(Angus Finney)
Deadline: June 27, 2015
Delegate
registration for the Durban FilmMart (DFM), Africa’s premier film finance and
co-production forum is now open. There is an Early Bird registration discount
for those booking before June 27, 2015.
Now in its 6th
edition, the DFM, which takes place from July 17 to 20, is a joint project of
Durban Film Office, the City’s industry development unit, and the Durban
International Film Festival (DIFF) as an endeavour to raise the visibility of
African cinema, stimulate production on the continent, and facilitate project
collaboration between African filmmakers.
“The overall
objective of the FilmMart is to support, facilitate and develop the growth of
African film content and create viable opportunities for business within the
sector to flourish.” says Durban Film Office’s Toni Monty. “The Mart, promises
delegates access to influential experts, broadcasters and financiers in the
film industry and creates a space for industry professionals to forge strategic
relationships.”
DFM is presented in
three strategic pillars: the Finance Forum, Master Classes and Africa in Focus
– a programme of workshops, and also offers a series of networking and social
sessions with like-minded industry representatives.
Delegates have
access to Master classes held with leading industry experts in the areas of
concept development, project packaging, co-production development, new media,
finance, marketing, distribution, and other themes.
This year’s Master
Class in Film Packaging and Finance, is entitled New Film-Making Strategies; from South Africa to Pan-Africa and towards
the Global Market. Sponsored by the National Film and Video Foundation
(NFVF) and KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission (KZNFC), the master class will be
presented by leading international film and creative industry specialist and
published writer, Angus Finney. Finney comes to the Mart having actively been
involved as executive producer on many films including Neil Armfield’s Candy with Heath Ledger, Roger Michell’s
The Mother with Anne Reid and Peter
Vaughan and Rose Troche’s The Safety of
Objects with Glenn Close, and others.
"We are really
pleased to be able to offer the delegates an opportunity to interact with and
learn from someone of the calibre of Finney,” says Vuyo Sokupa, NFVF’s Head of
production and Development. “Finney comes with years of academic and field
experience in film packaging and finance, the cornerstone of developing a film
project, and we believe his session will be incredibly valuable to those
attending.”
Jackie Motsepe, Chief
Operating Officer of KZNFC, elaborates: “Having such hands on experience adds
real value to the experience of the delegates at the DFM, as they will be able
to really come to grips with issues involving financing and packaging their projects
for wider distribution.”
Finney has spent
the past three years working as a risk manager and media advisor for Octopus
Media, a division of Octopus Investments, a City of London Fund Manager, and is
also Course Director for the Exeter University/London Film School MA in
International Film Business. He holds a PHD in Business Strategy from Cass
Business School in London, an MA in Film and Journalism from New York
University and a BA from Sussex University in International Relations. His
training includes working with Creative Skillset, Creative London and the Film
Distributors Association, to mention a few. His professional work extends to
South Africa, UAE, Ireland and New Zealand in the past five years.
The DFM’s
co-production market, for selected film projects from submissions made, sees
roughly ten feature films and ten documentary films selected for mentorship,
and presentation to industry experts during this time. Following rigorous
meetings and sessions with these experts, projects are awarded a number of
relevant grants for further development.
Partners and
supporters of the Durban FilmMart 2015 that will be represented in Durban,
include International Film Festival Rotterdam's (IFFR) CineMart, the
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), the Berlinale Film
Festival, HotDocs - Blue Ice Documentary Film Fund, New Cinema Network Rome,
Produire au Sud, Restless Talent Management, French Embassy South Africa,
Afrinolly, NFVF, KZNFC, VideoVision Entertainment , Goethe Institute,
Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie the City of Durban and many
others.
For registration or
for more information view the delegate registration process online at the
official website:www.durbanfilmmart.com
Fees are R1,485
(ZAR) for the four-day event which includes access to allocated sessions,
lunch, access to DFM networking events, entrance into the Durban International
Film Festival screenings (subject to ticket availability), listing in the DFM
Industry Manual and access to Masterclasses and Africa in Focus programme.
After June 27, fees are R2,035. Daily passes are R605 (but does not include tickets
to the DIFF screenings or access into the opening and closing events.)
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