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Videovision Entertainment Returns as Durban FilmMart Sponsor

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Videovision Entertainment Returns as Durban FilmMart Sponsor

Internationally renowned, Durban-based film production and distribution company, Videovision Entertainment has continued its association with the Durban FilmMart as the sponsor of the Best South African Film Project Award which was introduced at the FilmMart in2011. The objective of the award is to nurture and develop emerging South African filmmakers. 

The prize, valued at R75 000, will go towards the print, advertising and marketing costs related to the release of the film.  Additionally, Videovision Entertainment guarantees distribution of the film in South Africa and will provide strategic advice to the filmmakers on the marketing and distribution of the film, and evaluate the potential of the film for international distribution after viewing the final cut of the successful project. 

The Durban FilmMart (DFM) which is considered Africa’s premier film finance and co-production forum, is a joint project of the Durban Film Office and the Durban International Film Festival in South Africa. The DFM comprises a finance forum, master-classes and Africa in Focus workshops.  Nineteen feature and documentary projects have been selected for the Finance Forum and filmmakers will pitch their projects to a panel of producers and financiers. One of the South African projects will be in line to receive the Videovision Entertainment prize. 

Videovision Entertainment is among the leading independent film production and distribution companies in Africa, having produced some of South Africa’s best known films, including the Oscar Nominated Yesterday. The company is currently in post- production with the much-anticipated big screen adaptation of Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, ‘Long Walk To Freedom’. 

“We have a firm commitment to the South African Film Industry,” says Sanjeev Singh Videovision’s Director of Acquisition and Distribution, “As a successful industry player it is incumbent on us to nurture and develop emerging filmmakers. As part of the prize which will be effective on completion of the film, we will also guarantee to acquire the local distribution rights, and provide funding for P&A for the release of the film in South Africa.”

“We are really pleased to have forged this partnership with Videovision,” says Toni Monty of the Durban Film Office. “One of DFM’s objectives is to contribute significantly to the development of the African film industry to boost opportunities for film-makers. Videovision’s positioning as a global player in the industry offers emerging filmmakers a unique opportunity to set their goals on the completion of their projects. Additionally, as they are a Durban-based company, this partnership further cements the commitment we have to the development of the film industry in the City.”

The 4th edition of Durban FilmMart takes place from 19 - 22 July 2013 during the Durban International Film Festival.  For more information and to register visit www.durbanfilmmart.com

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Ten Days To Go To SA's Top Film Event - The 34th Durban International Film Festival

It’s juts ten days to go to the start of the 34th Durban International Film Festival , South Africa’s premier film industry event which sees a host of local, continental and international filmmakers and film-lovers converge in the city to feast on everything to do with film from July 18 to 28.

The festival, is hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal, a special project of the Deputy Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Humanities, Prof Cheryl Potgieter, with principal funding by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund. Over the years, the fest has grown in global stature to being one of the most important global festivals for viewing African and South African films, as well as offering audiences the best of the most recent international films. The full programme with schedule of films and workshop and seminar as well as all synopses of films is now up on the web –www.durbanfilmfest.co.za.

Eleven venues around Durban will host 170 films in 250 screenings in a smorgasbord of the best of contemporary cinema, and film-lovers and aspiring and experienced film-makers can enjoy a comprehensive workshop and seminar programme that facilitates the sharing of knowledge and skills by film industry experts.

This year the theme focus areas are African cinema with 12 world premieres of South African films including the opening night film Of Good Report directed by Jahmil Qubeka; Contemporary Europe, American Independent films, films about sexual identifies and sexuality, a Zombie fest as well as a broad variety of films showcasing the best of world cinema.

For film-lovers, this is an opportunity to go see films from firm favourites as well as to explore new and first time directors, films from new places and foreign language films; to discuss and debate the films, and get to meet the people who make them. Festival-goers will be delighted to hear that the DIFF has created a new free public marquee with refreshments for sale in front of the Blue Waters Hotel, as a social meeting point.

For film-makers there is the Fourth Durban FilmMart, a partnership project with the Durban Film Office, and supported by the City of Durban, which is a film finance and co-production market presented in three strands – Finance Forum, Master Classes and the Africa in Focus seminars. The DFM master class and networking programme is open to registered delegates only. See www.durbanfilmmart.com for further details.

For the ninth year, DIFF partners with Wavescape – a feast of surfing cinema and shark stories including 11 features and 5 shorts with a free outdoor screening at the Bay of Plenty Lawns on Sunday 21 July, before locating at Ster-Kinekor Musgrave Monday 22 July to Friday 26 July.

The 6th Talent Campus Durban brings together the creativity of 50 selected filmmakers from 18 different countries in Africa, chosen from over 450 submissions, who will take part in a series of masterclasses, workshops and industry networking opportunities during the DIFF.

Running parallel to the DIFF is Durban Wild Talk Africa, the continent’s most respected Natural History Film Festival and Conference which takes place at the Docklands Hotel in Durban from July 23 to 26.  For more info www.wildtalkafrica.com.

Principal screening venues are Suncoast Cinecentre; Ster Kinekor Musgrave, Cinema Nouveau – Gateway, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre; Ekhaya Multi-Arts Centre in KwaMashu; and the Blue Waters Hotel. Other venues include the Bay of Plenty Lawns, the Upstairs at Spiga D’oro and the Luthuli Museum on the North Coast, which will have a special programme of screenings.


Tickets are through the respective venues and prices range from R25 to R35 (R50 for 3D screenings), except at Luthuli Museum, Blue Waters, Ekhaya and Bay of Plenty lawns, which are free of charge.  The Short Film programme at Upstairs at Spiga d’Oro  costs  R20.

Programme booklets with the full screening schedule and synopses of all the films are available free at cinemas, and other public information outlets. Full festival details can also be found on www.durbanfilmfest.co.za or by calling 031 2602506.


Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts in the College of Humanities (University of KwaZulu-Natal) the Durban International Film Festival is supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism, City of Durban, German Embassy, Goethe Institut, Industrial Development Corporation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture, and a range of other valued partners.

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Durban International Film Festival / Durban FilmMart form strategic partnership with Durban Wild Talk Africa

Durban, South Africa: The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), with principal funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, and the Durban FilmMart (DFM), the joint project of the Durban Film Office (DFO) and DIFF, are pleased to announce that a strategic partnership has been formed with Durban Wild Talk Africa, the continent’s most respected natural history film festival and conference, which takes place at the Docklands Hotel in Durban from July 23 to 26. 

The return of Wild Talk Africa to Durban is supported by the City of Durban through Durban Tourism and the Durban Film Office. “We are pleased that after a number of years we can welcome back this prestigious conference and festival to our City,” says Philip Sithole, Head of Durban Tourism and Business Support. “Durban Wild Talk Africa combined with the continent’s two major film events – the Durban International Film Festival and the Durban FilmMart, firms up a truly strong film industry package for visitors and we look forward to welcoming the many local, continental and international industry guests to our shores.”

Durban Wild Talk Africa is considered to be Africa’s key film festival and conference for natural history and wildlife film and television programming. The event includes; workshops, seminars, masterclasses, open pitching sessions, commissioners panels and exhibitions, and is a valuable networking forum with both local and international delegates and industry leaders. This year DWTA will include the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition to be held at uShaka Marine World and sponsored by National Geographic, from 25 July to 25 September 2013.

The Durban International Film Festival is SA’s largest and longest-running film festival, which takes place from July 18 to 28. The Durban FilmMart, which runs parallel to the DIFF from July 19 to 22, is the continent’s premier film industry event, which provides opportunities for selected projects to pitch to financiers and producers, as well as offering a series of master classes and top-drawer networking opportunities with industry players.

A selection of natural history films have been chosen from 445 entries from across the globe, to be screened during 9 slots as part of the DIFF programme. These films were entered as part of Durban Wild Talk Africa’s ROSCAR Awards competition. The Durban Wild Talk Africa has scheduled its conference in the footprint of DIFF, as part of a greater vision to build Durban’s golden mile as a hub for film market activity in the month of July. 

“Forming this strategic partnership with Durban Wild Talk Africa, adds a valuable new dimension to DIFF,” says Peter Machen, Manager of DIFF. “The Wild Talk Africa Film Festival selection complements our huge variety of more than 200 factual and fiction films screened at the DIFF. This, no doubt will add to the dynamic and vigorous discourse that usually takes place during the festival both informally and formally in seminars and workshops, as well as in the media.”

“We have chosen our dates to co-incide with the DIFF and DFM in a united effort to build the film festival and market environment for factual content and feature films in Durban,” says Donfrey Meyer, Director of Wild Talk Africa. “As the DWTA is an autonomous conference, running concurrently with the DIFF, we believe that film-makers and industry players will take advantage of the abundance of content, industry representation and opportunities to discuss, network and start conversations about content generation and distribution. There is a global focus on the natural history of this continent and, with this in mind, we are pleased to be welcoming commissioning editors and representatives from Discovery Networks International, NHK Japan Broadcasting Corp., BBC NHU, ORF Austrian Broadcasting Corp., ABC Australian Broadcasting Corp., National Geographic, SABC, NFVF, e.tv. NHU Africa and others to Durban.”

“The success of the Durban FilmMart is clearly demonstrated by the fact that we have seen many of the projects pitched in the finance forum successfully make it to festivals and theatrical release over the past four years.” says Toni Monty of the Durban Film Office. “The DFM provides an important platform for the business of film to be conducted. This, together with the industry events at both the DIFF and DFM, promises to create a conducive environment for delegates to exchange ideas and forge partnerships and relationships.. All of this helps to further develop a dynamic and robust industry on the continent. We see the alignment with Durban Wild Talk Africa as a great opportunity to further promote and develop factual film content in Africa. We are hoping that film-makers and industry representatives attending the DFM will stay on a little longer to engage with Wild Talk Africa, and take in the additional industry opportunities available.”

Registration for the DWTA is now open on www.wildtalkafrica.com. The delegate pass includes full access to workshops, seminars and panels, as well as evening networking events and functions.  

Registration for the Durban FilmMart is now open on www.durbanfilmmart.com. For more information about the Durban International Film Festival go towww.durbanfilmfest.co.za

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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 a valued opportunity to pitch projects to financiers, distributors, sales agents and potential co-producers, and participate in meetings, project presentations and a series of master classes and workshops on 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 SMME’s in the region.   www.durbanfilmoffice.com

The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) presents over 250 screenings from different countries and cultures with special focus on Africa; it includes development programmes such as Talent Campus Durban. 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

 

Delegate Registration Opens for Durban FilmMart

Durban South Africa: Delegate registration for Durban FilmMart (DFM) opens today (June 6), with the continent's premier film finance and co-production forum urging industry delegates to take advantage of the discounted early bird registration. Now in its fourth edition, the DFM takes place from 19-22 July and promises an exciting programme of masterclasses and networking opportunities.

The Durban FilmMart - a joint project of the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) - is an African co-production market that provides a platform for international experts, broadcasters, financiers and filmmakers to meet and develop strategic partnerships that get films made. The four-day event comprises of a programme of Master classes, Africa in Focus panels, networking functions, the DOC Circle Pitching Forum and the Finance Forum for selected projects of the market. Delegates will also get to enjoy the selection of films screening at the  Durban International Film Festival.

“The FilmMart objective is to facilitate the development of African film content and to fuel business and employment opportunities within this sector on the continent,” says Durban Film Office’s Toni Monty. “We have seen some strong projects emerge from the Finance Forum programme into theatrical exhibition and onto important international film festivals. We have also seen how the DFM has become an important meeting point for film-makers from South Africa, Africa and increasingly from beyond the continent to network and engage in meetings, discussions, master classes and further develop their professional careers.”

The Durban FilmMart programme features a range of masterclasses presented by leading industry experts on a wide range of topics ranging from world trends in co-production to finance, distribution, script development and new media. Africa in Focus is comprised of a range of seminars and panel discussions featuring local and international filmmakers experts, specifically dealing with salient issues in African cinema. DOC Circle Pitching Forum is a high-level pitching event where the selected documentary projects of the DFM as well those of as Talent Campus Durban's Doc Station pitch to an audience of financiers, commissioning editors and broadcasters as well as DFM delegates. This pitching forum is invaluable for the development of new filmmakers. In addition, Durban FilmMart  delegates have access to a range of networking events attended by key industry professionals . Delegates can also attend workshops, seminars and screenings in the festival . 

World-renowned film expert Clare Downs will present a scriptwriting workshop entitled Strategies for development: the Agony and Ecstasy. Clare Downs is a founding member of the script analysis team for EAVE and has worked in training, script development, producing and writing for over three decades.  Clare has been involved in many international development and training programmes including the Southern African Producer training programme AVEA (2000 -2005). 

Filmmaker, author, strategist and consultant John Reiss will present a transmedia masterclass drawing from his critically acclaimed book Think Outside the Box Office -The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution in the Digital Era. John Reiss is the director of numerous films including the documentaries Bomb It and Bomb It 2, which look at the subversive and often controversial international subcultures around graffiti. 

Presenting a masterclass on co-production entitled The Art of Working Together is Christoph Thoke, a German film and television producer and president of Mogador Film, who has worked for leading German/French broadcaster ARTE and German production companies including Bavaria Films, Taunus Film and CineMedia. Mogador’s first film Lorna's Silence by the Dardene Brothers was selected in competition for Cannes 2008 and screened at the Durban International Film Festival.

Marketing and Publicity for Cinema: the Mentality to Promote is the masterclass to be presented by film distribution and marketing expert Alvaro Vega of Vertigo Films - Spain's leading distribution company (recently incorporated into Wild Bunch). Vega has been involved in the distribution of films for leading directors including David Lynch, Gus Van Sant, Wong Kar-Wai, Mike Leigh and Sofia Coppola.

A number of local, continental and international broadcasters,as well as various government agencies, film commissions, and distribution agencies will be in attendance, enabling delegates to establish contact and engage in one-on-one meetings. 

This year the DFM partners and supporters include the International Film Festival Rotterdam's (IFFR) CineMart, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), the Berlinale Film Festival, Worldview, and others. Attending DFM this year, the Hot Docs Documentary Film Festival - North America’s largest documentary film festival - through its Blue Ice Fund Group initiative will continue to facilitate a financing and mentorship program for six African film grantees, awarded earlier this year. New partners include Paris Cinema’s film market Paris Project, who will select one project for their 2014 edition. Independent Filmmakers Project, America’s largest independent film non-profit, will select one DFM project to attend their lab for this year. ARTE returns to award a cash prize to the best fiction project, while Festival des 3 Continentes – Nantes and the International Organisation of Francophone will also be in attendance.

Renowned South African film and television pitching coach, Howard Thomas of Busvannah Communications will deliver four one-hour primers on proposal writing and pitching, covering the areas of research, target audience, writing and budgeting. These primers are aimed at beginner and intermediate producers active in content producing and will form part of the Durban FilmMart and Talent Campus Durban programme, with limited seats available to the public.

Following the DFM, and running from 23 to 26 July, is Wild Talk Africa, Africa’s key film festival and conference for natural history and wildlife film and television programming. “This is also a great opportunity for delegates to stay on in Durban and take advantage of the valuable opportunities in factual television-producing and broadcasting that Wild Talk presents.” says Monty.

“This year DFM’s has a really strong contingent of top quality experts and industry representatives, which adds significant weight to the level of engagement that will take place.” says Peter Machen, Manager of the Durban International Film Festival. “We look forward to welcoming delegates and hope that they seize the opportunity to network with the peers and experts in a meaningful way, and that this year’s Durban FilmMart continues to stimulate the growth of the industry on the continent.”

The 4th edition of Durban FilmMart takes place from 19 - 22 July 2013 during the Durban International Film Festival and is now open for delegate registration. Early bird registration, which enables the delegate to be included in the industry manual closes on July 2 and costs R1250. Registration thereafter costs R1750 and closes on July 18.

For more information and to register visit www.durbanfilmmart.com

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