The Durban FilmMart (DFM) – the co-production forum of Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) – will host leading industry financiers, producers and commissioning editors at its sixth edition from 17 to 20 July 2015.
The DFM is Africa’s primary finance and co-production market and networking event, which includes a finance forum, master classes, and an Africa in Focus workshop and seminar programme held in conjunction with DIFF for industry delegates.
“Filmmakers from Africa and across the globe enjoy the opportunity that the DFM creates to connect with others in the industry to share contacts, knowledge and creative ideas,’ says Toni Monty of the DFO. “Filmmakers take full advantage of the various networking sessions and social engagements in between sessions to connect with financiers, producers, commissioning editors as well as distributors and the myriad creative filmmakers that attend.’
“Our main objective is to help people connect and develop networks and partnerships with others in the industry, especially those from across Africa,’ Monty continues. “We see how African filmmakers have developed strong relationships over the years and through various collaborative efforts we are starting to see an interesting growth in the industry.’
This year some top-drawer industry professionals will be in attendance to meet the filmmakers of the pre-selected film projects in the Finance Forum. Durban FilmMart delegates will be able to network with these financiers and other high profile industry guests over the course of the DFM.
The line-up of producers, commissioning editors and financiers include:
Producer Alexandra Stone, who heads CMP Film Ltd, a London-based film and television production company. She has worked with top-end filmmakers such as Bernardo Bertolucci, Terry Gilliam, Jonathan Glazer, Johnny Depp, Phillip Noyce and David Cronenberg.
Cosima Degler, producer at unafilm, whose slate of films have been screened at festivals around the world including Berlinale, Cannes, Toronto, Locarno, IDFA, San Sebastian, DOKLeipzig, among others. In 2013, unafilm’s Heli won the award for Best Director in competition in Cannes and in 2014 Bridges of Sarajevo was shown in the Selection Officielle in Cannes.
Managing director of Barentsfilms, Ingrid Lill Høgtun, is the Norwegian co-producer for Cylinder Production, for the film Essential Killing by Jerzy Skolimowski, a Polish, Norwegian, Irish, Hungarian co-production, which won the Jury´s Special Award and Best Actor in Venice 2010. She is also executive producer for the TV-series Hellfjord by Tommy Wirkola and others, produced by Tappeluft Pictures. Based in Oslo, Norway, Barentsfilm produces mainly art house films and documentaries. Among others, the company has produced most of the films of the acclaimed Norwegian director, Knut Erik Jensen.
Jelena Goldbach, producer at ZAK Film Productions, specialises in European co-productions. In 2014 Jelena produced The Chicken by the up-and coming Bosnian writer/director Una Gunjak, which won the European Film Award for Best Short Film. The Chicken premiered at the 67th Festival de Cannes, in the Semaine de la Critique strand and was the winner of the prestigious Robert Bosch Co-production Prize. In 2010, Jelena founded Wostok, an independent London-based production company that specialises in development, financing and production of international projects with focus on up-and coming talent.
Philipp Hoffman from Rushlake Media, a company that supports producers, rights holders and institutions in marketing their content with its core business in VOD licensing and digital distribution. Besides digital distribution, Rushlake Media handles international sales for selected producers with a focus on the African market. Their clients include Tom Tykwer’s One Fine Day Films and Gravel Road Entertainment Group.
Director of documentary programming at the Tribeca Film Institute (TFI), Jose Rodriguez has been a script/book reader for Overture Films while also working on Tze Chun’s Children of Invention and the documentary Poor Consuelo Conquers the World. The Tribeca Film Institute champions storytellers to be catalysts for change in their communities and around the world. With over US$1.5 million in annual grants and professional development programs, TFI supports a diverse, exceptional group of filmmakers and media artists, providing them resources needed to fully realise their stories and connect with audiences.
Additional key guests include Afridocs (South Africa), Afrinolly (Nigeria), Arrow Entertainment Inc (Canada), Arte (France), Barents Film (Norway), BBC StoryVille (UK), Caribbean Tales (Canada), Cinemart (Netherlands), CMP Films (UK), Docubox (Kenya), Doe Eye Media Production Inc (Canada), Endorphine Production (Germany), Goethe Institut (Germany), Gotel Communications Ltd, Hot Docs/Blue Ice (Canada), IDFA (Netherlands), Inner City Films (Canada), Melia Films France (France), Produire au Sud (France), Prospector Films (Canada), Real Livin’ Films Inc (Canada), Rome Cinema Network (Italy), Rush Lake Media (Germany), Sherwood Productions Inc, (Canada), Sisu Productions (Canada), Ste Films (Italy), Sundance Institute (USA),Ten 10 Films (UK), Torpedo Pictures (Canada), Tribeca Film Institute (USA), Triptych Media Inc (Canada), unafilm (Germany), XYZ Films (USA), Zak Films (Germany), and ZDF (Germany).
