African Talent-Development Market Invites Film Projects

By Khalifa Hemed
Published December 14, 2022

The annual Durban FilmMart finance and co-production market designed to create partnerships and further the development and production of African cinema invites filmmakers to submit projects for its four programmes – Finance and Pitch Forum (DFM Official Projects), Jumpstart, Talents Durban, and Access.

The four talent-development programmes for which applicants are sought are:

Fiction, documentary and series film projects with Africans in the major creative roles (writers, directors, and producers) seeking co-producers, financiers, sales agents, and funders are invited to submit their projects in development. A producer and director must be attached to the project. The 10 documentaries and ten fiction film projects selected will undergo a 6-8 week packaging and mentorship programme prior to DFM, followed by a pitching session to a panel of decision makers from across the globe at the physical DFM with one-on-one meetings thereafter.
Details about the project submission are available online
Jumpstart is a scriptwriting incubator programme focussing on project packaging for the international market that introduces filmmakers to key techniques and tools for scriptwriting and storytelling processes. Details on application are on DFM website
African screenwriters and directors with fiction, documentary, animation, and hybrid projects in development–this includes all media formats such as film, television series, web series, and content for mobile platforms–are invited to apply for the 16th edition of Talents Durban. Selected applicants will participate in mentorship labs, workshops, discussions, and specialised programmes for specific disciplines including directing and scriptwriting. The Talents Press component of this programme invites emerging film critics and journalists from digital and traditional media to apply for mentorship and hands-on training. Prospective Talents must have a portfolio of previous work and a current project in progress. Detailed information on the programme is online
Access is a 12 week mentorship programme for producers with a project in development and not participating in an international lab/pitching programme or market before. The programme will focus on story development, coproduction, marketing and distribution strategies, finance planning and more. DFM Access ends in a pitching forum where 3 projects will be considered to participate in DFM 2023 as official DFM projects. The programme is open to emerging South African filmmakers with an active project in development. Application and submission details are online.

“Over the last 13 years, projects pitched at DFM have attracted attention from both the local and international film industry, DFM Alumni projects continue to have success on both small and big screens,” says Magdalene Reddy, General Manager of Durban FilmMart Institute. “We are committed to providing filmmakers with a platform which gives access and creates opportunity for growth.”