The Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) has announced that “Climbing the Mountains” is the recipient of its brand-new Documentary Award, supported by JustFilms. The feature documentary, which is currently in development, secured the $10,000 prize following a pitch at the annual Durban FilmMart in July 2025.
Directed by Sabrina Chebbi and produced by Kenji Accard, “Climbing the Mountains” is described as a poetic testament to the resistance of Kabylian grandmothers, who are the living guardians of tradition and history. The documentary aims to delve into the theme of intergenerational trauma as experienced by Algerian filmmaker Chebbi.
The award marks the first in a new four-year partnership between the DFMI and JustFilms, an initiative of the Ford Foundation, which supports independent film and emerging media projects that explore urgent social justice issues.
The independent jury responsible for selecting the winner comprised industry experts: Jihan El-Tahri (producer, writer, and director at Big Sister Productions), Mandisa Zitha (Festival Director of the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival), and Steven Markovitz (producer, founder, and director of Big World Cinema).
The DFMI is concurrently extending a call for applications for the DFM 2026 Pitch and Finance Forum. The programme is seeking feature-length or episodic live-action projects (both fiction and documentary) in development.
The programme is open to African filmmakers or those of the African Diaspora (with an African passport). At least one of the three key creatives (Producer, Writer, Director) must meet this criterion.
Projects must be submitted in English.
At least one representative must be available to participate in the online masterclass and mentorship programme, and be physically present in Durban for the duration of the 17th Durban FilmMart.
Applications are open until Sunday, 1 February 2026, and can be submitted via the Durban FilmMart Institute website.
