(Above: Tshepiso
Chikapa-Phiri; Ameera Faber; Khalid Shamis; Masi Mtshali; Mocke Jansen van
Veuren; Poovashnee Reddy and Zanele Mthembu)
The Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) is pleased to announce
the appointment of its new Board of Directors, marking a new chapter for the
organisation as it reaffirms its commitment to championing African film
narratives and supporting industry professionals across the continent. The
Board plays a central role in guiding DFMI's strategic direction, fostering
sustainable growth, and advancing its mandate to facilitate local and
international trade and investment in African film content.
DFMI management extends its sincere thanks to the outgoing
Board of Directors for their dedication and commitment in ensuring the
organisation remained relevant and met its strategic objectives during a
challenging period.
"It has been an honour to serve alongside such a
dedicated board, whose service and friendship have strengthened the Durban
FilmMart Institute," said outgoing Chairperson Mpumi Mazibuko. "Over
the past three years, this organisation has grown to fully embody its mandate:
facilitating investment in film, increasing the visibility of African content,
improving access to funding, promoting co-productions, encouraging
collaboration, expanding market access, and building a supportive community of
filmmakers across the continent. That progress reflects the work of a strong
and passionate team operating daily behind the scenes to grow the continent's
film industry. I extend my heartfelt thanks to both the Board and staff, and
wish the incoming Chairperson and Board every success as they lead DFMI into
its next chapter."
The new DFMI Board of Directors, who took office in early
2026, comprises Ameera Faber, Mocke Jansen van Veuren, Zanele Mthembu, Masi
Mtshali, Poovashnee Reddy, and Khalid Shamis, with Tshepiso
Chikapa-Phiri serving as Chairperson.
(Tshepiso
Chikapa-Phiri – new Chairperson)
"We extend a warm welcome to the new Board of
Directors," said Magdalene Reddy, Director of the Durban FilmMart
Institute. "These newly appointed members bring considerable experience,
expertise, and passion for the film industry, and we have every confidence in
their judgment and strategic vision. Their diverse backgrounds and perspectives
will strengthen the Institute's commitment to promoting cinematic excellence,
nurturing emerging talent, and preserving film heritage and culture across the
continent."
The collective expertise and leadership of the new Board
will reinforce DFMI's capacity to innovate, lead industry trends, and deliver
resources and opportunities for filmmakers and industry professionals. With the
Board's guidance, the Institute is well positioned to continue its legacy of
excellence.
New Chairperson Tshepiso Chikapa-Phiri said: "I am
thrilled to welcome a new, dedicated Board. Serving on the DFMI Board is a
privilege, because everyone who has contributed to it — alongside an
exceptional staff complement under the leadership of Magdalene Reddy — has done
so with genuine dedication, often without compensation, bringing real expertise
to keep its market vibrant and thriving. I am honoured to take on this role,
succeeding the outstanding leadership of our outgoing Chair, attorney Mpumi
Mazibuko."
Established in 2020, the Durban FilmMart Institute is a
non-profit organisation that aims to be a leading hub for the African film
industry, offering year-round support to film professionals and helping build
global visibility for African content and talent. Alongside its training and
development initiatives, the Institute's flagship event — Africa's premier film
finance and co-production market, the annual Durban FilmMart — enters its 17th
edition this October 2026.
Tshepiso Chikapa Phiri is the CEO and founder of the Known
Associates Group of Companies, which includes a below-the-line agency, design
studio, film production development and finance company and is currently
building a state-of-the-Art film and television Studio in the Cradle of
Humankind outside Johannesburg. KA skilfully produces and directs world-class
projects in the communications, experiential, and relationship marketing
industries, both locally and across Africa.
She is a University of Cape Town Alumni, with 20 years’
experience in communications, events, media, marketing, and film and television
production. Her career includes working in international events including the
North Sea Jazz Festival and Sithengi Film Festival. She has also worked in
classic advertising as a ‘suit’. In 2007 she decided to commit to a career as a
television and film producer. Her training ground was at Bomb Productions where
she was the Associate Producer on the drama series Zone14. In 2008 she formed a boutique film and television
production company Zing Entertainment with her partner Joel Phiri. Zing in
partnership with Pulp Films produced MTN’s The
Beautiful Game, a football documentary filmed throughout Africa.
She sits on the board of Media Heads 360 and is a
shareholder in the business. She is a trustee of the Smile Artist Foundation
and the Gerald Sekoto Trust. Tshepiso holds key industry roles including
Co-Chair of SASFED, Deputy Chairperson of the IPO (formerly Chairperson and
Treasurer), and Board Member at the Durban FilmMart Institute. She is also a
leading voice in the Independent Black Filmmakers Collective (IBFC), advocating
for transformation and inclusive growth across the African screen sector.
She is also on the board of the Cradle Nature Reserve, which
controls over 10,000 hectares of land in the Cradle Precinct. In 2018 she
founded Known Associates Entertainment with Dan Jawitz. The company has
recently purchased Moonlighting Films PTY LTD, a leading television and film
servicing company. The first KAE production, uBettina Wethu was a multi season series based on the Columbian
smash hit telenovela YO SOY BETTY LA FEY
(adapted as Ugly Betty in the US).
The company has serviced international productions including
Universal Studios’ feature film, Beast
and Sony Pictures’ The Woman King.
KAE produced ETV’s first EVOD feature film, Atlantis
(2021), John Barker’s The Umbrella Man,
which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022 and Fabian
Medea’s feature film Wild Is The Wind,
which premiered on Netflix in 2022.
Ameera Faber, whose career continues a three-generation
family presence in storytelling, is an award-winning producer with extensive
experience in transmedia campaigns. She has produced over 600 hours of
television content broadcast on networks including SABC, e.tv, and Netflix,
spanning documentary, factual, reality, and drama genres and reflecting a deep
understanding of both African storytelling and global distribution.
Ameera serves as Deputy Chair of the Documentary Filmmakers
Association and has served as a juror for the SAFTAs and the International Emmy
Awards. She holds two bachelor's degrees, in Film and in Metaphysical Science,
a master's degree in Business Psychology, and is pursuing a PhD in Conscious
Business Ethics. She is an ordained minister and the author of several books on
relationship-building in the film, television, music, and entertainment
industries, and owns a post-production facility in Johannesburg that supports
major SABC 1 soap operas. She is also co-founder of True Continent, an African
documentary streaming platform, co-founder of The Superhero Project NPO, and
founder of Coaching for Women, which focuses on leadership development for
African women.
Khalid Shamis is an editor and educator, director and
producer with a film-making practice over 25 years. His practice is strongly
dedicated to the pedagogy of independent filmmaking and story construction in
Africa, teaching and consulting in and outside film institutions and organised
frameworks.
Khalid is a regular jury at film festivals and reads for
film funds and workshops. He is on the executive board of the South African
Guild of Editors, board member of the Durban Film Mart Institute, a member of Rough
Cut Service and a doctoral fellow at the Centre for Humanities Research (CHR)
at the University of the Western Cape. Khalid is also founder and director of
Rough Cut Lab Africa, RCLA, a story support programme for independent African
films at the rough cut stage.
Khalid’s films as editor are numerous, and as director
notably Imam and I and The Colonel’s Stray Dogs.’
Masi Mtshali is an attorney specialising in intellectual
property law. He holds an LL.B from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is a
member of the Legal Practice Council, the South African Institute of
Intellectual Property Law, and the International Trademark Association.
Masi assists businesses and individuals with trademark
registration, copyright registration for cinematographic works, strategic
advice on IP portfolios, and the protection of existing intellectual property
from infringement and exploitation. His expertise makes him a valuable resource
for those seeking to register and protect their intellectual property in the creative
industries. He is Founder and Director of Mtshali & Associates Inc.
Mocke Jansen van Veuren is an experimental filmmaker,
multimedia artist, educator and PhD candidate holding the positions of Deputy
Head of Department at the Wits Department of Film & Television and
Vice-Chair of Animation SA. His PhD research focuses on the development of
unique, community-based film and animation production methodologies and
pedagogies. He is the recipient of the FNB Art Prize (with Nelisiwe Xaba) in
2013, the UJ Chancellor’s Award for Research in 2013, and the Wits Vice
Chancellor’s Award for Academic Citizenship in 2025.
Van Veuren has been deeply involved in the creation of
national standards, qualifications and curricula in film, audio-visual
production and animation. He has taught filmmaking, multimedia and animation at
a number of institutions including UJ, Academy of Sound Engineering, AFDA and
Wits over the past 20 years. He is a member of The Beehive Culture Worx, a
grassroots collective developing and running community-based film and animation
education and production programmes in Kliptown and Eldorado Park, and is
currently developing an experimental animated documentary feature film with the
collective.
Poovashnee Reddy is a Chartered Accountant and strategic
finance and investment professional with more than 13 years' experience across
PwC South Africa, Deloitte UK, venture-backed start-ups, and institutional
investment environments. Her expertise spans strategic finance, investor
readiness, financial modelling, transaction advisory, governance, capital
strategy, and financial reporting, gained through work with multinational
organisations, early-stage ventures, and investment stakeholders across
complex, cross-border environments.
Her work centres on the intersection of finance, investment,
and business growth — supporting founders, investors, and leadership teams
through capital raising, investment evaluation, governance, and strategic
decision-making. She has developed investor-facing financial models and
materials, supported due diligence processes, and advised businesses on
strengthening financial governance and investment readiness, with a focus on
translating complex financial information into practical, actionable insight.
Beyond her advisory work, Poovashnee contributes to boards
and strategic initiatives in the energy, infrastructure, and creative sectors,
bringing experience in financial oversight, governance, risk management, and
long-term strategic planning, with a particular interest in strengthening
investment ecosystems and supporting entrepreneurship.
Zanele Mthembu is Managing Director and Executive Producer
at Brown Panther Films, a part-time lecturer at Tshwane University of
Technology, and Acting Executive Officer at Sisters Working in Film and
Television (SWIFT).
A seasoned media professional, she has 30 years’ experience
in broadcasting, production, and distribution across local and international
markets. Her senior roles include Executive Head of Channel at Newzroom Afrika
and Group Head of Content at eMedia Group. She began her career at Penguin
Films, later became Discovery Communications, Inc.’s International Fellow, and
earned an MFA in Film from Howard University in Washington, DC.
Zanele contributes to industry development through her
service on the South African Audio Visual Cluster Board. She has also served as
a board member of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) Council and as
Chair of the SWIFT Board. She has served on the judging panels for several
major awards, including the SAFTAs, Wildscreen Festival Awards, Guangzhou
International Documentary Film Festival Awards, and other international
honours. She is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative and the Aspen
Global Leadership Network. She was Executive Producer on the feature films Otelo Burning and Felix, has recently completed her first PESP5-funded docuseries,
and is currently in production with her first documentary.
The Durban FilmMart Institute is the business hub of the
African film industry, working toward a world in which African professionals
and products are globally competitive and celebrated. Its mission is to provide
effective programmes and services that promote, support, and facilitate
investment in the African film industry.
The 17th edition of the Durban FilmMart takes place from October
9–12, 2026.
The 17th edition Durban FilmMart is funded by the Durban
Film Office, eThekwini Municipality, Ford Foundation, the National Film and
Video Foundation and IEFTF.
About Durban FilmMart
Institute [https://durbanfilmmart.co.za/]
Durban FilmMart Institute is the business hub of the African
film industry in a world where African professionals and content 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 is the custodian of Filmmart.africa
[https://filmmart.africa/ which is an online tool for filmmakers to connect and
which it is hoped that it will enhance visibility for African content.
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