Some 126 qualifying projects from all over Africa have been submitted for the 2nd edition of Durban FilmMart , which takes place from 22 -25 July alongside the 32nd edition of the Durban International Film Festival (21 to 31 July).
“Submissions are now closed and we are heartened by the increase in number and calibre of projects submitted this year,” says Toni Monty of the Durban Film Office (DFO).
Earlier in the year, the Durban FilmMart team attended the International Film Festival Rotterdam to consolidate the partnership with CineMart and establish relationships with other relevant roleplayers such as the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA).
Also in Rotterdam were three producers that presented projects at the 2010 DFM 2010 Finance Forum. Jenna Cato Bass (winner of the Hubert Bals Fund Award at DFM), Tahir Aliyev, and Tom Rowlands-Rees were invited to participate in the Rotterdam Lab courtesy of the DFM/CineMart partnership.
Rowlands-Rees, producer of Confusion Na Wa, a Nigeria/UK collaboration, commented on insights gained from the Rotterdam Lab: “Being at the lab and speaking with producers from other countries really brought home to me how the film industry worldwide is in a state of change and that this is a challenging time for filmmakers. People have been talking about this sort of thing for some time – digital technology has undermined the existing industry, but has also created new opportunities. It all comes back to making films in the end!” He further expressed his excitement and gratitude for the support from the DFM and CineMart who made it possible for him to attend the Rotterdam Lab.
The Durban FilmMart team also took meetings at the Berlin Film Festival, FESPACO in Burkina Faso, and FICCI Frames in Mumbai.
For more information on the Durban FilmMart please visit www.durbanfilmmart.com or contact the DFM on email: durbanfilmmart@durban.gov.za or durbanfilmmart@gmail.com
