DURBAN FILMMART 2012

Breaking new grounds into African soil by infiltrating the continent’s film industry was the focal point of the Durban FilmMart 2012 which took place this week.

The event highlighted training and funding opportunities, facilitated skills development and comprehensive industry engagements and promoted interaction between African filmmakers and international key experts.

The annual coproduction and finance market, which was created as a joint programme of the Durban Film Office and the Durban International Film Festival delved deeper into its objectives of driving the visibility of African cinema, stimulating production and facilitating project collaboration between African film-makers.

“It has been our labour of love to promote and develop the African Film Industry which is both our livelihood and passion,” said Durban International Film Festival Director Peter Rorvik at the close of the event. Said Rorvik; “We have walked away from this event remaining true to our African roots and local story-telling in the face of global and commercial film industry trends; this is what our primary message to our delegates has been.”

Durban Film Office Head Toni Monty expressed satisfaction with representation at the event which attracted over 400 delegates from around the continent. Said Monty; “Our large contingent of delegates have shown and expressed their support and appreciation to the Durban FilmMart- a major indication that we are addressing the needs and challenges relevant to African Cinema.”

The Durban Film Mart programme was undertaken in threefold; the development platform Finance Forum which is open to selected documentary and feature film projects and the Master-classes and Africa in Focus range of panel discussions and seminars which are both open to all participants and delegates of the event.

The Durban International Film Festival’s range of Africa in Focus panel discussion sessions highlighted the nitty-gritty of film production in Africa from sourcing international coproduction, access to global funding and training opportunities, film packaging, marketing and distribution to developing authentic African stories and digital and new media technology.

The Africa in Focus programme also includes presentations by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) who present their annual comprehensive industry engagement under the guidance of newly-appointed CEO Zama Mkosi, which provided a platform for industry dialogue between executive management of the national body and the SA film industry and the public.

Also high on the agenda was the significant launch of the KZN Film Commission, a project undertaken by the KZN Department of Economic Development and Tourism which will be mandated to develop, promote and market the province of KZN as a global destination for film production to a local, national and international audience as well as facilitate the investment in the film industry in the province of KZN.

During the period of the Durban FilmMart, African project participants (12 Documentary and 11 Feature film project directors and producers) underwent a gruelling mentorship and skills training which prepared them to pitch to their ‘work in progress’ film projects in one-on-one sessions to international film funders, broadcasters, distributors and sales agents.

The winners, selected by official sponsors of the awards, are:

• The Hubert Bals Fund Award of 5000 €uros towards script and project development for ‘The Most Promising African Project’ was presented by Janneke Langelaan to an outstanding for a fiction project: Live from Zimbabwe; Producer Jackie Cahi and Director Rumbi Katedzi.

• Three producers were awarded the prize to attend the Rotterdam Lab 2013 presented by Bianca Taal of the International Film Festival of Rotterdam’s CineMart. They are David Horler for Flatland (SA), Ikechukwu Omenaihe for In Silence… &In Tears (Nigeria) and Jackie Cahi for Live from Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe)

• Isabel Arrate Fernandez of the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA) and the IDFA Fund presented the Most Promising Documentary Projects, together with Himesh Kar of WorldView which awarded the two travel grant funds totalling 5000 €uros for travel and accommodation for two filmmaker teams to IDFA. The prize was given to Director Anjali Nayar and Director Hawa Essuman for Logs of War (Kenya) and Producer Neil Brandt and Director Riaan Hendricks for The Devils Lair (SA)

• WorldView also awarded a 5000 €uros to The Most Promising Feature Projects presented to Producer and Director David Horler and Jenna Cato Bass of Flatland (SA)

• EAVE CEO Alan Fountain awarded a prize to attend the European Producers Workshop. The award was given to Producer and Director David Horler and Jenna Cato Bass of Flatland (SA)

• Arte France awarded the Best Feature Film Project award of 6000 €uros presented by representative Remi Burah to producer Steven Markovitz and Wanuri Kahiu for Jambula Tree (an SA/Kenya coproduction)

• Canal France International (CFI) awarded the The Most Promising Project prize presented by CFI representative Etienne Fiatte and Audrin Mathe of the Nambian Broadcasting Corporation. The award was given to Joel Karekezi (Director and Producer) for The Mercy of the Jungle (Rwanda)

• Videovision’s Best South African Film Project prize of R75000, presented by Sanjeev Singh was awarded to The Visit, a coproduction by Imraan Jeeva, Omar Khan and Sara Blecher and Directed by Nadia Davids.

For more information on the Durban FilmMart visit www.durbanfilmmart.com