Durban to host FilmMart

This year Durban plays host to FilmMart – an initiative aimed at generating a bit of exposure for African films. The whole affair will take place between the 22nd July and the 1st of August at the 31st Durban International Film Festival.

Toni Monty, the acting CEO of the Durban Film Office says that the event “has the potential to act as a key driver in raising the visibility of film content from Africa. We envisage that it will provide African filmmakers with the opportunity to pitch film projects to leading financiers and meet and network with internationally reputed directors and producers in order to form alliances for future collaborations.”

Projects with an African citizen attached to one of the three creative roles of writer, director or producer are eligible to participate in the inaugural Durban FilmMart. These include fiction features, animation features and documentaries suitable for international co-production and distribution.

“We expect the FilmMart to be a place for film financiers to locate fundable African projects and encourage project collaboration between African filmmakers from different African countries and through this forum redress the current scarcity of film production on this continent. In fact, it is hoped that the Durban FilmMart will become a valuable feeder stage for established co-production markets across the globe,” says Peter Rorvik, director of the Centre for Creative Arts.

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Young Filmmakers Graduate

At a graduation ceremony held in Randburg late last week, 16 young filmmakers of the MultiChoice film talent incubator programme were rewarded for 24 weeks of intensive training in camera techniques, producing and directing, as well as sound and editing techniques.

“Our main objective with the programme is to fast-track previously disadvantaged talented individuals in South Africa’s film and television industry. We are committed to contributing towards addressing the technical skills gap in our film industry and to develop up-and-coming filmmakers. Our heartfelt congratulations to the 2009 recipients,” said Jackie Rakitla MultiChoice’s GM Corporate Affairs.

As part of the programme, the students have to produce a short film and to encourage and recognise their work, an awards section has been included as part of the graduation ceremony. A total of 6 graduates received awards for their work.

The programme, which was introduced in 2007 in partnership with Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking, has seen 32 young filmmakers embark on successful careers in the industry.