(DFM
2019 Award-winners)
After a bumper four days of meetings,
networking, pitching and forums, the 10th Durban FilmMart, the industry
development programme of the eThekwini Municipality’s Durban Film Office and
Durban International Film Festival (Centre for Creative Arts, UKZN), closed in
style with its awards ceremony at the Southern Sun Maharani Hotel in Durban,
South Africa on Monday, July 22, 2019.
Addressing the audience of 300 filmmakers
from South Africa, Africa and across the globe, Toni Monty, Head of the Durban
Film Office and the Durban FilmMart, said: “We have enjoyed a packed programme,
this year with a record number of more than 1,000 delegates registered for the
DFM, representing 40 countries, 19 of which were from Africa. This year we had
50 projects in our Finance Forum, Talents Durban, Jumpstart, Realness Writers’
Residency and CineFAM programmes who pitched their film projects in development
to potential financiers, filmmakers, producers, partners, festivals,
distributors and agents in hundreds of meetings.”
“As we reach our tenth anniversary this
year, we are reminded of the value that the DFM provides the developing African
industry,” says Monty. “The Mart acts as a springboard that enables film-makers
to meet and network, benchmark themselves, gather information and learn. Of
course, this would not be possible without the support of development
organisations, our partner markets, and other funding bodies, all of whom we
graciously thank.”
“The DFM would like to acknowledge the
eThekwini Municipality, the principal funder of the DFM for its involvement in
supporting the market, which has become a vital cog in the engine of making
film on the continent.”
This year 20 official DFM film projects
were pitched at the Finance Forum through the sponsorship of the Industrial
Development Corporation and the National Film and Video Foundation. Six CineFam
Africa television series projects were mentored by Caribbean Tales, Canada;
Jumpstart (Produire au Sud, France) and the Realness Script Writing Residency
hosted scriptwriters’ labs for a total of 10 projects; and HotDocs Canada,
together with Don Edkins of Afridocs, mentored 13 documentary projects.
Supported by Berlinale Talents and the
Goethe-Institut, Durban Talents hosted 18 young filmmakers, and 3 Talents
Press.
A number of delegations were hosted
including the in-bound delegation from Canada with support from the Canadian
High Commission and Telefilm Canada.
The Awards/Grants:
The CineMart Award, sponsored by the
co-production market of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, went to the
fiction project, Sunflowers in the Dark
(Zimbabwe) produced by Ben Mahaka, Tapiwa Chipfupa and directed by Tapiwa
Chipfupa. The project is given an opportunity to attend the Rotterdam Lab, a
five-day training and networking event for producers from all over the world.
Produire au Sud of Festival des 3
Continents (Nantes)/ IFAS awarded the fiction film Sunflowers in the Dark (Zimbabwe) produced by Ben Mahaka, Tapiwa
Chipfupa and directed by Tapiwa Chipfupa an opportunity to attend its
developmental workshop programme, PAS, where they will be given tools,
expertise, and opportunities to develop European networks.
Carthage Film Festival awarded Pieces of Salma (South Africa) produced
by Khosie Dali and David Horler and directed by Imran Hamdulay, an opportunity
to participate in their programme in Tunisia.
Sørfond awarded the project Mami Wata (Nigeria) produced by Oge
Obasi, directed by C J Obasi with an opportunity to pitch at the Sørfond
Pitching Forum in Oslo later this year.
NFVF CineFAM-Africa Incubator Accelerator
Programme Award of a R50,000 development grant went to Sylvia Vollenhoven for Buckingham Palace.
Videovision Entertainment awarded the “Best
South African Film Project” to The
Bursary (South Africa) produced by Brett Michael Innes and directed by
Nomawonga Khumalo. 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.
Stage 5 Films Award for the 'Most Promising
Narrative” went to The Bursary (South
Africa) produced by Brett Michael Innes and directed by Nomawonga Khumalo. They
receive a R50,000 cash prize accompanied by an additional R25,000 worth of
script coverage, production support, market analysis and packaging for further
finance.
Durban FilmMart Talents Award for the
Durban Talents Project Selected as a project for DFM went to Twelve Pangas directed by Xola Mteto
(South Africa).
Versfeld & Associates, communications
consultants awarded Those Who Dwell in
Darkness (South Africa) produced by Dolly Mhlongo, Sithabile Mkhize,
directed by Michael James, The Home
(South Africa) produced by Justin Cohen, Jessie Zinn, and Chase Musslewhite and
directed by Jessie Zinn, Chase
Musslewhite and Talents Durban project And
Who Will Cook? by Samira Vera-Cruz (Cape Verde) one-on-one publicity
consultations.
The broadcast stream, Afridocs, that
flights African and other international documentaries across 49 countries of
sub-Saharan Africa on a weekly basis, gave a €2500 award, funded by the Bertha
Foundation, to Kongo is Burning
(Uganda / Congo) produced by Ali Musoke and directed by Arnold Aganze.
DoK Leipzig Award went to Black Women and Sex (South Africa)
produced and directed by Godisamang Khunou who will be given an opportunity to
participate in the 2020 DoK Leipzig programme in Germany.
Hot Docs Blue Ice Award, a cash prize of 2,000
Canadian Dollars went to the documentary project Kongo is Burning (Uganda / Congo) produced by Ali Musoke and
directed by Arnold Aganze.
The DFM ended on July 22 but the Durban
International Film Festival continues until July 28, 2019.
For more information about the DFM go to
www.durbanfilmmart.com
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