Over 30 projects in the feature film, television series, documentary and television format
genres have been submitted for the Finance Forum of the inaugural Cape Town Film
Mart (CTFM), which runs from 4 to 6 November at the Protea Fire & Ice Hotel.
CTFM, the co-production arm of the Cape Town & Winelands International Film Festival
(CTWIFF), was officially launched on 16 May at the Cannes International Film Festival.
“Originally the market was only open to projects from South Africa, Africa and the
countries with which South Africa has co-production treaties and memoranda of
understanding (MoUs), but we’ve accepted some delegation input to include the BRICS
(Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries as well,’ says CTFM’s acting
project manager, Monica Rorvik.
She notes that projects from six treaty countries are under consideration for the
Finance Forum. Sixty percent of projects submitted were from South Africa; some of
these projects are co-productions with other African countries.
“The stipulation for eligibility for the Finance Forum is that if the project emanates from
outside of South Africa, the producers must be open to working with South African co-
production partners,’ explains Rorvik. “An international selection panel will decide which
projects will go through to the Finance Forum, where they will have the opportunity to
be pitched to overseas financiers, distributors and sales agents.’
Official delegations from Italy and Brazil have confirmed their participation at the market
and Rorvik is in talks with other treaty and BRICS countries in this regard.
Among the activities at CTFM will be a BRICS Breakfast Meeting, as well as an Animation
Breakfast, where French producers will present their ideas for animation incubators.
There will also be animation panels and workshops – these form part of the France
South Africa Seasons 2012 & 2013. The French and South Africa animation producers
who participate in these sessions will then go on to attend the DISCOP AFRICA multi-
platform content market in Johannesburg (6 to 9 November).
CTFM will also present panels on transmedia and financing for co-productions. In
addition, master classes will be presented by international experts who will also present
workshops open to the public.
It is hoped that some interesting insights from CTWIFF’s Arabian Knights programme
will filter through to the CTFM’s funding panels.
“I believe the industry needs to pool resources for its own collective development. To
this end we’ve had meetings with the Encounters South African International
Documentary Festival and the National Film and Video Foundation to find ways to
strengthen the CTFM offering to the industry,’ comments Rorvik.
Only accredited delegates can attend CTFM. Accreditation grants access to the CTFM
master classes, networking events and the CTWIFF screenings.
CTWIFF
In exciting news, CTWIFF (formerly known as the Cape Winelands International Film
Festival) will open on 1 November with Jerome Salle’s Zulu, the Forest Whitaker /
Orlando Bloom starrer that closed the Cannes International Film Festival.
Whittaker will be in attendance at CTWFF, which runs until 10 November.
Says CTWFF festival director Leon van der Merwe: “We are also delighted to announce
that Dame Maggie Smith will be attending the festival to receive our International
Lifetime Achievement Award. We will screen her recent hit, Quartet, in her honour.
“As the festival features a special tribute to woman filmmakers we have decided to
present the South African Lifetime Achievement Award to South African actress Denise
Newman. Denise, a much awarded actress, studied theatre at The Actors Studio in Los
Angeles In 1980. Her first lead role, City Lover, was adapted for film from a short story
by Nadine Gordimer. The film deals with the subject of love across the colour line in
apartheid South Africa.’
Newman’s international film credits include Anner House (UK); The White Lioness
(Sweden); and The Waterbaby – Sara Sara (Italy). In 2009 she played the much lauded
title role in the South African film, Shirley Adams, directed by Oliver Hermanus. Over the
years she has moved effortlessly between theatre, film and television, as well as
teaching and developing young actors in South Africa.
Film highlights include her unforgettable roll in Forgiveness, directed by Ian Gabriel in
2006 and Russell Thompson’s 1997 film, Sexy Girls. She received best supporting
actress nominations for both films at FESPACO.
CTWIFF’s Arabian Nights programme will include several films that screened at the Abu
Dhabi Festival last year and Arabic films which won FIPRESCI (International Federation of
Film Critics) awards in 2012.
The festival will also host the nine-day Film in Your Pocket workshop for aspirant
filmmakers who will be tasked to shoot films on their cellphones. The top three films will
be screened on awards night on 10 November.
Sponsors for CTWIFF and CTFM are Wesgro, DTI, Distell, NFVF, and City of Cape Town.
“Various embassies and consulates like Brazil, the Flemish Representative Office in
Pretoria, the French Embassy, the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) and the Italian
Consulate all have special projects at the festival,’ concludes Van Der Merwe.
For more information about CTWFF and CTFM please visit http://films-for-
africa.co.za
