Call for Film Projects for Durban FilmMart 2020

Project submissions for the 11th Durban FilmMart (DFM), Africa’s leading film industry co-production market is now open and close on 31 January 2020.

A Durban FilmMart Workshop

 The 11th DFM is scheduled to take place from 17 to 20 July 2020, during the 41st Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) in Durban, South Africa.

A joint programme of the Durban Film Office (DFO), the eThekwini Municipality’s industry development unit and the DIFF, the DFM aims to support and stimulate the growth of the African film industry and develop connections between African filmmakers and the world. The project-in-development section of the DFM offers opportunities for film-makers to pitch to industry experts with the view to advancing their ideas closer to production.

The 2020 edition of DFM over four days will include pitching sessions for projects in development, workshops, panel discussions and seminars with industry experts and the ever-popular networking sessions enabling film-makers to connect and re-connect with an array of significant representatives from the industry both locally and internationally.

“We are very excited about the 11th edition of the Durban FilmMart,” says Head of the Ethekwini Municipality’s Durban Film Office Toni Monty. “The importance of the market to film-makers continues to make an impact. The 10th edition attracted influential individuals and organisations from across the globe. We also witnessed significant growth in our delegate numbers, and we able to expand the programme with a number of new offerings including the important Locations Africa aimed at attracting more filming on the continent, a larger isiPhethu Hub for emerging filmmakers within the DIFF as well as the Engage

@DFM which was a curated think tank of conversations and panels on the future perspectives of the African film.”

Last year the market drew a record number of over 1000 delegates, including film-makers, distributors, broadcasters, agents, financiers and investors from around the world.

The selection panel will choose up to ten documentaries and ten fiction feature length film projects from the submissions. Selected projects will be announced in early May 2020, and will participate in a programme of mentorship and project packaging before presenting their projects to potential investors at the Durban FilmMart in July 2020.

Full length feature and documentary film projects with Africans in the major creative roles (writers, directors and producers) that are looking for co-producers, financiers, sales agents and funders, are invited to submit.

For more about the Durban FilmMart 2020, project submission criteria and how to submit a project, visit www.durbanfilmmart.com.

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

Deadline to submit: 31 January 2020

This edition by Fred Felton | Twitter @fredfelton

Opportunity for Female Filmmakers

Blue Ice Pictures in partnership with The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) will be hosting a four week

mentorship and hands on training programme for emerging female filmmakers in September 2017.

Blue Ice Pictures is an independent film and television production company based in Toronto with an office in Cape Town. The company’s highly skilled team develops and produces critically acclaimed and commercially viable films, television shows, documentaries, and reality series, with a longstanding involvement in international co-productions and studio production services.

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is an agency of the Department of Arts and Culture that was

created to ensure the equitable growth of South Africa's film and video industry. We do this by providing funding for the development, production, marketing and distribution of films and also the training and development of filmmakers.

In addition, the NFVF commissions research and produces industry statistics that provide both the public and

stakeholders with valuable insights into the South African film industry.

The two successful candidates will be working closely with a director and producer on the set of Blue Ice Pictures

television series production in Toronto. The programme offers accommodation, travel and a stipend whilst in Toronto.

Criteria:

Applicants must have a minimum experience of 2 – 3 years proven track record in producing /

directing a Fiction / Drama (NO DOCUMENTARIES)

South African citizen or permanent resident and must reside in South Africa

Previously disadvantaged individuals are encouraged to apply

Requirements:

Full comprehensive CV

A short career profile within the film industry

Certified ID copy

Certified valid passport

Must be AVAILABLE for 45 uninterrupted weeks whilst based in Toronto

Important Notice:

1. Incomplete applications will be disqualified

2. Only certified documents will be accepted

3. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered

4. Only shortlisted candidates will be invited for a one on one interview

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 31 July 2017

EMAIL SUBMISSIONS TO: applications@nfvf.co.za

This edition by Fred Felton | Twitter @fredfelton 

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.

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 booking is 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 positons 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.

Sara Blecher said “Short films are brilliant ways that filmmakers and their projects can get noticed.

“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.

For more info contact cinefamza@gmail.com .

For more info about the DIFF go to www.durbanfilmfest.co.za  and for the DFM go to www.durbanfilmmart.com.

This edition by Fred Felton | Twitter @fredfelton 

Opportunity For Filmmakers

France South Africa coproduction Workshop

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and the National Centre for Cinema (CNC) of France, in conjunction with the French Embassy in South Africa, are organising a 2 day coproduction workshop between the two countries, which will be held in Paris the week of 27 March 2017.

This workshop is part of the ongoing collaboration between these institutions to strengthen the cooperation in the film industry between France and South Africa, and to encourage coproductions within the framework of the coproduction treaty existing between the two countries.

The workshop that will be organised in Paris specifically aims to create a platform for South African filmmakers/producers with developed feature film projects to meet with their fellow French producers, and find potential partners with a view to coproduce their projects.

In order to be considered for the coproduction workshop organised in Paris, a project must meet all of the eligibility criteria outlined below:

1. Application is for feature length film projects only (80 minutes minimum).

2. Project must have a director and producer attached to it.

3. Film producers and directors are either citizens or permanent residents of South Africa.

4. Previous industry experience is required. The director and producer must have experience in their respective role (no less than one feature film for the producer, at least 2 shorts for the director).

5. The project must be fully developed and relevant for the French/European market

How to Apply?

Send your complete application in English by email to: coproductions@nfvf.co.za 

To be considered, applications must include the following:

1. Covering letter

2. Synopsis

3. Director’s treatment

4. Full script

5. Director and producer’s profiles.

6. Tentative budget

7. Finance plan

Closing date for applications is 15 December 2016.

Selections will be made according to the above criteria and successful

applicants will be notified by the 31 January 2017.

Transport and accommodation costs of selected participants will be covered by NFVF (One participant per project).

For more info and to download  the application form visit: www.nfvf.co.za

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.

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 are R2035. Daily passes are R605 (this does not include

tickets to the DIFF screenings or access into the opening and closing

events.)

This edition by Fred Felton

Twitter @fredfelton