the latest trends in film finance, marketing, distribution and new media technologies. Of the 75 qualifying applicants, 12 projects in both the feature film and documentary genres from as far afield as Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zambia and Burkina Faso, were chosen to participate in the Finance Forum segment of the Durban FilmMart.

Commenting on the success of the first edition and noting the anticipatory interest of potential investors, Toni Monty of the Durban Film Office (DFO) added, “Film practitioners from all corners of the African continent are encouraged to take this opportunity as a means of promoting their projects, meeting lead experts and networking with industry professionals from across the globe”.

Peter Rorvik, Director of the Durban International Film Festival echoed Monty's sentiments: “The Durban FilmMart will stimulate African cinema production and facilitate project collaboration between African filmmakers.”

The Durban FilmMart will also allow aspiring film producers the opportunity to be spotted for inclusion in the International Film Festival Rotterdam's CineMart, one of the world's most respected co-production markets. Three producers who participated in last year's Durban FilmMart will attend the CineMart's 2011 Rotterdam Lab, a high-level producer workshop that supports independent film production, and provides an opportunity to meet and network with global film industry players.

Filmmakers preparing submissions to the Durban FilmMart can note the comments of Egyptian filmmaker Hossan Elouan, whose film Hawi scooped an award at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival. Elouan took part in the Durban FilmMart in July 2010 and described it as “an exciting experience - it gets all the participants under one roof, so they can exchange ideas, and do business together. It is also important because it puts African filmmakers and producers with the right industry contacts in Europe and North America, which opens doors for international co-productions with Africa, and better distribution possibilities for African films across the globe.”

Entry is open to projects with an African citizen attached to one of the three key creative roles of producer, director or writer. Proof of African citizenship or birth must be provided through a certified copy of a valid African passport/birth certificate. It also includes Africans living in the Diaspora, but who still have African citizenship or have proof of birth in Africa, as well as projects with a producer attached.

For more information on the Durban FilmMart and how to submit projects visit www.durbanfilmmart.com Further information on email: durbanfilmmart@durban.gov.za or durbanfilmmart@gmail.com