Durban FilmMart Institute announces
Headline Speakers for DFM 2023
The 14th Durban FilmMart (DFM), scheduled to take place from July 21 – 24, 2023, in Durban, is designed to be an event for film professionals seeking inspiration, professional development, and connection. Leaders in the film industry will share their expertise and provide invaluable insights to delegates.
This year’s edition, themed African Constellations, will feature a diverse range of speakers and panellists sharing their knowledge in areas of production, development, marketing, distribution, animation and much more.
"As an institution dedicated to promoting and developing the film industry, we are pleased to present leading industry experts in the 2023 DFM In-Conversation series. The talks are an opportunity to not only spark debate and foster innovation, but also for speakers to impart valuable lessons learned from their own work, which can help others navigate and find their place in the thriving film landscape of Africa”, notes Magdalene Reddy, Director of the Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI).
Launching the programme is Tshepiso Chikapa-Phiri, a South African producer and accomplished CEO who founded Known Associates Entertainment (KAE). Within KAE, a comprehensive creative hub thrives, encompassing a below-the-line agency, design studio, film production and development, and finance company.
Currently, the company is undertaking the
ambitious task of constructing a cutting-edge film and television studio in the
Cradle of Humankind, just outside Johannesburg.
One of KAE's notable achievements includes
the creation of uBettina Wethu (2021), a multi-season series inspired by
the popular Colombian telenovela Yo Soy Betty La Fey (renamed as Ugly
Betty in the United States).
KAE has also lent their expertise to
international productions such as Universal Studios' feature film Beast
(2022) and Sony Picture’s The Woman King (2022). Additionally, KAE
proudly produced ETV's inaugural EVOD feature film, Atlantis (2021),
along with John Barker's The Umbrella Man, which premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival in 2022. Furthermore, their portfolio
includes Fabian Medea's feature film Wild Is The Wind, which made its
debut on Netflix in 2022. Chikapa-Phiri was recently appointed as the Chair of
the Independent Producers Organisation in South Africa.
Brown spearheads the production,
development, and financing of content by and about women, people of colour, the
LGBTQ+ community and those with disabilities.
Among Gamechanger Films’ offerings are Amazon's
Run Sweetheart Run (2020), which had its World Premiere at the prestigious
Sundance Film Festival, and Netflix’s Passing (2021), which was awarded
the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize and received an Independent Spirit
Award.
Gamechanger’s catalogue further boasts
A24’s The Inspection (2022), which World Premiered at Toronto
International Film Festival. For the 2023 slate, Brown is producing a climate
justice documentary titled Save Yourself! in partnership with TAZO Tea,
along with other exciting narrative projects.
Before Gamechanger, Brown served as an executive producer for the television series Star created by Lee Daniels. Additionally, she was involved in the production of Dear White People and Real Women Have Curves, which garnered her nominations for the Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Another esteemed guest is British-Nigerian writer, Misan Sagay, who embarked on a unique path by pursuing a medical career and delving into screenwriting. Her debut screenplay, The Secret Laughter of Women (1999) which captivated audiences when its film adaptation premiered at the London Film Festival.
Sagay went on to adapt Zora Neale Hurston's
Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005) for Oprah Winfrey's Harpo
Productions film, which starred Halle Berry. Additionally, she wrote the
inspiring screenplay for Belle (2013) and was the recipient of the 2015
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture for the film.
Sagay has also contributed her skills to
notable projects such as Fela, a portrayal of the iconic music legend
Fela Kuti for Focus Features.
Sagay’s involvement with the Tisch School of Fine Arts in Florence is part of a programme connecting aspiring black screenwriters with industry professionals. She is also a valued member of the Wolfe Pack, a guild of 50 accomplished female screenwriters in Hollywood, dedicated to empowering women in the film industry and promoting inclusivity. Sagay is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Also joining the line-up is celebrated filmmaker Philippe Lacôte from Abigan. After working as a radio journalist, he transitioned to making short films, including The Messenger and Affaire Libinski, both of which travelled to numerous international film festivals.
He explored various genres before turning
his attention to his country's recent history in Chronicles of War in the
Ivory Coast (2008).
In response to the social and political
crisis in 2002, Lacôte founded Wassakara Productions, a collective of artists,
to provide alternative voices to the mainstream media. His feature-film debut Run
was chosen for Cannes Un Certain Regard in 2014. In his latest film, Night
of the Kings (2020), Lacôte powerfully explores West Africa's biggest
prison during a red moon night. The film, inspired by the political history of
Côte d’Ivoire, was the country's official entry for the 2021 Academy Awards.
The DFM conversation series forms an important
thread in the full DFM 2023 programme.
Early Bird registration for participation is now open until the end of
June.
Visit https://durbanfilmmart.co.za/ to review the options.
The Durban FilmMart Institute receives principal funding from the Durban Film Office and
the eThekwini Municipality.
For further questions email info@durbanfilmmart.com
About the Durban FilmMart Institute:
Durban FilmMart Institute is the business
hub of the African film industry in a world where professionals and products
are globally competitive and celebrated. The mission of the Durban FilmMart
Institute is to provide appropriate and effective programmes and services to
promote, support and facilitate investment in the African film industry.
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