Press Releases
Media Release
July 2010
INAUGURAL DURBAN FILMMART A RESOUNDING SUCCESS FOR DURBAN
There was great excitement as the inaugural Durban FilmMart (DFM) ended, with the announcement of the winner of the Hubert Bals Fund Award in the 'Specialist Projects' category. The award of € 5000 towards script and project development, for ‘the most promising African project presented at the DFM’, was presented to Jenna Cato Bass for her project 'Tok Tokkie'.
The winner, chosen by a jury comprising Matthew Plouffe (Focus Features/USA), Peace Anyiam-Osigwe (Africa Film Academy/Nigeria) and Iwana Chronis (Hubert Bals Fund / Netherlands), was one of 12 projects selected for the Durban Film Mart, from a total of 80 projects submitted from South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zambia and Burkina Faso, with contributions in both feature film and documentary genres.
T"Although the jury’s decision was unanimous," says Hubert Bals Fund representative, Iwana Chronis, "it was a tough choice because all the projects have enormous promise in some way. "'Tok Tokkie' is fresh, innovative and original as well as having enormous commercial promise, that could appeal to South African, African and international audiences alike. In addition, we felt that the € 5000 prize would really make a significant difference to this project." ...Read More
Media Release
June 2010
PROJECTS SELECTED FOR INAUGURAL DURBAN FILMMART
As delegate registration for the inaugural Durban FilmMart (23-26 July) opens this week, 12 selected projects for its Finance Forum were announced.
"With 12 projects accepted for this first Durban FilmMart, we are certain that this event will mark the beginning of an exciting new addition to the international film industry calendar," says Durban Film Office's (DFO) Toni Monty. "The high standard of the entries and the international support we have received leading up to the event has been gratifying," adds Monty.
The selection includes projects from as far afield as Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zambia and Burkina Faso, with contributions in both Feature Film and Documentary genres....Read More
Media Release
4 April 2010
SUBMISSION PROCESS WRAPS AFTER STRONG RESPONSE TO DURBAN FILMMART
"We are absolutely thrilled with the wonderful response we received to our call for the submission of projects for the inaugural Durban FilmMart," says Toni Monty, acting CEO of the Durban Film Office (DFO). "Now that the submission process is closed, we send a big vote of thanks out to everybody that entered. As this is Durban's inaugural FilmMart we were eager to get the event off to a strong start."
"The calibre of entries that came in, is impressive and we are greatly encouraged at the prospects the FilmMart will uncover," says Peter Rorvik, director of the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF).
"An additional aspect of the Durban FilmMart is the 'Producers Forum'," continues Monty. "This conference programme is tailored to the needs of industry professionals and will cover industry trends and developments, film production (including financing, marketing and distribution) and new media technologies." ...Read More
Media Release
February 2010
DATE FOR PROJECT SUBMISSIONS FOR DURBAN FILMMART EXTENDED
Plans for Durban’s inaugural FilmMart, jointly hosted by the Durban Film Office (DFO) and Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), go up a gear as the closing date for the submission of entries approaches
"We are heartened by the submissions we are receiving from entrants throughout Africa," says Toni Monty, acting CEO of the Durban Film Office. "In addition, we received significant interest from organisations and individual producers on our recent trip to the International Film Festival Rotterdam, where we launched the Durban FilmMart to the international community of producers and also established a partnership with the world-renowned Cinemart. The support for a well-structured forum giving the rest of the world access to African content and projects, is really encouraging."
"We urge potential entrants to get their submissions in by the closing date of 29 March,” says Peter Rorvik, director of the Durban International Film Festival, “as the Durban FilmMart provides a perfect entry point for African film-makers to pitch film projects to leading financiers and network with international directors and producers....Read More
Media Release
JAN 2010
CALL FOR PROJECT SUBMISSIONS FOR INAUGURAL DURBAN FILMMART
Following an announcement earlier this year, by the Durban Film Office (DFO) and Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) to host the first international film co-production market on the African continent, organisers are calling for the submission of projects for consideration for the inaugural Durban FilmMart.
""This first African co-production market has the potential to act as a key driver in raising the visibility of film content from Africa," says Toni Monty, acting CEO of the DFO. "We envisage that it will provide African film-makers 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 film-makers 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/DIFF ...Read More
Media Release
23 July 2009
DBNFILMART/dfo
DURBAN LAUNCHES AFRICAN FILM MART
The Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) have presented plans to hold an international film co-production market on the African continent, the Durban FilmMart
With strong support by the city of eThekwini and based on the success of similar film markets worldwide, The Durban FilmMart, it is anticipated, will provide African film-makers with the opportunity to pitch film projects to leading financiers, world sales agents and obtain feedback from internationally reputed directors and producers in order to form alliances for future collaborations.
"We envisage that the establishment of an international co-production market in association with the Durban International Film Festival in Durban, has the potential to act as a key driver in raising the visibility of film content from the African continent, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to combine our resources with the festival in an effort to achieve this objective," says Toni Monty, acting CEO of the Durban Film Office.
"The DFO and DIFF have worked consistently for the past 18 months in researching and planning for the establishment of this programme and it is a proud moment to be able to announce that we will host the inaugural event at the 2010 festival."...Read More