Inspired by the wild, Durban Wild Talk Africa has put together a bumper programme geared to inspire and inform the global filmmaking industry attending this year’s wildlife, travel and cultural film festival and conference.
The festival runs from 27 to 30 August at the ICC Durban, and includes the following seminars: Africa in Focus; The Future Is: New Media; Talking Genre: Travel and Culture; Meet the Commissioning Editors and How To Co-Produce; Make Your Pitch; Going, Going Gone…How to Make a Sale; Digital Cinema and Theatrical Distribution; Production Mythbusters; What Do Our Children Want To Watch. The seminar programme will end with a Presentation on African Solutions for Climate Change.
The keynote seminar, Africa in Focus, chaired by Peter Borchert of Africa Geographic Magazine will focus on the continent and its unparalleled wealth of wildlife and cultural diversity and how the path can be smoothed ahead for filmmakers who give the continent great exposure. Amongst other renowned professionals, panelists include a representative from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
What do the buzzwords “New Media’ actually mean and is it the face of the future? Can it create new revenue streams for the wildlife filmmaking industry? How are our local broadcasters incorporating new media and will they survive? What are the new business models associated with the convergence of broadcast, mobile, Internet and On Demand TV? This and other questions will be raised and discussed by the following panelists: Hannelie Bekker from Telkom media, Gerhard Pretorius of SABC, Kim Wolhuter of Wild Cast, Simon Bromfield of Apple, and others with Michael Zylstra of Lizard Entertainment chairing the discussion.
Despite Africa providing spectacular wildlife destinations and hosting an amazing diversity of cultures, very few programmes in the eco-travel/cultural genre are being made in this country and even fewer by local producers for the international market. How do we develop this genre within our local market by local producers who are close to the innate spirit of Africa and its cultural offerings? The Talking Genre panel will focus on Travel and Culture and will be chaired by Sandra Herrington of Tekweni TV and Travelbug.tv, and will include the following panelists: Cathryn Garland of Travel Channel US, Angela Taylor a Travel Channel consultant and Gladman Buthelezi from KZN Wildlife amongst others.
To find out What Commissioning Editors are Looking For, don’t miss out on this seminar chaired by Alison Garrity of National Geographic Television. Panelists include Commissioning Editors from National Geographic, Animal Planet, SABC, e.tv and other broadcasters. This seminar will focus on the latest trends for the different markets and audiences, why broadcasters might need reversioned films and audience sensibilities. What is currently hot to co-produce and who with?
The seminar on How to Make a Sale will concentrate on looking at how business models work for selling completed programming versus raising commissioning funds. Should you make the film and try to sell it yourself? Why is there a disparity between funds offered to commission a film and those offered for a completed product? What are the current market prices that are being paid for programmes in certain genres? Panelists on this seminar include local and international distributors and producers, with Andrew Jackson of Tigress Productions chairing the discussion.
How does Digital Cinema create new opportunities for filmmakers? What kind of stories make good theatrical releases? What is the commercial environment and the theatrical distribution model? What are the budgets and revenue involved? What is the experience of filmmakers who have already tried it and succeeded? Panelists include Sanjeev Singh of Videovision Entertainment, filmmakers from March of the Penguins and the 11th Hour, and a representative from Ster Kinekor and Nu Metro.
Production Mythbusters will be chaired by Tania “TJ’ Jenkins, independent filmmaker from AfriScreen Films, who will be joined by a panel of independent filmmakers. For many, especially those new to the industry, the intricate workings of film and video production may seem daunting and often shrouded in mystery. This seminar will uncover what “production’ really means. Once your programme is commissioned, how do you go about organising budgets, schedules, shoots, equipment, crew, cast, locations, catering, insurance and a million other details that make any production happen?
What Do Our Children Want To Watch is a seminar that will investigate what children really think about current wildlife programming and how best to capture their attention. A group of children from Manor Gardens Primary School, a local Durban school, will join the panel discussion and share their thoughts with the audience. Is there enough wildlife programming out there for children or is it all aimed at adults? Are filmmakers using the Internet to its maximum potential to reach children? This seminar will be chaired by Willie Steenkamp of Homebrew Productions and he will be joined on the panel by Cecil Barry from Red Pepper, a VIP children’s presenter and Children’s Commissioning Editors from local broadcasters SABC and e.tv.
Global warming is changing the future of Africa and the final seminar will cover the much talked about subject of climate change. On the panel is Nirmala Nair who heads up ZERI Africa. Nair has taken the principles of zero waste to the next dimension through her deep understanding of people like the bushmen and feels that solutions coming from rich western philanthropists are not viable as their models so often overlook the local eco-system, culture and traditions. Included on the panel are Craig and Damon Foster, independent filmmakers who will launch their film on this subject.
The lively four-day programme also includes free workshop sessions (scriptwriting, Final Cut Pro, camera techniques and others), screening of award-winning films, an interactive exhibition area, which includes the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition sponsored by Animal Planet, and owned by Natural History Museum of London and BBC Wildlife Magazine. Delegates will also be entertained at three fabulous evening networking events which will take place at the famous Ushaka Marine aquarium, sponsored by Durban Africa, the Animal Planet launch party in a marquee on the beachfront of the Sun Casino, and the prestigious ROSCAR Award gala evening at the ICC Durban sponsored by KZN Wildlife and Durban Africa.
For more details, visit the website on www.wildtalkafrica.com or telephone +27 21 422 0023.
