Deadline for applications: December 1,
2023.
The Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) has opened the call for animation projects to pitch at the 15th annual DFM Pitch and Finance Forum which takes place in Durban from July 19 to 22, 2024.
The DFMI will select eight official animation projects in development to present to a panel of international decision makers consisting of potential co-producers, broadcasters, film funds and distributors at Africa’s premier film finance and coproduction market.
Animators with projects in development from across the continent are invited to apply. The Forum is open to both series and feature length projects and at least one of the three key creatives (Producer, Writer, Director) should be from Africa or African in the Diaspora (with an African passport).
Successful project participants will be invited to participate in a comprehensive mentorship programme to prepare them for their live pitch and meetings at DFM 2024. The online mentorship programme will include a series of masterclasses with leading global industry experts over a two-month period in January and February, 2024. To present their project at the 15th DFM, one representative from the project will be provided with travel and accommodation to attend the live Pitch and Finance Forum in July 2024 (travel support is only provided for travel within Africa).
Magdalene Reddy, Director of the Durban FilmMart Institute, says: “Over the past few years, we have seen exponential growth in the animation sector. We are pleased that the inclusion of animation in the annual market has strengthened the ecosystem by providing the much-needed visibility for creative talent, facilitating key connections to local and international decision makers and enhancing the development that is assisting animators to compete in a global market. We believe that working with local and continental partners offers a holistic support structure to the already important work done in Africa.”
This edition of the programme will retain the successful collaboration between Durban FilmMart Institute and Tshimologong's Digital Lab Africa with an extended online programme in March and April.
Joy Mawela, Head of Digital Content Hub at Tshimologong Precinct in Johannesburg, says: “Tshimologong's Digital Lab Africa is thrilled to extend its 'Road to Annecy' collaboration with the Durban FilmMart Institute. This marks the second year of our partnership, building on the success of last year's initiative that supported selected animation talents by providing a platform for project pitches at the Cape Town International Animation Festival, Annecy/MIFA in France, and culminated in Durban for the DFM Pitch and Finance Forum. From this forum, Digital Lab Africa selected a winner who will be part of the DLA 7 accelerator, officially launched at the Creation Africa Forum in Paris on November 6, 2023. Our collaboration with the DFMI continues to connect us with talent and intermediaries from around the world, making it a truly invaluable partnership.”
Application criteria:
The programme is
open to African animators with an active feature length or episodic animation
project in development.
The programme is
open to both fiction and documentary animation projects.
At least one of
the three key creatives (Producer, Writer, Director) must be from Africa.
Project
applications must be completed in English, however the language of the project
itself is up to the imagination of the animator.
At least one
representative must be available to participate in the online masterclass and
mentorship programme and be present in Durban for the duration of the 15th
Durban FilmMart.
Applications can be made through the Durban
FilmMart Institute website:
https://durbanfilmmart.co.za/pitch-and-finance-forum-application/
Deadline for applications: December 1, 2023.
Programme dates:
- Masterclass
series January 9 to February 9, 2024 (online)
- Road to Annecy
March to May, 2024 (online)
- Pitch and
Finance Forum July 18 to 22, 2024 (in person)
The call for live action projects will open
later this month. To keep up to date on call-outs filmmakers are encouraged to
sign up for the DFMI newsletter on the website https://durbanfilmmart.co.za/ or
follow on social media.
For more information contact: info@durbanfilmmart.com (mailto:info@durbanfilmmart.com)
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. The Durban FilmMart Institute
runs year-round developmental programmes and an annual market (Durban
FilmMart). The DFMI has recently launched Filmmart.africa which is an online
tool for filmmakers to connect and which we hope will enhance visibility for
African content. For more information
about the DFMI programmes visit www.durbanfilmmart.co.za
(http://www.durbanfilmmart.co.za/)
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