DISCOPRO, DISCOP Africa’s Pan-African pitching, mentoring and networking program, is designed to deliver vital resources in development, coproduction and distribution as well as critical stages for content production for aspiring professional content producers. DISCOP Africa runs from 5 to 7 November at the Sandton Convention Centre and is an annual three-day trade show which brings together buyers, sellers and producers of televised entertainment content. The pitching competition takes place on 7 November.
Out of 77 entries received this year, DISCOPRO has selected 18 shortlisted producers to take part in the 2014 pitching competition. The Formats, Documentary and Animation categories each have five shortlisted participants and due to popularity, the TV Series category has seven participants.
The shortlisted participants are from the following seven African countries: South Africa, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Togo, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania.
Runners-up walk away with US$1,000 in development funds and a complimentary Meeting Table at DISCOP Africa 2015. The winners’ prize stands at US$2,000 in development funds and a complimentary Meeting Table at DISCOP Africa 2015. Cote Ouest, a distributor of audiovisual content in Africa, has this year committed to an additional US$5000 in prize money.
Serving on the DISCOPRO Judges Panels are:
Animation
Molefi Lebone / Endemol Africa, South Africa
Marguerite Abouet / About Productions, France
Han Gao / Jiangsu TV, China
Saira Sow / Viasat Broadcasting, UK
Anthony Silverson / Triggerfish Animation, South Africa
Documentary
Denise Mwende / Zuku Life & Entertainment, Kenya
Brendan Gabriel / Endemol Africa, South Africa
Ahmadou Bakayoko / RTI, Ivory coast
Don Edkins / Steps, South Africa
Joao Ribeiro / Televisao Independente De Mozambique, Mozambique
TV Series
Chalres Povey / Endemol Africa, South Africa
Damiano Malchiodi / Manager A Plus TV, Canal+ Overseas, France
Alain Modot / DIFFA Media Consulting, France
Ben Amaddasun / MTG Africa, Viasat Broadcasting, UK
Wangeci Murage / Zuku TV, Kenya
Format
Peter Gird / Cooked in Africa Films, South Africa
Gnama Baddy-Dega / Skyprod, France
Helga Palmer / Endemol, South Africa
Miki Mori / NHK, Japan
Aletta Albers / Mnet, South Africa
The DISCOPRO program offers the following to all registered participants:
• Expert guidance from renowned professionals
• Lectures and hands-on workshops
• Pitching Competitions
• Networking with possible co-production partners, development and acquisition executives
• Access to a pan-African TV content and adaptation rights market
