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South Africa's official selection to the 90th Annual Academy Awards (Oscars) is INXEBA/ The Wound!

This is not a press release we generated - but we so want to share this - the 2014 Durban FilmMart project - is SA’s official entry for the 90th Annual Academy Awards (Oscars) in Foreign Language Film category.

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Arts and Culture is proud to announce that the feature film, INXEBA/The Wound has been selected as South Africa's official entry for the 90th Annual Academy Awards (Oscars) in Foreign Language Film category.

The NFVF assembled a South African Academy Awards Selection Committee, comprising of professionals from the various fields of the film making value chain. The committee sat over three days to view the 6 films submitted and ultimately selected INXEBA.

INXEBA tells the story of Xolani, a lonely factory worker, who joins the men of his community in the mountains of the Eastern Cape to initiate a group of teenage boys into manhood. When a defiant initiate from the city discovers his best kept secret, Xolani’s entire existence begins to unravel.

The selection committee was looking for an authentic South Africa story with a predominantly non-English dialogue. The committee applauded the film as master piece in terms of script, directing and performances that are believable and captivating. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, the most difficult festival to get into, and has been sold to 30 territories to date which is evidence of its global appeal.

"Congratulations to the creators of INXEBA. It is important for the content we produce to disrupt and propel audiences to introspect and the film’s focus on important aspects of our culture and traditions, while addressing topical issues of identity, masculinity and sexuality does just that. And I hope that we as South Africans will engage constructively around these issues.” said Peter Kwele, NFVF Head of Marketing and Communications.

The NFVF and the South African Academy Awards Selection Committee wishes the team behind the film best of luck.

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Sharlene Versfeld

Versfeld & Associates

 

Canada and South Africa celebrate 20 years of film and TV co-production at DFM and DIFF 2017

July 6, 2017 – In 1997, Canada and South Africa signed an Audiovisual Co-production Treaty which would pave the way for collaboration between Canadian and South African film and television productions. This was the first ever co-production treaty signed by South Africa and remained the only one until 2003. To celebrate this important milestone, Canada will be a country of focus at the Durban FilmMart (DFM) and at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF).

 

“We are immensely proud to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Canada and South African audio visual treaty. The incredible projects that have been produced under the treaty like Molo Fish, the first project produced, will forever be engraved in the memories of many South Africans. The celebrations of the treaty commenced at HotDocs, it is exciting to now host the celebration at SA’s premier film festival DIFF. We look forward to future projects between the two countries.” said Zama Mkosi, CEO of the National Film and Video Foundation

As part of the commemoration of the 20th anniversary, a delegation from Canada will be at DFM and will participate in various sessions of the program. The delegation includes:

-        Valerie Creighton, CEO of Canada Media Fund which provides funding for Canadian co-production projects.

-        Heidi Tao Yang, Fund Manager for the Hot Docs-Blue Ice Group Documentary Fund which provides funding to African documentary filmmakers.

-        Nicole Brooks and Lisa Wickham from Caribbean Tales who will run CineFAM - Africa, which is a two-day programme with the objective to support the development of original serialised television content created by women from Africa and the African Diaspora.

-        Alfons Adetuyi, Producer from Inner City Films

-        Daniel Iron and Lance Samuels, Producers from Blue Ice Pictures

-        Damon D’Oliveira, Producer from Conquering Lion Pictures

-        Mila Aung-Thwin, Executive Producer of EyeSteeleFilm

-        Richard Boddington, independent producer who’s film Phoenix Wilder will world premiere at DIFF.

As part of the commemoration of the 20 years of the co-production treaty, a selection of four co-produced films will be screened at DIFF. These include A Million Colours, Inescapable, Jonestone: Paradise Lost, and Phoenix Wilder (World Premiere). From 1997 to 2015, a total of 23 official projects have been produced under the treaty including television series such as Jozi-H and Charlie Jade, and feature films such as The Bang Bang Club.

“It is a great pleasure for us to commemorate 20 years of co-production with South Africa at DIFF, and in the presence of a Canadian delegation with significant co-production experience. We look forward to continuing the celebration at the Toronto International Film Festival in September with our South African colleagues’, said Sandra McCardell, High Commissioner of Canada in South Africa.

Canada has signed co-production treaties with 54 countries and South Africa is an important partner being among the top 10 countries for official film and television co-productions with Canada. Canada sees the film industry as an important job creator, and contributor to its economic growth, generating close to C$5 billion (approx. R50 billion) in revenue annually.

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Durban FilmMart Hosts Leading Film Executive Tilane Jones of Array Now

One of the key figures attending the Durban FilmMart this year, Tilane Jones is the executive director of ARRAY, the film distribution collaborative founded by Oscar-winner Ava DuVernay which is focused on women filmmakers and filmmakers of colour. Since 2011, Array has acquired key titles, including Ava DuVernay’s Middle of Nowhere, Andrew Dosunmu’s Restless City and Haile Gerima’s Ashes and Embers. In the process, Jones has shifted the position of films made by women and people of colour, bringing an audience to films that would otherwise struggle to find screens. As well as her position at Array, Jones is also a production manager with several high-profile titles to her name, including a range of fashion and beauty films and television productions.

Talking about her first visit to South Africa and her engagement with the local film market, Jones says that she hopes to inspire and encourage women to overcome the challenges they face on the continent as women filmmakers. “I want to let women filmmakers know that there is an audience that is hungry for stories told from their perspective. ARRAY has worked hard to cultivate that audience and we are eagerly awaiting them and their films.”

Tilane will also be meeting with local women filmmakers to find out what their needs are and what hurdles they need to overcome, in order to better inform herself on how she might be able to inspire and encourage them in the important work that they are doing. “I am very excited about my first visit to South Africa and the Durban FilmMart”, she said, “and I look forward to meeting with emerging filmmakers from the continent, with the aim of acquiring more African titles to be distributed in the United States”.

Asked about whether there was a defining moment when she had cut through the barriers that traditionally held women back from being major players in the global film industry, Jones takes a somewhat pragmatic approach. “There always have been and always will be barriers to break through as a woman and person of colour. But the task of breaking those barriers will never end, so instead I focus on trying to acquire films by women filmmakers and filmmakers of colour that, one by one, break a barrier just by existing and being seen by audiences. There are many audiences that would not have been able to experience this art form if it weren’t for ARRAY and our partners. I focus my efforts on the work more than on breaking barriers.”

Talking about women in the industry who have inspired her, Jones says that she is motivated to continue her work by every woman filmmaker and producer who creates complex, dynamic images. Of those women, ARRAY founder, Ava DuVernay is a key inspiration to her– “Due to her amazing storytelling ability, for loving herself as a black woman and a black woman filmmaker who tells stories from her own unique perspective, for being passionate about her culture, and for being passionate about film. Ava is always pushing past the ‘no’ and finding her own ‘yes’ and that inspires me more than anything.”

Finally, does she have any advice for young female film-makers just starting out as to how they can cut through the clutter in an industry that is still male-dominated? “I always tell filmmakers to tell their own stories and to tell them well.  Being a woman filmmaker and telling stories from a women’s perspective is all that needs to be done to cut through the clutter. Don’t focus on the noise – it is there to distract you. Focus on the story and telling it to the best of your capability. “

Jones will appear in the DFM programme, session entitled ‘Women-led Film: In Conversation with Tilane Jones’ on Friday 14 July at 14h00 - 16h00.

The 8th Durban FilmMart takes place in Durban, at the Tsogo Sun Elangeni from 14 to 17 July 2017, during the 38th edition of the Durban International Film Festival (13-23 July 2017).

For more information on the Durban FilmMart visit www.durbanfilmmart.com. Registration can now only be done at Elangeni Hotel from 9am on Thursday, July 13.

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CineFAM SOUTH AFRICA SHORT FILM CHALLENGE AT DIFF AND DFM

Media Release

CineFAM SOUTH AFRICA SHORT FILM CHALLENGE AT DIFF AND DFM

CaribbeanTales International Film Festival, in partnership with Sisters Working in Film and Television (SWIFT), invites South African women filmmakers to participate in the inaugural CineFAM South Africa Short Film Challenge. The CineFAM South Africa Short Film Challenge aims to create opportunities to garner international recognition and global distribution and is presented at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) (13 to 23 July) and the Durban FilmMart (DFM) (14 to 17 July).

SWIFT is a newly formed organization that aims to advance the participation of women in the South African audio-visual sector. CaribbeanTales is a group of companies that produces, markets, and sells Caribbean-themed film and television content for global audiences. It includes CaribbeanTales Inc. a registered Charity based in Toronto, Canada; the CaribbeanTales International Film Festival (CTFF) which takes place annually in Toronto in September; the renowned CaribbeanTales Incubator Program, a development and production hub for original Caribbean content; CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution (CTWD), the largest full-service distribution entity dedicated to the monetisation of Caribbean content; CaribbeanTalesFlix, our production arm, and CaribbeanTales-TV, a video on demand platform.

 The CineFAM South Africa Short Film Challenge aims to create an opportunity for female South African filmmakers to collaborate and establish creative relationships that stimulate the growth of content made by women. The challenge also aims to connect South African filmmakers with those in the Diaspora as well as a global audience.

SWIFT will present a preparatory workshop on no-budget filmmaking at the Durban FilmMart on Monday, July 17 from 12:30pm to 2pm at the Tsogo Sun Maharani Hotel. This workshop will provide participants with useful tools for making a short film with constraints in time, budget and other resources.  This is a free workshop and no bookings are necessary.

Following the workshop (which is not mandatory to enter the Challenge), the CineFAM South Africa Short Film Challenge will take place from 19-23 July and will be open to teams with the roles of writer, director and producers filled by women and queer filmmakers from South Africa. The theme from the challenge will be announced on 18 July on the CaribbeanTales website www.caribbeantales-tv.com and the teams will have five days to write, shoot and edit a film of no longer than 5 minutes. Entering teams need to feature female identifying crew in the key positions of writer, director and producer.

Completed films must be uploaded by no later than Sunday, 23 July at midnight (GMT +2) on the CaribbeanTales website. Teams unable to upload the films for submission, from their own internet connections, should contact cinefamza@gmail.com on the first day of the challenge to make arrangements for submission.

A shortlist of up to ten short films will be selected and posted on the CT website for online voting. The challenge will recognize three winning films including best story, best direction and audience choice. Two of these films will be given their World Premiere Screening at the CaribbeanTales International Film Festival and all will be given the opportunity to acquire distribution by CTWD.

“We are very excited to be collaborating with both SWIFT and Caribbean Tales on this initiative and hope it will lay the foundation for more cooperation between filmmakers on the continent and those from the Diaspora,” says Toni Monty of the Durban FilmMart.

 “South Africa is a natural partner to CaribbeanTales, and we are thrilled by the opportunity to provide a platform for women filmmakers. CineFAM, meaning “films by women” in Haitian Creole, is a global initiative of ours through which we spotlight to crucial voices of women in film.  We couldn’t be more delighted to continually expand the horizons for the kind of stories that we can tell,” says Frances-Anne Solomon, founder and CEO of CaribbeanTales.

Speaking on behalf of SWIFT Sara Blecher said “Short films are brilliant ways that filmmakers and their projects can get noticed. There are countless examples of how short films are precursors for feature films. We hope that through this process, women filmmakers are driven to create work that will start a process of getting recognition, attention and support to further develop their body of work.”

“We are delighted that this new programme to encourage South African filmmakers to take the short film challenge during the festival focuses on women in line with the Women Led Film theme for this year’s festival,” says Chipo Zhou, DIFF manager. “We look forward to seeing the creative results and perhaps seeing some of these films in our festival in the future.”

For more information, contact cinefamza@gmail.com .  For more information about the DIFF go to www.durbanfilmfest.co.za and for the DFM go to www.durbanfilmmart.com.

 

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Train of Salt and Sugar – wins Best Film at Joburg Film Festival

Media Release

Train of Salt and Sugar – wins Best Film at Joburg Film Festival

The Mozambiquan Train of Salt and Sugar directed by Licínio Azevedo, which had its African premiere in competition at the Joburg Film Festival won the Festival’s inaugural Best Film Award on Saturday. This follows its Independent Italian Critics Award (Boccalini d’Ouro) for Best Film at the Locarno Film Festival at the Piazza Grande in Locarno, Switzerland in August this year.

Train of Salt and Sugar, which is due for a two week independent release in Johannesburg and Cape Town next week, is set in the civil-war-torn northern Mozambique during the late 80’s. It has been hailed by some critics as the first “great African Western”.

The film has been produced by Ukbar Filmes (Portugal), Ébano Multimédia (Mozambique), Les Films de l’Étranger (France), Panda Filmes (Brazil), and avant-garde South African company Urucu Media with the support of M-Net and M-Net’s Portuguese channel Jango Magic in Africa.

“We are completely overwhelmed by this fantastic acknowledgement,” says Elias Ribeiro of Urucu Media. “This movie has been an incredible labour of love for all of us. This harrowing story based on true facts revealed such fascinating complexities of the human lot and mixed with a dose of magic realism, the director has managed to capture the imagination of audiences to provide us with a riveting story that engages and fascinates. Thanks to the Joburg Film Festival for providing us with the opportunity to present this film at its first edition.”

Train of Salt and Sugar, a selected project at the 2014 Durban FilmMart, will have a  short theatrical release in Johannesburgand Cape Town from the 11th of November for two weeks only. Joburg screenings will be at the Bioscope, check their website for schedule (www.thebioscope.co.za), and in Cape Town at the Labia with a daily screening at 6:15 pm.

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Durban International Film Festival Announces Programme for 37th Edition

MEDIA RELEASE

DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES PROGRAMME FOR 37TH EDITION

The 37th Durban International Film Festival has announced its programme, offering another exciting edition of the continent’s leading showcase of independent African and international film. It will take place at 15 venues across the city and its outlying areas from 16-26 June.

In an exciting new move, the festival has added a number of new venues to further increase the footprint of the festival into areas that don’t usually have access to formal cinemas. The festival has also increased its presence on the commercial circuit, with Nu Metro Pavilion being added to its roster of venues.

The festival will kick off on the 40th anniversary of June 16, 1976 with the World Premiere of the South African documentary, The Journeymen, directed by Sean Metelerkamp and produced by Jolynn Minnaar, whose film, Unearthed, was one of the big hits at DIFF 2014.

Filmed in 2014, the year in which South Africa celebrated 20 years of democracy and mourned Nelson Mandela’s death, The Journeymen chronicles the experiences of three young South African photographers as they travel 24 000km in a motorhome through South Africa, with GoPro cameras strapped to their chests. From urban sprawls to dusty rural roads, the trio were driven by the question “Has Mandela’s vision of equality in a rainbow nation been achieved?” The film answers this with a kaleidoscopic set of responses that are disturbing, beautiful, thought-provoking and, more than anything, movingly surreal.

With just under half of all the films originating from Africa and South Africa, this year’s festival once again celebrates and honours the rich, ever-evolving language of African cinema. Of the 101 feature-length films to be shown at the festival, 50 are African films, including 17 fiction films and 9 documentaries, while there are 24 South African films, including 10 fiction films and 14 documentaries. Additionally, the festival’s programme will include more than 90 short films, the majority of which are African and South African. 

Key titles from the continent’s ever-expanding film industry reflect the growing call for real freedom and authentic engagement with power and political narratives. The Revolution Won't Be Televised, from Rama Thiaw, is a smart and insightful documentary that sheds light on political resistance in Senegal, Naked Reality, the latest film from provocative filmmaker Jean-Pierre Bekolo challenges the status quo and critical questions those in power, while Nakom is a haunting film about the conflict between tradition, modernity and love, Ghostland chronicles the loss of language and identity of indigenous Nambian people, and Nawara, from Egypt’s Hala Khalil, is a biting social commentary on Egypt’s classist society. Then there is I Shot Bi Kidude, the long awaited feature film about African musical legend Bi Kidude, by British filmmaker Andy Jones, and Independence from Mário Bastos chronicles the Angolan liberation struggle.

South African features films include Shepherds and Butchers from master filmmaker Oliver Schmitz.  - based on the book written by Durban advocate, Chris Marnewick and produced by Videovision Entertainment. The film which won the audience award at Berlin will have a special gala screening onFriday, June 17.  "We are very proud of our film, Shepherds and Butchers which won the Berlin Panorama Audience Award. Whilst there has been controversy and disappointment around the selection process at DIFF, we are pleased to share our film with this audience.” says Anant Singh Producer of the film.

Other SA Films include Endless River, the latest film from South African auteur Oliver Hermanus, Kalushi which chronicles the story of Solomon Mahlangu, the mockumentary Wonderboy for President starring Kagiso Lediga and directed by John Barker, and Tess from previous DIFF winner Meg Rickards, which follows the story of a sassy twenty year-old prostitute on the streets of Cape Town.

South African documentaries include Alison, a deeply personal account of a woman who endures unimaginable suffering but refuses to become a victim, Action Commandant which tellsthe untold story of slain South African liberation fighter, Ashley Kriel,  Lost Tongue which introduces us to Helena Steenkamp, a San woman from the Kalahari who embarks on a mission to revive the endangered language of her people, and Nobody Died Laughing a documentary about Pieter-Dirk Uys, one of South Africa’s most prolific writers, satirists and activists.

As well as the strong African Focus, other key areas include a focus on issues around indigenous rights and colonialism, a small programme of films that deal with HIV (given the fact that the World Aids Conference will be taking place in Durban two weeks after the festival ends), and a rich programme of films about dance and music.

This year’s edition also includes a country focus on Dutch cinema offering a cross-section of contemporary cinema curated by Gertan Zuilhof of the Rotterdam Film Festival, in recognition of the Dutch-South African Co-production Treaty. DIFF 2016 also includes a retrospective look at Portuguese-language African film in partnership with Tri Continental Film Festival.

As has been the case for 37 years the festival will also present an eclectic selection of film from around the world.

DIFF partners for the 11th year with Wavescape to present a feast of surfing cinema from around the world. Wavescape opens with a free outdoor screening at the Bay of Plenty Lawns on Sunday 19 June, before locating to the new venue at Rivertown Beerhall from June 20 to 26.

The 9th Talents Durban in co-operation with Berlinale Talents, brings together the creativity of 20 selected filmmakers from Africa, who will take part in a series of masterclasses, workshops and industry networking opportunities during the Festival. Supported by German Embassy and Goethe-Institut, Talents Durban creates a space for filmmakers to hone their skills, develop collaborations and network with other future leaders of the film industry in Africa, and the world.

Now in its 7th year, the Durban FilmMart, a partnership project with the Durban Film Office, and supported by the City of Durban, is a film finance and co-production market presented in three strands – Finance Forum, Master Classes and the Africa in Focus seminars. Nineteen selected African projects (9 fiction features and 10 documentaries) will hold one-on-one meetings with potential financiers, co-producers, and distributors in the Finance Forum. The DFM master class and networking programme is open to registered delegates only. See www.durbanfilmmart.co.za for further details.

New venues this year include the Playhouse, Nu Metro (Westville Pavilion), Rivertown Beerhall and numerous outreach venues in Umlazi, Clermont and Inanda. Other venues include Ster Kinekor Musgrave, Ster Kinekor Cinema Nouveau, the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, the KZNSA Gallery, eKhaya MultiArts Centre, Luthuli Museum in Groutville and the Elangeni-Maharani Hotel, with festival hubs at the Elangeni-Maharani and the Playhouse.

 

Programme booklets with the full screening schedule and synopses of all the films will be available free at cinemas, and other public information outlets.  For more info go to www.durbanfilmfest.co.za. The full programme will be available online from June 1.

The 37th Durban International Film Festival is organised by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, with support from the National Film and Video Foundation, Durban Film Office, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, eThekwini Municipality, German Embassy, Goethe Institut, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture and a range of other valued partners.

 

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PHOTOS: Supplied by DIFF. Please note that is for any reason these pics are not high res enough (or they have been embedded for some reason)- please let us know and we can resend.

We have photos of most of the films - which we can give you access to via Dropbox. Just let us know and we can send you the link. 

Many thanks

Sharlene/ Sipho/ Ayanda

 

Sharlene Versfeld
Versfeld & Associates
Public Relations and Communications
Mobile: +27 (0) 83 326 3235
Tel: +27 (0) 31 811 5628
Post: P O Box 30547, Mayville, 4058
Email: sharlene@versfeld.co.za
Twitter: sharlvers
Website: www.versfeld.co.za

7th Durban FilmMart Full Programme Announced

Media Release

7th Durban FilmMart Full Programme Announced

Durban, South Africa: The 7th Durban FilmMart (DFM), Africa’s premier film finance and co-production forum has announced its full programme for this year’s edition, which takes place at the Tsogo Sun Elangeni Hotel from June 17 to 20 during the Durban International Film Festival.

An insightful industry programme has been scheduled for this year’s DFM, which has as its objective to stimulate the development of project collaboration between African filmmakers in order to kindle the creation of film on the continent and increase the visibility of African cinema on a global platform.

This year’s DFM industry development programme has a strong focus on story development, the essential starting point for any film, and so a number of sessions will delve into topics that will address the subject of “What is an African story and how to sell these African stories”. South African film-makers Junaid Ahmed and Akin Omotoso will share their experiences of developing their latest films – Happiness is a Four Letter Word and Tell Me Sweet Something respectively. United Kingdom-based Selina Ukwuoma, a script consultant who has worked extensively with the likes of Curtis Brown and projects ranging from 2008’s BAFTA winning Boy A to the more recent Teddy and FIPRESCI Prize-winning Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho will presenting a masterclass on storytelling. South African author and entrepreneur, GG Alcock, will present an unusual Masterclass under the banner of "Authenticity is Key – Building Credibility with Audiences”, where he will talk about the vital necessity of engaging with an audience on their own terms through an authentic understanding of local narratives. Then the Business Model Canvas Programme based on Alex Osterwalder’s book Business Model Generation will demystify the business model design for film which to help businesses to get their first principles right – starting with who their customer might be.

Another key highlight of this year’s industry programme “Packaging for the US Market” with Hollywood producer director Jeff Byrd, a protégé of Spike Lee (Byrd worked on Mo’Better Blues, Jungle Fever and Malcolm X with Lee). Byrd is joined by well-known SA Producer Themba Sibeko Managing Director of Ziya Pictures who has over 25 years of experience in film, television and video and has worked with the likes of Bill Duke (A Rage in Harlem, Deep Cover, Sister Act 2), Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon, The Color Purple), Ruby Dee (American Gangster, Do The Right Thing), and Isaac Hayes (Shaft) to name a few. 

Hot topic at the moment for film-makers is the subject of Virtual Reality and how this will play out in the film space. Leading a workshop on this topic is Ingrid Kopp who is Director of Digital Initiatives at the Tribeca Film Institute in New York City where she overseas the TFI New Media Fund and leads the Institute’s digital and interactive programs including TFI Interactive and the national Tribeca Hacks hackathon programme. 

Todd Brown, founder of the international film website TwitchFilm.com, and director of international programming at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, USA, will present a masterclass on “Using Short Films to Build Brand and Audience”.

Other workshops and masterclasses include “Video on Demand - How Filmmakers can access this New Distribution Stream”, “Where Social Media and Marketing Meet”, “New Strategies for Financing Independent Film”, “Presales Agreements: Creating value for your investors”, “Talking Through Completion Bonds with Film Finances SA”, “Building Relationships, Building Stories: What to expect and what you get in the editor/director collaboration” with SA Guild of Editors and "How to Pitch and Not Fall Flat on Your Face" with Restless Talent. Round table discussions will include “Finding the Right Partner for Film” with industry professionals and “Window to the World” with international festivals and markets to enable delegates to grow and establish their networks across the continent and further afield.

The National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa, will present a number of sessions including “Financing Film through Distribution” and “Marketing and Co-Production with Netherlands”.

“We are really pleased with the programme for this year’s DFM,” says Toni Monty, Head of the Durban Film Office which partners with the DIFF to present the DFM. “The topics and speakers are all on point in terms of what is happening in the industry on a global level and we look forward to hosting delegates for an exciting four day programme, networking, negotiating and film loving!”

Partners and supporters of this year’s DFM include AfriDocs, Berlin Talents Campus, Business Model Canvas, Callsheet, CineMart, Documentary Filmmakers Association, DTI, Durban Tourism, Dutch Film Fund, Film Finances SA, Film and Publications Board, French Embassy, German Embassy, Goethe-Institut, Hot docs Blue Ice Fund, Institut Francais, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, KUMISA, KZN Film Commission, Mnet, National Film and Video Foundation, Opdocs, OIF, Produire au Sud, Restless Talent Management, SABC, SAGE, Screen Africa, Sonoton, Sørfond, Sundance Institute, Talents Durban, Tsogo Sun, Tribeca Institute, Versfeld & Associates, Variety and VideoVision Entertainment. 

For registration or for more information view the delegate registration process online at the official website - www.durbanfilmmart.co.za.  Early Bird registration closes on 30 May 2016. 

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Photos attached: Credit: Supplied by DFM

GG Alcock to present Masterclass at DFM 2016

 PRESS RELEASE

GG ALCOCK TO PRESENT MASTERCLASS AT DFM 2016

South African author and entrepreneur, GG Alcock, will present an unusual Masterclass at this year’s edition of Durban FilmMart, which takes place from June 17 to 20 during the Durban International Film Festival. Under the banner of "Authenticity is Key – Building Credibility with Audiences”, Alcock will talk about the vital necessity of engaging with an audience on their own terms through an authentic understanding of local narratives.

The author of Third World Child and Kasinomics (which explores the economics of South Africa’s townships, or ‘lokasies’), Alcock is uniquely placed to talk about accessing local audiences. Having grown up in Zulu culture, he is keenly aware how easy it is for external narratives to be imposed unsuccessfully on indigenous cultures. Alcock has been a shebeen owner, a political activist, a community worker, and an African adventurer, and runs a successful communications company - Minanawe Marketing. Born in Zululand and raised in the heart of rural Msinga area of Kwazulu-Natal in the local Zulu community Alcock is fluent in isiZulu and still has a deep physical and spiritual connection with his home village where his mother still lives.

As the founder of Minanawe Marketing, he has built an impressive reputation as a creative and strategist – his upbringing having given him the ability to unearth unique insights and apply these to marketing solutions in the African context. Given how important it is to establish an authentic narrative and convincing context when delivering a message, Alcock says that “these lessons can have just as much relevance for filmmakers looking to engage local audiences as for those wishing to sell products.”

 

“I think it’s important to note up front that I am not a filmmaker. What I am able to share, however, is an understanding of audiences, particularly in the mass market, townships and rural areas.” His business specialises in developing themes, concepts and marketing campaigns that have a strong connection with the cultures and identities of these audiences. At the DFM he will be discussing some simple – but often ignored – rules, which he applies when communicating with audiences, and illustrating them with case studies.  While these case studies are located in marketing rather than in filmmaking, the value of his research extends to anyone who is trying to tell African stories. “I think the fact that marketers are often able to access audiences successfully indicates the importance of these lessons,” says Alcock.

Alcock plans to use some of the cultural and business case studies from Kasinomics to explore concepts that are seldom discussed outside of predominately verbal cultures. Core lessons and themes that filmmakers will be able to take away include an understanding of the role of culture and how audiences tend to “modernise rather than westernise”, the ways in which visual and verbal language can be misinterpreted, and the importance of the spiritual and intangible in touching the emotions of an audience. Alcock will also explore the power and significance of social networks and viral communication in a non-online world.

Ahead of DFM, Alcock together with Feyi Olubodun, COO of Insight Nigeria have been invited to Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to present a session entitled “The African Consumer, Let My Enemy Live Long” on June 18.

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This unique addition to DFM’s packed roster, which will be presented on June 20, is sure to be both entertaining and eye-opening, and will no doubt inspire new ways of thinking about local audiences.

 

To register for DFM and to find out more about the delegate registration process, visit the official website at www.durbanfilmmart.com.  An Early Bird registration discount for the 4-day event is available to delegates who book before 30 May at a cost of R1 485, which includes access to allocated sessions, a daily luncheon, DFM networking events, entrance into festival screenings (subject to ticket availability), listing in the DFM Industry Manual, and access to Masterclasses and the Africa in Focus programme. After 30 May 2016, the cost is R2035. Daily passes to the event cost R605. (This does not include tickets to the DIFF screenings or access into the opening and closing events.)

 

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Note to Editors:

The Durban FilmMart (DFM) is a co-production and finance market and is a joint programme of the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF). DFM provides filmmakers from across Africa with a valuable opportunity to pitch projects to financiers, distributors, sales agents and potential co-producers, and to participate in meetings, project presentations and a series of master classes and workshops on the latest industry trends. www.durbanfilmmart.co.za

 

The Durban Film Office (DFO) is the film industry development arm of the eThekwini Municipality, mandated to position Durban as a world-class film production destination and facilitator for the development of the local film industry. The DFO drives activity and development in the sector in order to boost tourism, job creation and the development of core skills and SMMEs in the region. www.durbanfilmoffice.co.za.

 

The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) presents over 200 screenings from different countries and cultures with a special focus on Africa. The festival includes development programmes such as Talents Durban and a rich schedule of workshops. DIFF is a flagship project of the Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal, which facilitates creative platforms and economic opportunities for artists and related industries, intercultural exchange and network development, training, audience development and strategic Pan-African and international cooperation in the cultural sectors. www.cca.ukzn.ac.za

Registration opens for 7th Durban FilmMart

Media Release

Registration opens for 7th Durban FilmMart

The 7th Durban FilmMart (DFM), Africa’s premier film finance and co-production forum will open for early bird delegate registration on April 4, 2016.

The dates for this year’s DFM, a joint project of Durban Film Office (DFO), the eThekwini Municipality’s industry development unit, and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) are from June 17 to 20, earlier than in previous years, to co-incide with the DIFF (June 16-26), which was moved to an earlier slot for this year.

“The aim of the DFM is to increase the visibility of African cinema, kindle the creation of film on the continent, and to stimulate the development of project collaboration between African filmmakers through a dynamic networking programme,” explains Durban Film Office’s Toni Monty. “The objective of the Mart speaks to the need for African film makers to be creating their own content and telling their own stories to their own markets. By driving the development of local content, we believe that it lays a bedrock for business and employment within the sector to thrive and look towards its own models for success.”

This year, the Mart, will provide delegates with access to prominent film industry experts, financiers, content directors and broadcasters from around Africa and the world, and other industry specialists attending both the DFM and DIFF as independents to connect and develop business associations

The DFM is structured around three programmatic pillars – Master Classes, a Finance Forum and Africa in Focus – a series of industry workshops, which offer networking and social opportunities for industry representatives.

Master classes are led by well-known industry experts and will unpack issues and challenges in concept development, project packaging, co-production development, new media, finance, marketing, distribution, and other related themes.

The DFM’s co-production market, which called for submissions of film projects last year, has roughly ten feature films and ten documentary films selected for mentorship. These will be presented to industry experts during the Mart, and following thorough sessions with experts, projects are awarded grants for further development.

Partners of this year’s DFM include the International Film Festival Rotterdam's (IFFR) CineMart, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), Sundance Film Festival, AfriDocs, the Berlinale Film Festival, HotDocs - Blue Ice Documentary Film Fund, Produire au Sud, Restless Talent Management, Sørfond, French Embassy South Africa, , National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, Durban Film Office, VideoVision Entertainment, Goethe Institute and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.

For registration or for more information view the delegate registration process online at the official website: www.durbanfilmmart.com.  There is an Early Bird registration discount for those booking before 30 May 2016. Fees are R1 485 (ZAR) for the 4 day event which includes access to allocated sessions, lunch, access to DFM networking events, entrance into the Durban International Film Festival screenings(subject to ticket availability), listing in the DFM Industry Manual and access to Masterclasses and the Africa in Focus programme. After 30 May 2016, fees areR2035. Daily passes areR605 (this does not include tickets to the DIFF screenings or access into the opening and closing events.)

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Call for Projects for 2016 Durban FilmMart

Media Release

Call for Projects for 2016 Durban FilmMart

The Durban FilmMart (DFM) has opened submissions for projects for the 7thedition, which will take place next year.  It is important to note, that the deadline for submissions has been being shifted earlier to December 14, 2015 to allow for the selection committee to have more time to assess projects, and for more time to create opportunities for marketing and promotion of the projects and film-makers at the DFM.

A joint project of Durban Film Office, the eThekwini Municipality’s industry development unit, and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), the DFM aims to raise the visibility of African cinema, stimulate production on the continent, and facilitate project collaboration between African filmmakers.

The DFM has become an integral part of the fast-growing South African film industry and since its inception in 2010, has helped facilitate more than 90 African co-production projects, many of which have subsequently been produced as acclaimed films.

Selected DFM projects will undergo a two-day packaging and mentoring programme followed by two days of one-on-one meetings with a panel of film financiers, buyers and distributors.

The programme is open to full length feature and documentary films with Africans in key creative roles (writers, directors and producers) that are looking for co-producers, financiers, sales agents and funders. A selection committee will review all submissions for consideration, and will select 10 fiction feature and 10 documentary feature projects that are in development to participate. African filmmakers, from writers to directors, are encouraged to submit their projects by 14 December 2015.

“We would like to encourage African film-makers to take advantage of the opportunity to submit their projects to the DFM, as we have seen how valuable the programme is to helping filmmakers get their projects off the ground.” says Durban Film Office’s Toni Monty. “The networking with film-makers from around the globe at the DFM also provides opportunities for film-makers to grow their networks further afield. Over the years we have seen many alumnis secure further funding grants for their films, and their works screened at film festivals around the world. It is really a great springboard for developing projects.”

Film-makers must note that it is important that all projects must have both a producer and director attached to them.

To find out more about the DFM 2016, project submission criteria and how to submit your project, please visit www.durbanfilmmart.com

For further enquires contact: info@durbanfilmmart.com or call   +27 31 311 4243

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3934 - Cannes-born script-writer expert Sari Turgeman gives a masterclass at the DFM 2015.

3962 - Film-maker Mohammed Siam pitching his film Amal to the panel at the 2015 DFM.



Durban FilmMart 2015 announces partners' awards for this year's market

Media Release

Durban FilmMart 2015 announces partners’ awards for this year’s market

The Durban FilmMart (DFM), the joint initiative of the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) and Durban Film Office (DFO) the film industry development arm of the City of Durban, which takes place from July 17 to 20, has announced partners’ awards for this year’s market, with an exciting new award being presented by the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program.

Considered one of Africa’s most important film finance platforms and industry gatherings, the FilmMart sees about 500 film-makers from around the globe, with a significant representation from Africa, attend the festival for four days of industry development forums and networking sessions. An integral part of the DFM is the finance and co-production forum, which this year has 10 features and nine documentary films selected for intense mentoring and pitch sessions to financiers and distributors, and other industry representatives.

Over the years the DFM has developed key relationships with a myriad industry partners that have seen the value of supporting and developing African content for both continental and global markets.

This year the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program will award a documentary film project that demonstrates potential for strong storytelling craft, artistic use of visual language, originality, feasibility, and relevance with a cash award of $7000 for further development. “In light of the tremendous talent for documentary filmmaking in Africa and the significant work of the DFM to celebrate those artists, the award is designed to contribute to and support the work of an African non-fiction filmmaker.” explains Rahdi Taylor, Film Fund Director of the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program. “In supporting a broad spectrum of cinematic and creative non-fiction projects globally, Sundance Institute embraces contemporary storytellers as part of the collective consciousness of culture, and documentary film as a vital contributor to the language of the 21st century.”

Partners and awards this year include:

Afridocs, the broadcast stream that sees African and other international documentaries screened across 49 countries of sub-Saharan Africa on a weekly basis, will offer a €3000 grant for one outstanding documentary project.

The CineMart Award, sponsored by the co-production market of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, provides a fiction project with an opportunity to attend the Rotterdam Lab, a five-day training and networking event bringing together producers from all over the world.

The International Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA) awards the most promising documentary project at the DFM with an opportunity to attend the  IDFA Forum, the largest and most influential meeting place for documentary filmmakers, producers, commissioning editors, funds, private financiers and other documentary stakeholders in Europe, from November 23 to 25.

The New Cinema Network awards will give an official project an opportunity to attend the 10th edition NCN in Rome, where the producer/director will be able to present the project to film companies at an international level.

Produire au Sud of Festival des 3 Continents (Nantes), will give one fiction project an opportunity to attend its developmental workshop program, PAS, where they will be given tools, expertise, and opportunities to develop European networks.

The Restless Pitch award, is a one-year representation deal for the project by Restless Talent Management, who provide development services such as image-building and positioning, project packaging, PR, and advises its clients on film sales, distribution and promotion.

Durban’s Videovision Entertainment, will once again award the “Best South African Film Project” a prize valued at R75 000, which guarantees its release once it is completed. The prize includes marketing and distribution support from Videovision Entertainment.   

‘We are immensely grateful to all our partners for the generous opportunities they have created for the DFM selected projects,” says Toni Monty of the Durban Film Office. “For independent film-makers, this is such an ideal opportunity to take their projects to the next level through the mentorship and support provided at the Market. We are looking forward to a robust and stimulating market this year, and seeing how the projects will evolve and develop through the  DFM process.”

For more information about the DFM go to www.durbanfilmmart.com.

 

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36th Durban International Film Festival - Programme Announced

 

36th DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 16-26 JULY 2015 - PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED

This July sees the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) return for its 36th year of cinematic celebration. From 16 to 26 July, the city will be illuminated by the wonder and diversity of global cinema, with over 200 screenings in 9 venues across the city. Alongside this selection of the best of contemporary cinema, including 74 feature films, 50 documentaries, 74 short films and 23 surf films, the festival offers an extensive workshop and seminar programme in which industry experts from around the world share their knowledge and skills.

This year's diverse line-up includes an expanded focus on African cinema with a selection of Africa’s Lost Classics and a showcase of this year’s FESPACO winners. Other focus areas include a cross-section of contemporary cinema from Brazil and an investigation into the filmmaking landscape of a changing Tunisia, as well DIFF Beat, which celebrates a number of music-based films, and Just One Earth, which presents a selection of environmentally- and sustainability themed titles. In addition to the generous selection of feature films and cutting edge documentaries, DIFF 2015 will screen 10 packages of short films and a selection of thrilling surf films in the Wavescape Surf Film Festival.

South African Focus

While DIFF is a vital showcase for the ever-expanding African film industry, South African film remains the festival’s key focus, with 14 feature and 13 documentary films and 30 short films – most of them receiving their world premieres on Durban screens.

This year’s opening night film see the African premiere of Ayanda, the second fiction feature film from South African filmmaker Sara Blecher who opened the festival in 2011 with Otelo Burning. Ayanda tells the story of single-minded 21-year-old Afro-hipster Ayanda (Fulu Mugovhani) who has a talent for taking neglected pieces of furniture and bringing them back to life. Eight years after her father’s death, his prized auto repair garage is in financial trouble and in danger of being sold, but Ayanda does everything in her power to hold onto his legacy.

Then there’s Breathe – Umphefumlo, the Isango Ensemble’s contemporary adaptation of Puccini’s La Boheme, the low-budget horror The Actor from Aiden Whytock, the politically inclined Bonnie-and-Clyde tale Impunity from Jyoti Mistry and the long awaited Necktie Youth from Sibs Shongwe-Le Mer. Other South African fiction feature films include Dis Ek, Anna, based on the famous Afrikaans novel and directed by Sara Blecher, and the dramatic thriller Lady Grey from Alain Chouquart.

South African documentaries include Blood Lions, which follows a South African conservationist and an American hunter on their journey through the lion hunting industry, Coming of Age, which follows the lives of two teenagers in Lesotho, Glory Game – The Joost van der Westhuizen Story, which chronicles the famous rugby player’s battle with Motor Neuron Disease, and The Shore Break which documents the attempts by a foreign mining company to mine titanium in the Eastern Cape. 

African Focus

The rich programme of films from elsewhere on the continent includes a number of strong directorial talents. From South Africa’s Mpumelelo Mcata comes the challenging documentary-hybrid Black President. Philippe Lacôte’s Run is a left-field masterpiece from Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda delivers the goods with The Boda Boda Thieves, the latest title from vivacious creative co-operative Yes! That’s Us.

African documentaries include the powerful Beats of the Antonov which portrays the musical lives of a war-torn community in Sudan, the remarkable Sembene! which documents the life and career of African master Ousmane Sembene and Paths to Freedom, which explores the genesis of Namibia's armed struggle against South Africa.

Africa’s Lost Classics is a selection providing a rare opportunity for viewers to catch some of the most powerful and idiosyncratic works from the continent’s rich film history. The selection comprises the previously lost masterpiece Come Back, Africa, the seminal Mapantsula from Oliver Schmitz and The Blue Eyes of Yonta by pioneering Guinea-Bissau filmmaker Flora Gomes, as well as Badou Boy and Touki Bouki, both from African master Djibril Diop Mambety.

FESPACO Stallions

In a special tribute to African cinema, DIFF 2015 features six winners from the 2015 edition of the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou, or FESPACO. These include amongst others Fevers, which tells the story of Benjamin, who moves in with his father and grandparents in a Paris suburb in order to avoid foster-care. Sékou Traoré’s feature debut film The Eye of the Cyclone, a psychological drama about a young lawyer who has been appointed a case that no one else wants, and Rehad Desai’s Miners Shot Down which returns to DIFF after being celebrated at FESPACO this year.

WORLD CINEMA

Following its rich tradition of world cinema, DIFF 2015 presents a diverse showcase of films from around the world. 1000 Rupee Note from India tells the story of a poor old widow named Budhi who receives a gift of several 1000 Rupee notes from a politician. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night bills itself as the first Iranian Vampire Western, while Dealer, from France, documents 24 hours in the increasingly hellish life of a small time drug dealer. Bob And The Trees tells the story of Bob, a 50-year-old logger in rural Massachusetts with a soft spot for golf and gangster rap. Jean-Jacques Annaud’s visually spectacular film Wolf Totem from France and China, Roger Allers’s animation of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, Gregg Araki’s dramatic thriller White Bird in a Blizzard, Kim Farrant’s uneasy drama Strangerland set in Australia, and Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s drama romance, Coming Home contribute to the richly textured programme this year.

Documentaries

This year’s festival will once more play host to a sterling selection of documentaries from around the world. The American Film (Dis)Honesty – The Truth About Lies explores the complex impact dishonesty has on our lives and our societies. Cartoonists: Foot Soldiers of Democracy, from France, tells the story of 12 cartoonists and their fight for equality, accountability and transparency. Democrats, from Denmark, tells the unique story of the political elite in Zimbabwe fighting the battle over the principles defining the country's possible future. Foodies, from Sweden, follows five of the world's most renowned foodies on their hunt for the most exclusive nourishment in the world, while Taxi, from banned Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, takes us on a vibrant and colourful journey through the streets of Tehran. This year will also screen Joshua Oppenheimer highly acclaimed follow up to his Academy Award Nominated documentary The Act of Killing, his second film The Look of Silence sees a family that survives the genocide in Indonesia confronts the men who killed one of their brothers.

Brazilian Focus

Like South Africa, Brazil is a country defined by glaring inequality and cultural polarity. It also has a rich culture of cinema and a remarkably diverse national canon. Offering a window on to this complex and diverse country, Brazilian Vision presents a wide range of films from different regions in Brazil, providing an incisive overview of its considerable cinematic output. From the north-east state of Pernambuco comes two celebrated feature films: The History of Eternity by Camilo Cavalcanti and the moving Brazilian Dream, an opera movie depicting the Brazilian economic crisis. From the capital Brasília comes White Out, Black In, which portrays a country longing for transformation, while The Ballad of Poor Jean deals with the huge social divide between rich and poor in the country.

Tunisian Focus

The explosion of free speech that followed the Tunisian revolution in January 2011 gave birth to new cinematographic voices as young filmmakers armed themselves with cameras to express their points of view on a newly emerging society. The selection which are all in Arabic with English subtitles, includes amongst others Néjib Belkadhi Bastard (Bastardo), Kaouther Ben Hania’s Challet Of Tunis (Le Challet De Tunis), Raja Amari’s Tunisian Spring (Printemps Tunisien),, Hamza Ouni’s El Gort and Mohamed Challouf’s Tahar Cheriaa Under the Shadow of the Baobab which documents the undisputed father of Pan-Africanism and founder of film Carthage Film Festival, the first film festival in Africa who deployed all his energy to create the first authentic images of post-colonial Africa enabling African cinema to contribute to the modernization of the continent.

Semaine de la Critique in South Africa

DIFF, with the support of the French Institute of South Africa and Urucu Media, presents a traveling programme of La Semaine de la Critique (Critics’ Week) of Cannes Film Festival which will launch in Durban before travelling to Cape Town and Johannesburg. Featured films include amongst others Hope, Boris Lojkine’s takes on migration from Africa to Europe, You and the Night, an erotic-existential-queer comedy from Yann Gonzalez.  As well as these screenings, La Semaine de la Critique in South Africa features a master class with visiting filmmaker Boris Lojkine in Durban and filmmaker round tables in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

DIFF BEAT

With DIFF Beat, the festival pays tribute to musical freethinkers and rule-breakers. Filmmaker Adam Sjöberg and rap superstar Nasir ‘Nas’ Jones explore breakdancing and hip-hop in unlikely places in the film Shake the Dust. Tango Negro: The African Roots of Tango intersperses dance and musical performances with interviews with tango-lovers and experts, while Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck blends Cobain’s personal archive with touching interviews with his family. Imagine Waking up Tomorrow and All Music Has Disappeared comes from cult musician/art terrorist Bill Drummond, and When Voices Meet tells the story of therapist Sharon Katz and singer/educator Nonhlanhla Wanda’s 500-voice multiracial choir.

Just One Earth

Just One Earth offers a selection of films that promote sustainable living and raise awareness about the ecological threats we are facing. All the Time in the World tells the story of Canadian filmmaker Suzanne Crocker and her family who decide to take time out from their lives and relocate to the wilds. In Energised filmmaker Hubert Canaval explores how profit-driven efforts ensure that both alternative energy solutions and the threats to our existence posed by today’s main sources of energy remain largely unknown to the public. In Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story, filmmaker Grant Baldwin and producer/writer Jen Rustemeyer explore why nearly 50% of the food produced in Canada ends up in the trash. Finally, the extraordinary Virunga tells of a group of park-rangers in the Democratic Republic of Congo who have devoted their lives to saving the gorillas in Virunga National Park.

Wavescape Surf Film Festival

The 10th Wavescape Surf Festival at DIFF celebrates a decade of films and events around ocean sustainability and beach culture. From Sunday 19 to Saturday 25 July, Wavescape will showcase the latest surf films from around the world. In keeping with tradition, the Wavescape premiere will take place under the stars at the Bay of Plenty lawns on Sunday 19 July, followed by screenings at Ster Kinekor Musgrave until 25 July.

Talents Durban

The 8th Talents Durban will bring together 40 selected filmmakers from 10 different countries in Africa, chosen from over 200 submissions, who will take part in a series of masterclasses, workshops and industry networking opportunities during the festival. Supported by the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, Goethe Institute SA, German Embassy in South Africa and Gauteng Film Commission, Talents Durban is presented in co-operation with Berlinale Talents. Talents Durban is a platform for African filmmakers to enhance their skills, develop collaborations and interface with the film industry in Africa and beyond.

Durban FilmMart

Now in its 6th year, the Durban FilmMart, a partnership project with the Durban Film Office and the Durban International Film Festival, is a film finance and co-production market presented in three strands – Finance Forum, Master Classes and the Africa in Focus seminars. 19 selected African projects (10 fiction features and 9 documentaries) will have an opportunity to hold one-on-one meetings with potential financiers, co-producers, and distributors in the Finance Forum. Projects will also have an opportunity to pitch to a panel of international commissioning editors and financiers in the African Pitch, a pitching forum of the DFM. See www.durbanfilmmart.com for further details.

Ticketing

DIFF 2015’s principal screening venues are Suncoast CineCentre, Ster Kinekor Musgrave, Cinema Nouveau Gateway, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Ekhaya Multi-Arts Centre in KwaMashu and the Tsogo Sun Elangeni Hotel. Other venues include the Bay of Plenty Lawns, the KZNSA Gallery, the Denis Hurley Centre, Sizakala Centre in Clermont, the Durban Music School and the Luthuli Museum on the North Coast. The festival hub is once more housed at the Tsogo Sun Elangeni Hotel.

Tickets should be acquired through the respective venues. Prices range from R20 to R40, except at Luthuli Museum, Ekhaya, Elangeni Hotel, the Denis Hurley Centre, Sizakala Centre in Clermont, the Durban Music School and Bay of Plenty lawns, which are free of charge.

Programme booklets with the full screening schedule and synopses of all the films are available free at screening venues and other public information outlets. Full festival details can also be found on www.durbanfilmfest.co.za or by calling 031 260 2506 or 031 260 1816.

The 36th Durban International Film Festival is organised by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (a special project of the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Humanities, Cheryl Potgieter) with support from the National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development & Tourism, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, City of Durban, German Embassy, Goethe Institut, Industrial Development Corporation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture and a range of other valued partners.


Durban FilmMart Success Stories 2010-2015

Media Release

Durban FilmMart Success Stories 2010-2015

Now in its sixth year, the Durban FilmMart (DFM) has become an integral part of the fast-growing South African film industry. Since its inception in 2010, DFM has helped to facilitate more than 80 African co-production projects, many of which have subsequently been produced as acclaimed films. As the African and South African industry grows, the quality and volume of submitted projects has increased every year, making DFM the leading independent film market on the continent and a major force in the facilitation of successful African films.

As a result of DFM’s success, the Durban International Film Festival now regularly includes works from DFM alumni in its programme. Major fiction projects from the last 6 years that have had their genesis at DFM and were subsequently screened at DIFF include Ayanda (DFM 2013), the opening film at this year’s festival, the acclaimed Boda Boda Thieves (DFM 2011) from Ugandan co-operative Yes! That’s Us films and Imbabazi: The Pardon (DFM 2012), a personal account of the Rwandan genocide. Non-fiction films which have been screened at DIFF and made a major splash around the world include the South African gangster documentary Devil’s Lair (DFM 2012), Unearthed (DFM 2013) which explores the dangers of fracking and The Shore Break (DFM 2012), a vitally important film that chronicles the attempt of an international mining company to mine for titanium in one of the world’s last untouched natural areas.

Fiction Film Success Stories

The Nigerian film Confusion Na Wa  was a DFM project in 2010 and went on to win best film at the 2013 African Movie Awards, as well as other awards around the world. A dark comedy about a group of strangers whose fates become intertwined over the course of 24 hours, Confusion Na Wa was produced by Tom Rowlands-Rees and directed by Kenneth Gyang.

Imbabazi: the Pardon was one of the selected project at DFM in 2011, as a result of which producer-director Joel Karekezi attended the Rotterdam Lab in 2012. A very personal story about the genocide that took place in Rwanda, the film screened at DIFF 2014 as well as other festivals around the world, from Chicago to Luxor.

A Shot at the Big Time (DFM 2012) is inspired by the true story of director Janet van Eeden's brother, Jimmy, who took his own life rather than fight in the Apartheid border war.  After receiving its world premiere at DIFF, the film was selected for the Cannes Court Metrage, the short film corner of the official Cannes Festival 2014. The film was later nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay at the Independent Mzansi Short Film Festival. The feature film version of A Shot at the Big Time is currently in production.

Boda Boda Thieves began its life as a pitch at DFM 2011 and has gone on to receive international acclaim. A collaboration between South African producer James Tayler and Kenyan producer Sarah Muhoho, the project was awarded the CineMart Rotterdam Lab award at DFM and went on to win a Highlight Pitch Award at the Berlin Film Festival’s Talent Project Market.  The Boda Boda Thievestells the tale of a poverty-stricken family from Kampala, Uganda, who support themselves by driving a motorcycle taxi or ‘boda-boda’. Both producers and the film’s director Donald Mugisha are passionate about creating and developing content for African cinema, which they believe expresses a “proud identity of humanity, heritage and culture”.

Ayanda, which was selected as a project for DFM in 2013, will be opening the 36thedition of the Durban International Film Festival. Directed by Sara Blecher and produced by Terry Pheto, the film tells the story of a 21-year-old woman who fights to save her late father’s motor repair shop when it is threatened with closure.Ayanda received its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June this year where it was awarded a special mention in the world fiction category.

Documentary Success Stories

South African director Mayenzeke Baza's short documentary film Ndiyindoda (I Am a Man) tackles male circumcision, highlighting the dilemma it poses for South Africa as the country forges a position for itself in the modern world and attempts to reconcile its strongest traditions with newly enshrined democratic rights.Produced by Andy Jones, the project won Most Promising Documentary at DFM 2011, enabling Baza and Roughton to attend the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) later that year. The film premiered at the Encounters documentary festival and went on to be nominated for two South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA) in 2014. The film also screened on the international news channel Al Jazeera and has helped to established Baza as a significant force in the South African film industry.

Devils Lair chronicles the life of a convicted murderer and gang leader named Braam as he comes to terms with a lifetime of dubious choices. Producer Neil Brandt and director Riaan Hendricks won Most Promising Documentary Project at DFM 2012 – which came with the opportunity to participate at IDFA Summer School and to pitch at the IDFA Forum The film went on to premiere at Hot Docs and became one of the highlights of DIFF 2013. It received three nominations at the SAFTAs in 2014, going on to win Best Feature and Best Editor, as well as numerous other awards at festivals around the world.

Unearthed, directed by Jolynn Minnaar and produced by Dylan Voogt, Stacey Keppler and Saskia Schiel, explores the effects of fracking in the United States in anticipation of proposed shale gas extraction in the Karoo and elsewhere in Southern Africa. Selected as a project for DFM 2013 and winning the WorldView Development Grant, the film screened to enthusiastic audiences at DIFF in 2014 and won the Green Award at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival the same year.

The Shore Break was selected as a DFM project in 2012 and premiered at IDFA in 2014. A powerful documentary whose narrative is every bit as engaging as a fiction thriller, the film will screen at DIFF this year and has already screened at the Encounters documentary film festival. It was the only South African documentary in Competition at IDFA 2014 and the only South African feature length documentary selected for Hot Docs 2015 in Toronto. The film won Best Feature Length Documentary at the 2015 Festival International du Film d'Environnement (FIFE) in Paris and the Backsberg Audience Choice Award at Encounters South African International Documentary Festival in June this year.

The Dreams of Shahrazad (DFM 2010) directed by Francois Verster and produced by Neil Brandt, Shameela Seedat and Wael Omar, explores the relationship between art and revolution through the famous story collection The 1001 Nights. The film received development and production support from DFM as well as the Sundance Institute, the IDFA Bertha Fund, the NFVF, the Hakkaya Network, the Dutch Film Fund and Spier Films, who also act as the films sales agent. The film premiered at the prestigious Masters Section of IDFA, and has gone on to receive critical acclaim and broadcast sales worldwide.

Other major successes that have emerged from DFM include the fiction-documentary hybrid Black President (DFM 2011), produced by Anna Teeman and directed by Mpumi Mcata (and also screening at DIFF this year), as well as the remarkable I, Afrikaner (DFM 2011), produced by Lauren Groenewald and directed by Annalet Steenkamp, which won Best South African documentary at DIFF in 2014. Khalo Matabane’s Mandela: The Myth and Me was selected as a DFM project in 2012 and won Special Jury at International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam IDFA. Like Rehad Desai’s Miners Shot Down (DFM 2013), it has been widely recognised as one of South Africa’s most important documentary films and has gone on to have an extremely rich life at festivals around the world.

Success Stories Still in the Making

Black Sunshine tells the story of a 12-year-old albino girl named Coco and her mother Rosemary who longs to escape her frustrating African reality which is dominated by issues of skin colour. Selected for DFM 2013, the project won Arte France’s Arte International Award and received the Tribeca All Access grant. Produced by Obibini Pictures and directed by Akosua Adoma Owusu, the project was also selected for the 2012 edition of Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors co-production market.

Solidarité , which has been renamed I am not a Witch, is a tragi-comedy about a Zambian child prodigy from first-time director Rungano Nyoni. Solidarité  was selected as project for DFM 2013 where Nyoni won the IFP Prize giving her the opportunity to present the project at IFP in New York. The same year Nyoni was also selected for the Cannes Film Festival’s Cinéfondation Résidence. The project was awarded development funding from the Hubert Bals Fund and also participated in the Locarno Open Doors co-production market, winning the Arte Prize and Vision Sud Est Prize. I am not a Witch is about to go into financing stage of pre-production.

 

Sea Monster from the now globally successful Triggerfish Studios tells the story of an obsessive-compulsive science geek who discovers a primordial sea monster off the coast of South Africa. Like its predecessor Khumba, which achieved sales in a large number of territories, Sea Monster is aimed at a global audience, taking on Dreamworks and Pixar at their own game. Directed by Anthony Silverston and produced by Stuart Forrest, Sea Monster is still in development.

Flatland from producer David Horler and director Jenna Cato Bass was selected for DFM 2012 where it scooped three awards: the WorldView prize for the most promising feature project, the IFFR prize and the European Audio Visual Entrepreneurs (EAVE) prize. Set in the Karoo, Flatland is a South African feminist western which tells the tale of three women who face mental and physical hardships as they search for a fabled apartheid-era nuclear bomb. The film hassince secured production support from the World Cinema Fund and has also secured a German co-producing partner, In Good Company, under producer Roshanak Behesht Nedjad. Flatland has secured intention for world sales from The Match Factory and production will begin in Winter 2016.

The 6th Durban FilmMart takes place in Durban, at the Tsogo Sun Elangeni from17 to 20 July 2015, during the 36th edition of the Durban International Film Festival (16-26 July 2015).

For more information on the Durban FilmMart and to register as a delegate visitwww.durbanfilmmart.com

 -ends

Issued on behalf of The Durban FilmMart by:

Sharlene Versfeld

Versfeld & Associates

 031-8116528/ 083 326 3235

Sharlene@versfeld.co.za/ info@versfeld.co.za

 

Note to Editors:

Herewith a selection of photos - if you have any special requests please let us know.

 

The Durban FilmMart (DFM) is a co-production and finance market and is a joint programme of the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF). DFM provides filmmakers from across Africa with a valuable opportunity to pitch projects to financiers, distributors, sales agents and potential co-producers, and to participate in meetings, project presentations and a series of master classes and workshops on the latest industry trends.www.durbanfilmmart.com

The Durban Film Office (DFO) is the film industry development arm of the eThekwini Municipality, mandated to position Durban as a world-class film production destination and facilitator for the development of the local film industry. The DFO drives activity and development in the sector in order to boost tourism, job creation and the development of core skills and SMMEs in the region.www.durbanfilmoffice.com

 The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) presents over 250 screenings from different countries and cultures with a special focus on Africa. The festival includes development programmes such as Talents Durban and a rich schedule of workshops. DIFF is a flagship project of the Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal, which facilitates creative platforms and economic opportunities for artists and related industries, intercultural exchange and network development, training, audience development and strategic Pan-African and international cooperation in the cultural sectors. www.cca.ukzn.ac.za

Durban FilmMart to host leading Financiers, Producers and Broadcasters for its Sixth Edition

Media Release

Durban FilmMart to host leading Financiers, Producers and Broadcasters for its sixth edition July 17 – 20, 2015

Durban, South Africa: The Durban FilmMart (DFM), the co-production forum of Durban Film Office (DFO), the film industry development programme of the city and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), Africa’s premier film festival will host leading industry financiers, producers and commissioning editors at its sixth edition  from July 17 – 20, 2015.

The DFM, now in it’s 6th year, is Africa’s leading finance and co-production market, and networking event, which includes a finance forum, master classes, an Africa in Focus workshop and seminar programme in conjunction with the DIFF for industry delegates,  and numerous networking functions.

“Film-makers from Africa and across the globe enjoy the opportunity that the DFM creates to connect with others in the industry to share contacts, knowledge and creative ideas.” says Toni Monty, of the Durban Film Office. “Filmmakers take full advantage of the various networking sessions and social engagements in between sessions to connect with financiers, producers, commissioning editors as well as distributors and the myriad creative filmmakers that attend.”

“Our main objective is to help people connect and develop networks and partnerships with others in the industry, especially those from across Africa.” says Toni Monty of the DFO. “We see how African filmmakers have developed strong relationships over the years and through various collaborative efforts we are starting to see an interesting growth in the industry. .”

This year some top-drawer industry professionals will be in attendance to meet the filmmakers of the pre-selected film projects in the Finance Forum. Durban FilmMart delegates will be able to network with these financiers and other high profile industry guests on over the four days of the DFM.

The line up of producers, commissioning editors and financiers include producer, Alexandra Stone, who heads CMP Film Ltd, a London-based film and television production company. She was worked with top-end filmmakers such as  Bernardo Bertolucci, Terry Gilliam, Jonathan Glazer, Johnny Depp, Phillip Noyce and David Cronenberg, as well as Peter Weir, Euzhan Palcy, Lasse Hallstrom and Steve Kloves.

Cosima Degler producer of unafilm, whose slate of films have been screened at A-festivals around the world including Berlinale, Cannes, Toronto, Locarno, IDFA, San Sebastian, DOKLeipzig, among others them. In 2013 unafilm’s Heli won the award for Best Director in competition in Cannes and in 2014 Bridges of Sarajevo was shown in the Sélection Officielle in Cannes.

Managing Director of Barentsfilms, Ingrid Lill Høgtun, is the Norwegian co-producer for Cylinder Production, for the film "Essential Killing" by Jerzy Skolimowski, a Polish, Norwegian, Irish, Hungarian co-production, which won the Jury´s Special Award and Best Actor in Venice 2010. She is also Executive Producer for the TV-series "Hellfjord" by Tommy Wirkola and others, produced by Tappeluft Pictures.  Based in Oslo, Norway, Barentsfilm produces mainly art house films and documentaries. Among others, the company has produced most of the films of the acclaimed Norwegian director, Knut Erik Jensen.

Jelena Goldbach, producer with ZAK Film Productions,  specialises in European co-productions. In 2014 Jelena produced The Chicken by the up-and coming Bosnian writer/director Una Gunjak, which won the European Film Award for Best Short Film. The Chicken premiered at the 67th Festival de Cannes, in the Semaine de la Critique strand and was the winner of the prestigious Robert Bosch Coproduction Price. In 2010 Jelena founded Wostok, an independent London-based production company that specializes in development, financing and production of international projects with focus on up-and coming talent.

Philipp Hoffman, from Rushlake Media, a company that supports producers, rights holders and institutions marketing their content in the changing landscape of film distribution with its core business is VOD licensing and digital distribution:  Beside the digital distribution, we do the international sales for selected producers with a focus on the African market. Clients include Tom Tykwer’s One fine Day Films and Gravel Road Entertainment Group.

Director of Documentary programming at the Tribeca Film Institute, Jose Rodriguez has been a script/book reader for Overture Films while also working on Tze Chun’s Children of Invention and the documentary Poor Consuelo Conquers the World. The Tribeca Film Institute champions storytellers to be catalysts for change in their communities and around the world. With over $1.5 million USD in annual grants and professional development programs, TFI supports a diverse, exceptional group of filmmakers and media artists, providing them resources needed to fully realise their stories and connect with audiences.

Additional key guests include Afridocs (South Africa), Afrinolly (Nigeria), Arrow Entertainment Inc (Canada), Arte  (France), Barents Film (Norway), BBC StoryVille (UK), Caribbean Tales (Canada), Cinemart (Netherlands), CMP Films (UK), Docubox (Kenya), Doe Eye Media Production Inc (Canada), Endorphine Production (Germany), Goethe Institut (Germany), Gotel Communications Ltd, Hot Docs / Blue Ice (Canada), IDFA (Netherlands), Inner City Films (Canada), Melia Films France (France), Produire au Sud (France), Prospector Films (Canada), Real Livin’ Films Inc (Canada), Rome Cinema Network (Italy), Rush Lake Media (Germany), Sherwood Productions Inc, (Canada), Sisu Productions (Canada), Ste Films (Italy), Sundance Institute (USA),Ten 10 Films (UK), Torpedo Pictures (Canada), Tribeca Film Institute (USA), Triptych Media Inc (Canada), Una Film (Germany), XYZ Films (USA), Zak Films (Germany), ZDF (Germany).

By all accounts Durban FilmMart 2015 is set to offer attending delegates enormous opportunity to build important networks for project development.

Early bird registration closes 27 June 2015. This offers a discounted fee for the DFM as well as an opportunity to be listed in the industry manual, which is used as a reference tool by filmmakers.

For more information or to register for the DFM 2015 go to www.durbanfilmmart.com, or email info@durbanfilmmart.com

-ends

Note to Editors:

The Durban FilmMart (DFM) is a co-production and finance market and is a joint programme of the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF). DFM provides filmmakers from across Africa with a valuable opportunity to pitch projects to financiers, distributors, sales agents and potential co-producers, and to participate in meetings, project presentations and a series of master classes and workshops on the latest industry trends.  www.durbanfilmmart.com

The Durban Film Office (DFO) is the film industry development arm of the eThekwini Municipality, mandated to position Durban as a world-class film production destination and facilitator for the development of the local film industry. The DFO drives activity and development in the sector in order to boost tourism, job creation and the development of core skills and SMMEs in the region.  www.durbanfilmoffice.com

The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) presents over 250 screenings from different countries and cultures with a special focus on Africa. The festival includes development programmes such as Talents Durban and a rich schedule of workshops. DIFF is a flagship project of the Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal, which facilitates creative platforms and economic opportunities for artists and related industries, intercultural exchange and network development, training, audience development and strategic Pan-African and international cooperation in the cultural sectors.  www.cca.ukzn.ac.za

SA Film Ayanda announced as DIFF's opening night film

Media Release

SA Film Ayanda announced as DIFF’s opening night film

The highly anticipated South African film Ayanda, directed by Sara Blecher and produced by Real Eyes in association with Leading Lady Productions, has been announced as the opening night film of the 36th The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) which takes place from 16 to 26 July this year.

Set in the vibrant, Afropolitan community of Johannesburg’s Yeoville, Ayanda is a coming-of-age story of a twenty-one year old Afro-hipster, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery when she has to fight to save her late father’s legacy – a motor repair shop - when it is threatened with closure. She’s thrown into a world of greasy overalls, gender stereotypes and abandoned vintage cars once loved, now in need of a young woman’s re-inventive touch to bring them back to life again.

The film stars Fulu Mugovhani (of Scandal fame) and Nigerian actor OC Ukeje, with a star South African cast including Ntathi Moshesh, Kenneth Nkosi, Jafta Mamabola, Thomas Gumede, Sihle Xaba and veteran star of stage and screen Vanessa Cooke.

“We are pleased that this feel-good film will open this year’s festival,” says Pedro Pimenta, Director of the DIFF. “The opening film of this, the most prestigious international film event in SA, needs to reflect a clear priority established by the festival to reach and develop local audiences.”

“The recently published NFVF report on audiences in this country, is very informative and revealing in that while the industry has been successfully structured and supported from all quarters to allow a regular flow of SA content, much still needs to be done for this content to reach local audiences. By once again opening the DIFF with a strong SA film, we endorse this objective.”

This is the second opening night film at DIFF for director Sara Blecher. Her film Otelo Burning opened the 2011 edition of DIFF to critical acclaim. “We are very proud of Ayanda and are thrilled to have it selected as the opening film at this year’s festival.    The film had a very successful screening in Cannes last month and we look forward to screening it to festival-goers in Durban,” says Blecher.

“Ayanda offers an interesting and positive convergence of talents style , resources and distribution potential for the film market.” says Pimenta. “There is a real sense that reaching an audience has been the most important motivation equally shared by the filmmakers and their financiers in its creation.”

“Ayanda celebrates the diversity of our country and revels in the fact that we are a multi-cultural, colourful and exciting melting pot of Africa,” says co-producer Terry Pheto.  “With this film we have tried to capture the Afropolitan nature of our country and the energy of its people.”

“What is also particularly encouraging in terms of the South African film industry is that the film, originally titled, Andani and the Mechanic, was a project in the 2013 Durban FilmMart, the co-production and finance forum of the DIFF and the Durban Film Office.”  says Pimenta. “The film is one of five titles that have been part of the DFM process over the years that will be screened this year at DIFF.”

The festival includes more than 200 theatrical screenings and a full seminar and workshop programme, as well as the Wavescapes Film Festival, and various industry initiatives, including the 8th Talents Durban (presented in cooperation with the Berlinale Talents) and the 6th Durban FilmMart co-production market (presented in partnership with the Durban Film Office).  For more information go to www.durbanfilmfest.co.za.

The 36th Durban International Film Festival is organised by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (a special project of the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Humanities, Cheryl Potgieter) with support from the National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development & Tourism and Environmental Affairs, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, City of Durban, German Embassy, Goethe Institut, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture and a range of other valued partners.

-ends

Official Project Selection for the 6th Durban FilmMart Announced in Cannes

Media Release

Official Project Selection for the 6th Durban FilmMart Announced in Cannes Yesterday

Nineteen documentaries and fiction feature film projects from around Africa have been selected for this year’s Durban FilmMart (DFM) which takes place in Durban, South Africa from July 17 to 20, 2015. The details of the selection were announced at a networking function held at the South Africa Pavilion at the Cannes International Film Festival last night.

The Durban FilmMart, now in it’s it 6th edition has selected these projects from 120 submissions by African filmmakers who wished to participate in the continent’s premier finance and co-production market. 

A joint initiative between the Durban Film Office and the Durban International Film Festival, the Durban FilmMart aims to raise the visibility of African cinema, stimulate production on the continent, and facilitate project collaboration between African filmmakers. The DFM creates an optimum platform for African filmmakers, financiers, broadcasters and top film experts to converge, network and spark creative thinking around current and future projects.

“This year, we are pleased to welcome projects from a diverse range of countries on the continent, including Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa,” says Toni Monty, of the Durban Film Office. “The DFM has become an important springboard for projects that have been conceptualized by African filmmakers, to support them as the projects move from the idea to exhibition. Over the last five years we have seen many projects go on to be awarded further opportunities to develop at various other markets, and eventually be screened in cinemas and festivals around the globe. In previous years, past DFM projects have been selected for the Durban International Film Festival, testimony to the value this market adds to the development process.”

A Reader Panel, comprising of African and international film professionals had to moderate and score submissions, culminating in a rigorous selection discussion over shortlisted projects in both the documentary and fiction section.

These feature and documentary film-makers will be attending the DFM for one-on-one meetings with potential investors and co-producers in the Finance Forum. The projects will also have an opportunity to pitch to a panel of commissioning editors from local and international funders and financiers.  The selected project participants will also be given opportunities to network and meet industry professionals during several scheduled industry sessions.

Selected Projects:

9 Documentaries

After Marikana – The End of Democracy  (South Africa), Producer Anita Khanna, Director Rehad Desai

Amal (Egypt) Producer Sara Bökemeyer, Director Mohamed Siam

Life and Times of John C (South Africa) Producer Neil Brandt, Director Francois Verster

Truck Mama (Kenya) Producer Zipporah Nyaruri, Director Zipporah Nyaruri, Co-director Peggy Mbiyu

Not in My Neighbourhood (South Africa) Producer and Director Kurt Orderson

Project Delight (South Africa) Producer and Director Karin Slater

Terre Jaune (Togo) Producers Sitou Ayite and Madje Ayite with Elisabeth Guthmann, Director Bouna Cherif Fofana and Sitou Ayite

The Other Half of the African Sky (Zimbabwe) Producer and Director Tapiwa Chipfupa

The Rainbow: Jazz for the Struggle, and the Struggle for Jazz (South Africa) Producer Antoinette Engel, Director Niren Tolsi

10 Fiction

Cactus Flower (Egypt) Producer Hossam Elouan, Director Hala Elkoussy

Inkabi (The Hitman) (South Africa) Producer Anco Henning, Director Norman Maake

Laughter is the best Colour (Nigeria) Producer  Mohammed  Musulumi, Director Chike Ibekwe

On the Way to Paradise (South Africa) Producer Imraan Jeeva, Director Sara Blecher

One More Night in Lagos (Cote d'Ivoire) Producer Tosin Coker, Director Marina Niava

Riot Waif (South Africa) Producer Jean Meeran, Director Zinaid Meeran

Selma and Charlize (South Africa) Producer Junaid Ahmed/Helena Spring, Director Robyn Aronstam

Sunflowers Behind a Dirty Fence (Uganda) Producer Nathan Magoola, Director Simon Mukali

The Tall Assassin (South Africa) Producer Carolyn Carew, Director Roy Zetisky

Unbalanced (Ghana) Producer Akosua Adoma Owusu, Director P. Sam Kessie

The DFM also invites filmmakers who do not have projects selected for the market and industry professionals, to attend as delegates for the programme of  masterclasses, forums and networking events during the four-day market.  Registration is now open and early bird rates apply until 27 June 2015. Delegates who register within the early bird window, get discounted registration rates and inclusion in the DFM’s Industry Manual, a valuable networking tool during and after the market.

The 6th Durban FilmMart takes place in Durban, at the Tsogo Sun Elangeni from 17 to 20 July 2015, during the 36th edition of the Durban International Film Festival (16-26 July 2015).

For more information on the Durban FilmMart and to register as a delegate visit www.durbanfilmmart.com

 -ends

Issued on behalf of The Durban FilmMart by:

Sharlene Versfeld & Ayanda Mabanga

Versfeld & Associates

 031-8116528/ 083 326 3235

Sharlene@versfeld.co.za/ info@versfeld.co.za

 

Note to Editors:

The Durban FilmMart (DFM) is a co-production and finance market and is a joint programme of the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF). DFM provides filmmakers from across Africa with a valuable opportunity to pitch projects to financiers, distributors, sales agents and potential co-producers, and to participate in meetings, project presentations and a series of master classes and workshops on the latest industry trends.  www.durbanfilmmart.com

The Durban Film Office (DFO) is the film industry development arm of the eThekwini Municipality, mandated to position Durban as a world-class film production destination and facilitator for the development of the local film industry. The DFO drives activity and development in the sector in order to boost tourism, job creation and the development of core skills and SMMEs in the region.  www.durbanfilmoffice.com

 The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) presents over 250 screenings from different countries and cultures with a special focus on Africa. The festival includes development programmes such as Talents Durban and a rich schedule of workshops. DIFF is a flagship project of the Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal, which facilitates creative platforms and economic opportunities for artists and related industries, intercultural exchange and network development, training, audience development and strategic Pan-African and international cooperation in the cultural sectors.  www.cca.ukzn.ac.za

6th Durban FilmMart Delegate Registration opens

Media Release

6th Durban FilmMart Delegate Registration opens

Delegate registration for the Durban FilmMart (DFM), Africa’s premier film finance and co-production forum is now open.

Now in its 6th edition, the DFM, which takes place from July 17 to 20, is a joint project of Durban Film Office, the City’s industry development unit, and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) as an endeavour to raise the visibility of African cinema, stimulate production on the continent, and facilitate project collaboration between African filmmakers.

“The overall objective of the FilmMart is to support, facilitate and develop the growth of African film content and create viable opportunities for business within the sector to flourish.” says Durban Film Office’s Toni Monty. “The Mart, promises delegates access to influential experts, broadcasters and financiers in the film industry and creates a space for industry professionals to forge strategic relationships.”

DFM is presented in three strategic pillars: the Finance Forum, Master Classes and Africa in Focus – a programme of workshops, and also offers a series of networking and social sessions with like-minded industry representatives.

Delegates have access to Master classes held with leading industry experts in the areas of concept development, project packaging, co-production development, new media, finance, marketing, distribution, and other themes.

This year’s Master Class in Film Packaging and Finance, is entitled New Film-Making Strategies; from South Africa to Pan-Africa and towards the Global Market. Sponsored by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission (KZNFC), the master class will be presented by leading international film and creative industry specialist and published writer Angus Finney. Finney, comes to the Mart having actively been involved as executive producer on many films including  Neil Armfield’sCandy with Heath Ledger, Roger Michell’s The Mother with Anne Reid and Peter Vaughan and Rose Troche’s The Safety of Objectswith Glenn Close, and others.

"We are really pleased to be able to offer the delegates an opportunity to interact with and learn from someone of the caliber of Finney,” says Vuyo Sokupa, NFVF’s Head of production and Development. “Finney comes with years of academic and field experience in film packaging and finance, the cornerstone of developing a film project, and we believe his session will be incredibly valuable to those attending.”

 “Having such hands on experience adds real value to the experience of the delegates at the DFM, as they will be able to really come to grips with issues involving financing and packaging their projects for wider distribution,” elaborates Jackie Motsepe, Chief Operating Officer of KZNFC.

Finney has spent the past three years working as a risk manager and media advisor for Octopus Media, a division of Octopus Investments, a City of London Fund Manager, and is also Course Director for the Exeter University/London Film School MA in International Film Business. He holds a PHD in Business Strategy from Cass Business School in London, an MA in Film and Journalism from New York University and a BA from Sussex University in International Relations. His training includes working with Creative Skillset, Creative London and the Film Distributors Association, to mention a few. His professional work extends to South Africa, UAE, Ireland and New Zealand in the past five years. 

The DFM’s co-production market, for selected film projects from submissions made, sees roughly ten feature films and ten documentary films selected for mentorship, and presentation to industry experts during this time. Following rigorous meetings and sessions with these experts, projects are awarded a number of relevant grants for further development.

Partners and supporters of the Durban FilmMart 2015 that will be represented in Durban, include International Film Festival Rotterdam's (IFFR) CineMart, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), the Berlinale Film Festival, HotDocs - Blue Ice Documentary Film Fund, New Cinema Network Rome, Produire au Sud, Restless Talent Management, French Embassy South Africa, Afrinolly, NFVF, KZNFC, VideoVision Entertainment , Goethe Institute,  Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie the City of Durban and many others.

For registration or for more information view the delegate registration process online at the official website: www.durbanfilmmart.com.  There is an Early Bird registration discount for those booking before June 27, 2015. Fees are R1485 (ZAR) for the 4 day event which includes access to allocated sessions, lunch, access to DFM networking events, entrance into the Durban International Film Festival screenings  (subject to ticket availability), listing in the DFM Industry Manual and access to Masterclasses and Africa in Focus programme. After June 27, fees are R2035.  Daily passes are R605 (but does not include tickets to the DIFF screenings or access into the opening and closing events.)

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14 May 2015

Caption to photo : Angus Finney

[see attached file: AngusFinney.Photo.jpg] [see attached file: DFM colour image.jpg]

Note to Editors:

The Durban FilmMart (DFM) is a co-production and finance market and is a joint programme of the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF). DFM provides filmmakers from across Africa with a valuable opportunity to pitch projects to financiers, distributors, sales agents and potential co-producers, and to participate in meetings, project presentations and a series of master classes and workshops on the latest industry trends.  www.durbanfilmmart.com

The Durban Film Office (DFO) is the film industry development arm of the eThekwini Municipality, mandated to position Durban as a world-class film production destination and facilitator for the development of the local film industry. The DFO drives activity and development in the sector in order to boost tourism, job creation and the development of core skills and SMMEs in the region.  www.durbanfilmoffice.com

The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) presents over 250 screenings from different countries and cultures with a special focus on Africa. The festival includes development programmes such as Talent Campus Durban and a rich schedule of workshops. DIFF is a flagship project of the Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal, which facilitates creative platforms and economic opportunities for artists and related industries, intercultural exchange and network development, training, audience development and strategic Pan-African and international cooperation in the cultural sectors.  www.cca.ukzn.ac.za

Issued on behalf of DFM by:

Sharlene Versfeld / Ayanda Mabanga

Versfeld & Associates

Sharlene@versfeld.co.za / info@versfeld.co.za

031-8115628

083 326 3235

Khalo Matabane presents “The Films That Made Me” at the 35th Durban International Film Festival

Khalo Matabane presents “The Films That Made Me” at the 35th Durban International Film Festival

Returning to the Durban International Film Festival (17 – 27 July) for the second time, The Films That Made Me section presents a programme of five films selected by a prominent South African director to bear testament to the films that have shaped his or her directorial voice. This year, DIFF is delighted to announce that it has invited acclaimed South African filmmaker, Khalo Matabane (director of State of Violence and Nelson Mandela: The Myth and Me), to curate a selection of films he considers influential in his cinematic career to festival audiences. The films will screen at 09:30 every day from July 18 to 22 (venue details below). Matabane explains his selection:


“Do the Right Thing directed by Spike Lee (1989) is a film that made a huge impact on me - the reason I became a filmmaker. It is personal for me – the race questions it raises are timeless, the humour and its stylistic approach; A Short Film About Killing directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski (1988) is a film that has haunted me for years - Mirosław Baka’s strong face, its strong anti-death penalty message and its artistic beauty. Kieslowski has made some other great films, such as Three Colours: Blue, but this film in particular has stayed with me; I am a big Scorsese fan. He is one of the few filmmakers whose early films I truly love with my head and heart. Raging Bull directed by Martin Scorsese (1980) is a film about broken men, about violence and, I would argue, is the director’s finest film; Hitchcock is one of the greatest filmmakers in the world - period. I love many of his films, like Psycho, but Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954) is, for lack of better phrase, really a mind ****!; The title of the Decline of the American Empire (Denys Arcand 1986) I love because it captures the state of the world in which we live. Denys Arcand is truly an under-appreciated filmmaker.” 

Khalo Matabane was born June 18, 1974 in Ga Mphahlele, a village in Limpopo, South Africa. He has directed numerous documentaries, drama series, campaigns, commercials, taught about cinema and politics at schools. Along with his work as a filmmaker, Khalo Matabane also occasionally writes about cinema and politics. His first feature film State of Violence (2010) screened to critical acclaim at Toronto and the Berlinale. Set in Johannesburg, it is the story of a man who wife gets killed in what seems like a random act of violence. He goes on a journey searching for the killers only to find out that he is the son of a man he killed in the 1980’s during the struggle in the township.

Khalo’s newest film, Nelson Mandela: The Myth and Me will open the documentary section of DIFF on Friday,  18 July at 19:00 at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre.  The film seeks to find out if Mandela’s philosophies of forgiveness, reconciliation and freedom resonate currently in a world that is plagued with injustice and social inequalities. 

SCREENING DETAILS FOR “THE FILMS THAT MADE ME”:

·       Fri 18 July, Suncoast 7, 09:30: Raging Bull d. Martin Scorsese (United States, 1980, 129 min)

·       Sat 19 July , Elangeni, 09:30: Rear Window d. Alfred Hitchcock (United States, 1954, 115 min)

·       Sun 20 July, Suncoast 7, 09:30: Do the Right Thing d. Spike Lee (United States, 1989, 120 min)

·       Mon 21  July, Elangeni, 09:30: A Short Film About Killing d. Krzysztof Kieślowski (Poland, United States, 1988, 85 min)

·       Tues 22 July, Elangeni, 0930: The Decline Of The American Empire d. Denys Arcand (Canada, 1986, 101 min)

The Durban International Film Festival takes place from 17 – 27 July 2014. The festival includes more than 200 theatrical screenings and a full seminar and workshop programme, as well as the Wavescape Film Festival, the Wild Talk Africa Film Festival, and various industry initiatives, including the 7th Talents Durban (in cooperation with Talents Berlinale ) and  the 5th Durban FilmMart co-production market (in partnership with the Durban Film Office).  For more information go to www.durbanfilmfest.co.za

The 35th Durban International Film Festival is organised by the Centre for Creative Arts at the 
University of KwaZulu-Natal (a special project of the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the College of Humanities, Professor Cheryl Potgieter) with support from the National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development & Tourism, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, City of Durban, German Embassy, Goethe Institut, Industrial Development Corporation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture and range of other valued partners.

 

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5th Durban FilmMart Project Selection Announcement

5th Durban FilmMart Project Selection Announcement

It’s that exciting time of the year again when the Durban FilmMart proudly reveal the names of the African filmmakers whose film and documentary projects have been officially selected to participate in the continent’s leading finance and coproduction film market.  The Durban FilmMart was pleased to receive applications from filmmakers from around the African continent intent on participating in the biggest edition of Durban FilmMart thus far.

Set to take place in Durban at the new venue of Tsogo Sun, Elangeni Hotel from 18-21 July 2014, during the 35th edition of the Durban International Film Festival (17-27 July 2014), the Durban FilmMart – a joint initiative between the Durban Film Office and the Durban International Film Festival - will serve as a meeting place for African filmmakers, financiers, broadcasters and top film experts.

“We are very pleased to note that the number, quality and geographical spread of project submissions are growing every year. Our evaluation committee had a tough job selecting the top twenty projects most suited to the Durban FilmMart programme and we thank everybody who submitted projects for their interest in Durban FilmMart.” said Durban Film Office Head Toni Monty.

The project selection process was undertaken by a Reader Panel consisting of African and international film professionals who were given the daunting task of moderating and scoring the 164 submissions, which consisted of 85 feature and 79 documentary projects.

Following the outcome, 10 fiction projects and 10 documentary projects have been selected for one-on-one meetings with potential investors and co-producers in the Finance Forum. This year’s programme will also include a full day pitch forum in which both documentary and fiction projects will be pitched to a panel of commissioning editors, funders and financiers.  Durban FilmMart participants will also have the opportunity to liaise with industry professionals during several scheduled networking sessions.

Many of the Durban FilmMart alumni have gone on to compete and premiere at festivals across the globe, including the Durban International Film festival, said festival manager Peter Machen.  “From Durban to Cannes, Toronto and Berlin, talented African filmmakers, including those selected to participate in DFM 2014, are making their mark in the global arena.  African filmmaking is on the rise.”

The following fiction film projects have been selected for DFM 2014:

 All Time Idlers (Egypt) - Directed by Khaled Hafez and produced by Hossam Elouan

The Boy in the Mask (South Africa) - Directed by Jan Lampen and produced by Jennifer Mostert              

Cold Stone Jug (South Africa) - Directed by William Collinson and Ashleigh Nash

Dances of Red (Namibia) - Directed by Oshosheni Hiveluah and produced by Tapiwa Mahaka     

Hawa Hawaii (Kenya) - Directed by Amirah Mohamed Tajdin and produced by Wafa Mohamed Tajdin

Nyanga Sky (South Africa) - Directed by Matthew Griffiths and produced by Rafeeqah Galant   

The Story Of A Kiss (Egypt) - Directed by Ahmed Amer and produced by Wael Sayed El Ahl          

The Train of Salt and Sugar (Portugal/Mozambique) - Directed by Licinio De Azevedo and produced by Pandora Cunha Telles   

Tree of Crows (South Africa) - Directed by Stephen Abbott and produced by Eduan van Jaarsveldt

The Wound (South Africa) - Directed by John Trengove and produced by Elias Ribeiro    

The following documentary film projects have been selected:

Afterglow (South Africa) - Directed and produced by Amber (Arya) Lalloo

Alex On Seventh (South Africa) - Directed by Engelbert Phiri and produced by Guy Bragge

Alison (South Africa) - Directed by Uga Carlini and produced by Amy Nelson       

Beyond the Barricades (South Africa) Directed by Zanele Muholi and produced by Joost Verheij               

The Colonel’s Stray Dogs (South Africa) - Directed by Khalid Shamis and produced by Steven Markovitz

Egyptian Jeanne d'Arc (Egypt) Directed by Iman Kamel and produced by Talal Al-Muhanna         

Home Expulsion (Rwanda) - Directed and produced by Kayambi Musafiri

In search of African Duende: The Uganda Flamenco Project (Uganda) - Directed by Caroline Kamya and produced by Keren Cogan

Kula: A Memory in Three Acts (Mozambique) - Directed and produced by Inadelso cossa

The Sound of Masks (South Africa) - Directed by Kofi  Zwana and produced by Sara Gouveia

The 5th Durban FilmMart takes place in Durban from 18-21 July 2014, during the 35th edition of the Durban International Film Festival (17-27 July 2014). Filmmakers who do not have projects as part of the official selection can still register as delegates for the event, and will have the opportunity to attend numerous cutting-edge masterclasses throughout the four-day event.  Registration is now open and early bird rates apply until 27 June.

For more information on the Durban FilmMart and how to register as a delegate please visit www.durbanfilmmart.com

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