OPPORTUNITY: Durban FilmMart 2020 Project Submissions call out

Project submissions for the 11^th Durban FilmMart (DFM), Africa’s leading film industry co-production market opened on 25 November 2019 and will close on 31 January 2020.

Ben Mahaka worked with Tapiwa Chipfupa on a project which won an award at Durban Film Mart 2019

The 11^th DFM is scheduled to take place from 17 to 20 July 2020, during the 41^st 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 filmmakers 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 filmmakers to connect and re-connect with an array of significant representatives from the industry both locally and internationally.

“We are very excited about the 11^th 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 are 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 filmmakers, 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 the DFM website.

For further enquiries contact: [email protected] or call +27 31 311 4243.