The Durban FilmMart Institute has unveiled the selected projects for the Pitch and Finance Forum of the 2024 Durban FilmMart (DFM), Africa’s foremost co-production and finance market.
Set to take place from the 19th to the 22nd of July 2024, a statement said the 15th edition of DFM will grace Durban, South Africa, under the theme “African Visions Unleashed: From Disruption to Accountability,” promising an exhilarating four-day event.
This year, 30 captivating projects in development have been chosen to participate in the Pitch and Finance Forum, providing filmmakers with a crucial platform to network with global broadcasters, financiers, streamers, sales agents, festival programmers, and producers. The forum aims to facilitate the acquisition of support needed to transition projects from development to production, ultimately bringing diverse African narratives to regional and international audiences.
Director of the DFMI, Magdalene Reddy, expressed her thoughts on the selected projects: “This year’s diverse array of narratives showcases the creativity, adaptability, and inquisitiveness of filmmakers throughout the continent. Our filmmakers are tackling complex subjects and presenting fresh perspectives to worldwide audiences.”
The selected projects span various themes, weaving through the intricacies of identity, tradition, modernity, and more. They explore historical legacies and their lasting effects, while also highlighting the vibrant interaction between cultural preservation and innovation. These narratives aim to deepen our understanding of the social, environmental, and ethical contexts that influence contemporary African societies and their filmic representations.
Fiction Features:
- Acts of Man (South Africa) – Producer: Sean Drummond, Director: Sheetal Magan
- Benimana (Ivory Coast) – Producer: Samantha Biffot, Director: Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo
- Dear Tarkovsky (Tunisia) – Producer: Asma Chiboub, Director: Firas Khoury
- Garde Baissée (Guard Down) (Egypt, France, Tunisia) – Producers: Imed Marzouk, Mark Lotfy, Director: Sami Tlili
- Jua Kali (Kenya) – Producer: Joash Omondi
- Londoner (Nigeria) – Producer: Pamela Drameh, Director: Babatunde Apalowo
- Mimouna (Algeria) – Producer: Jeremie Palanque, Director: Amel Blidi
- Numalali (My Voice, My Void) (Guatemala) – Producer: Kurt Orderson, Director: Kimeshree Munsamy
- Pour Toi Je Reviendrai (I’m Coming For You) (Cameroon) – Producer: Alice Abah, Director: Cyrielle Raingou
- Solar (South Africa) – Producer & Director: Jason Jacobs
- The Moon Can’t Run (South Africa) – Producer: Shveta Naidoo, Director: Naishe Nyamubaya
- The Pathfinder (South Africa) – Producer & Director: Rafieka Davis
Documentary Features:
- A Girl and a Gun (South Africa) – Producer: Antoinette Engel, Director: Arya Lalloo
- Africa AI (South Africa) – Producer: Amílcar Patel, Directors: Amílcar Patel, Chris Kets
- Children of Honey (Tanzania, United Kingdom) – Producer: Natalie Humphreys, Director: Jigar Ganatra
- In Pursuit of Ghosts (South Africa) – Producer: Jacintha de Nobrega, Director: Jethro Clifton Westraad
- Kam Leila Kam Youm? (How Many Nights How Many Days?) (Egypt) – Producer: Kesmat Elsayed, Director: Alaa Dajani
- My Father Killed Bourguiba (Tunisia) – Producer: Sarra Ben Hassan, Director: Fatma Riahi
- The One Who Sings (South Africa) – Producers: Chelsea Art, Cameron Lawry, Director: Chelsea Art
- Unsung (South Africa) – Producer: Masechaba Khumalo, Director: Amanda Lane
- We Had The Moon (Mauritius) – Producer & Director: Pamela Eduoard
- Zerri3a Morra (Algeria, France) – Producer: Antoine Goldet, Director: Camelia Gadhgadhi
Animation Projects:
- Jay Fly (South Africa) – Producer: Nosipho Maketo van den Bragt, Director: Tiaan Franken
- Monster Nanny (South Africa, Zimbabwe) – Producer: Kaya Kuhn, Director: Tafadzwa Hove
- Oarona (South Africa) – Producers: AJ Pitre, Thandiwe Mlauli, Director: Thandiwe Mlauli
- R.E.M. (Rapid Eye Motion) (Egypt) – Producer: Ahmad Abdelhameed, Director: Mahmoud Hemeda
- The Legend of Hyena Man (Tanzania) – Producer: Mathew Valerian, Directors: Elshadye Berhanu, Joshua Faber
- The Legends of Bulan (Nigeria) – Producer: Ferdinand Adimefe, Director: Azubuike Joseph Duru
- Uli & Tata’s African Nursery Rhymes (Kenya) – Producer: Sarah Mallia, Director: Chief Nyamweya
- Unseen (South Africa) – Producer: Annemarie du Plessis
Early bird registration for DFM 2024 is now open, offering a 20% discount on registration costs. The deadline for early bird registration is May 31st.
The Durban FilmMart Institute receives principal funding from the Durban Film Office and the eThekwini Municipality.
