The Durban FilmMart (DFM), the industry development
programme of the eThekwini Municipality’s Durban Film Office and Durban
International Film Festival (Centre for Creative Arts, UKZN) ended on a high
note with an awards ceremony at the Tsogo Maharani Hotel in Durban, South
Africa on July 17.
“The DFM is one of the most
important film finance platforms and industry events on the African continent,
and this year’s eighth edition has certainly been our biggest.” said Toni Monty, Head of the Durban
Film Office. “We hosted over 600 delegates with over 30 countries participating
in this year’s market; 17 of which were from Africa. We are thrilled that we
have had a record number of 70 projects presenting at this year’s finance
forum.”
Central to the Durban FilmMart have been the
networking sessions and meetings held over four days between delegates
comprising filmmakers, producers, distributors, agents, broadcasters and film
funders and government agencies.
“Our
annual programme would not be possible without our partners and sponsors, and
we extend thanks and appreciation to the partner markets, funding bodies and
development organisations who have continued to work with us in bringing
African cinema to the world, and enabling us to expand the number of projects
participating in the forums.”
This
year 22 official DFM film projects in development were presented at the Finance
Forum through the partnership with Cinemart and IDFA, Netherlands.
Durban
Talents was able to host 30 young filmmakers through the support by Berlinale
Talents, the Goethe-Institut and the German Embassy.
Four
scriptwriters projects were hosted at the DFM in the Realness Script Writing
Residency, while Produire au Sud, France, supported the Jumpstart Project, a
mentorship programme to introduce six emerging filmmakers to the art of the
pitch. Two documentary projects were supported by Hot Docs Canada, and six
CineFam projects were rigorously mentored by Caribbean Tales, Canada.
“The
Durban FilmMart was made possible by our principal funder, the eThekwini
Municipality, and we are privileged to have the ongoing support of a City
government that recognises, supports and promotes the value of our industry,
and understands the importance of providing African filmmakers a platform to
connect with the world, and, importantly, to connect with African filmmakers
throughout the continent.
“Together
with partners, NFVF, KZN Film Commission, and Department of Trade and Industry,
we hosted three co-production delegations this year from Canada, Germany and
Kenya, and special thanks go to the Canadian High Commission, the German
Embassy and Kenya Film Commission for supporting these programmes.
“This
year we were able to host a vigorous Women Led Film Focus together with the
DIFF, through the support of MNET and NFVF, as well as support from the
Industrial Development Corporation for a insightful “Film Finance: State of the
Industry”, adds Monty.
The Awards/Grants:
The International
Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA) awarded the most promising
documentary project at the DFM, Lobola: A Bride’s True Price (South
Africa, Producer: Sarah Basyouny, Director: Sihle Hlophe) with an opportunity
to attend the IDFA Forum, one of the top gatherings for documentary filmmakers,
producers, commissioning editors, funds, private financiers and other
documentary filmmakers in Europe, in November.
The broadcast stream,
Afridocs, that flights African and other international documentaries across 49
countries of sub-Saharan Africa on a weekly basis, gave a €3000 grant to Uasi (Kenya),
Producers: Matrid Nyagah, Linda Ogeda, Director: Sam Soko.
The
CineMart Award, sponsored by the co-production market of the International Film
Festival Rotterdam, went to the fiction project, Miles from Nowhere
(South Africa), Producer: Bongiwe Selane, Director: Samantha Nell. The project
is given an opportunity to attend the Rotterdam Lab, is a five-day training and
networking event for producers from all over the world.
Produire au Sud of
Festival des 3 Continents (Nantes), awarded the fiction film Miles
from Nowhere (South Africa), Producer: Bongiwe Selane,
Director: Samantha Nell an opportunity to attend its developmental workshop
program, PAS, where they will be given tools, expertise, and opportunities to
develop European networks.
Videovision
Entertainment awarded the “Best South African Film Project” to the Dabulaphu
(The Short Cut), Producers Zikethiwe Ngcobo, David Max Brown,
Director Norman Maake. They receive a prize valued at R75,000, which guarantees
its release once it is completed. The prize also includes marketing and
distribution support from Videovision Entertainment.
Versfeld &
Associates, publicity consultants will develop publicity material and advise on
publicity profiling through the development two projects: Womxn: Working (South Africa), Producer Tiny Mungwe and Director Shanelle
Jewnarain, and Richard Was Here (South Africa), Producer: Akona Matyila and
Director: Jack Chiang.
Sørfond awarded the project Uasi (Kenya), Producers: Matrid
Nyagah, Linda Ogeda, Director: Soko Sam with an opportunity
to pitch at the Sørfond Pitching Forum in Oslo later this year.
CineFAM-Africa
Incubator Accelerator Programme award to pitch at the Caribbean Tales Film
Festival in Toronto, went to Mary Ann Mandishona for Mamba Kazi – African Warrior
Queens.
For more information about the
DFM go to www.durbanfilmmart.com
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