Home Authors Posts by Cape Town International Film Market and Festival

Cape Town International Film Market and Festival

18 POSTS 0 JOBS

Behind the Headlines: Successes of the CTIFMF

Cape Town International Film Market and Festival
-
0
Behind the Headlines: Successes of the CTIFMF

SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE:

As the dust settles on the incredibly successful Cape Town International Film Market and Festival (CTIFMF), we dig below the headlines to recognise some of the impressive results and processes that came out of the event.

It was truly inspiring to see so many diverse role players – even those that, at times, may be at odds with each other on certain issues – gather together and commit to the hard but necessary work to grow the industry.

Various stakeholders from the City of Cape Town have proven wholly committed to supporting the local film industry, from the Mayor’s office to the team at Wesgro [the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape]. Whilst they have made mistakes and the need to scrutinise and constructively monitor and engage with their policies remains, it is clear that the intent to drive and support the industry is real. The involvement and support from a policy point of view has been complemented by tangible financial support for the sector and a willingness to listen.

The Western Cape Department of Culture, Arts and Sports also came to the table, with their support enabling 500 young people to visit the festival. Equally important as the opportunity for these young people to see themselves and their stories reflected back at them on screen, was the opportunity for them to discover entirely new career paths.

Chatting to one learner who wasn’t quite sure about what it all meant, I explained to her that she could work in the film industry and that there were dozens of potential jobs, from being a cameraperson or a producer to a make-up artist or set designer. When I pointed her towards the ADFA stand and mentioned that she could go and speak to people from one of the best film schools in Africa she literally ran over to them in excitement. Hopefully one day we will see that young woman return to the festival as a professional within the industry.

Lives were changed during some of the smaller closed-door sessions that occurred during the festival. The Works in Progress programme offered an unparalleled opportunity for filmmakers, some still starting in their careers, to get in-depth, specific and constructive feedback from an international panel of experts hardly ever found in one room. Industry experts included representatives from Berlinale’s European Film Market and Berlinale Africa Hub; Tribeca; Toronto International Film Festival; London BFI; international sales companies such as Pyramide International and Flourishing Films; talent agents Casarotto and Curtis Brown; M-Net; Indigenous Films; Ster-Kinekor; and Post Production South Africa.

The Work Café session focused on the difficult policy discussions that need to happen across government levels and structures. The importance of engagement from local and city structures, through to national government, and ultimately to pan-African agreements was made abundantly clear in this full-day session.

Sitting around one table and facing the realities of the film industry in the three continental power houses of South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya, were representatives from Wesgro, The KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, the National Film and Video Foundation, the Department of Trade and Industry, The Kenya Film Commission and The Nigeria Film Corporation.

Each of the representatives was surprised to find the similarities of the challenges that they all face, and perhaps the most important result of the meeting was the commitment of all involved to continue the conversations between each other, and with their respective governmental organisations.

It was readily acknowledged that despite some African countries (notably South Africa) having co-production treaties with a host of non-African countries, in Sub-Saharan Africa, no African countries have such co-production agreements in place. Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa’s governments all have funds available to local filmmakers, and by collaborating across these territories filmmakers can exponentially increase their access to funding.

There was also the real understanding that many of the barriers to such collaboration come from other areas of government, such as the on-going and taxing issue of visas for African people looking to do business across the continent. Nigeria and South Africa’s tit-for-tat visa spats continue, and across the continent it is sometimes either exorbitantly expensive to travel, impossible to secure visas – or both.

Another tangible outcome from the festival was the confirmation of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) becoming official partners of the CTIFMF, as part of the on-going annual European Audio Visual Entrepreneurs (EAVE) programme. Five African and five European producers will be selected to take part in a year-long programme, where 10 audio-visual projects will be developed through two residential workshops and presented at CTIFMF October 2019 and at the 38th CineMart in January 2020.

EAVE aims to provide professional training opportunities and to bring producers from different regions of the world together with the goal of facilitating co-production relationships, and this rigorous programme will afford these African producers the incredible opportunity to develop their projects in a global collaborative process.

The CTIFMF 2018 saw exponential growth in this its 2nd edition, in large part to the outreach and inclusion of other local and national events. Instead of seeing each other as competitive threats, film festivals in South Africa are realising that by working together towards a greater goal, by synchronising their efforts, the entire industry benefits. This year, representatives from the Durban International Film Festival and FilmMart, the Shnit Short Film Festival, the Black Filmmakers Film Festival and even from regional counterpart the Zimbabwe International Film Festival, were all involved in one way or another with the CTIFMF. Monthly industry gatherings for the industry were organised by market director Elias Ribeiro and ensured the buy-in of the local industry – absolutely critical for the success of the event.

It’s often these stories, sometimes not covered in detail, that are the real successes of any festival. Without a doubt, the buy-in, good-will and positive energy cultivated at this year’s event will be powerful drivers towards a more inclusive and sustainable industry for all.

CTIFMF wraps up another successful edition

Cape Town International Film Market and Festival
-
0
CTIFMF wraps up another successful edition

For 11 days, from 9 to 19 October, the Cape Town International Film Market and Festival (CTIFMF) ensured the focus of the media, the public and key industry stakeholders on the importance of films and filmmaking within the socio-economic eco-system. The gathering of industry professionals and film-lovers was unprecedented in terms of the profile and numbers of those in attendance.

The eleven days of film screenings commenced with the festival’s Opening Night, one of the most high-profile events the city has seen in years with over 1 300 guests descending on the massive red carpet that draped the Artscape Theatre’s piazza. South Africa’s submission for the Oscars, and the film that went on to win Best South African Feature at the festival, Sew the Winter to My Skin, was screened to commemorate the occasion.

Throughout the remaining 10 days, Nu Metro and Ster-Kinekor Cinema Nouveau at the V&A Waterfront saw a host of red carpet premieres and multiple sold out shows for some of the 160+ films from South Africa, the rest of the continent and further afield. International juries, filmmakers, members of the media and thousands of Capetonians including over 500 students who were brought in from across the Cape Flats, were able to enjoy the eclectic selection curated by festival director Leon van der Merwe and the larger festival team.

In terms of both the market and the festival, the 2018 edition of the CTIFMF saw exponential growth in attendance, partnerships, as well as industry and public support. This year the festival reached an estimated 70 million people through social media and press coverage. Increased attendance this year also impacted positively on tourism with an emphasis on breaking cultural barriers and unlocking new markets such as the Muslim and MENA regions through a partnership with Africa Halal Week.

Moreover, this year the festival screened no less than 10 films that are official submissions from their respective countries for the Oscars. Namely, Sew the Winter to my Skin (South Africa), Supa Modo (Kenya) and Dogman (Italy) to mention a few. The latter of which went on to win the Best Actor, Best Director as well as the Grand Prix Award. This exceptional quality of film submissions is testament to the rising prestige that the CTIFMF has already achieved over just two years and asserts its relevance within the global film festival fraternity.

As CTIFMF executive chairman Rafiq Samsodien explains, “The international market’s response to the quality of our content delivery is yet another validation of the innovative steps we are taking to connect and provide global insights and solutions for the challenges facing the creative industries. This year’s event galvanised the industry and reached out to share this spirit across the continent. More than ever, there is now a keen willingness for more open collaboration and dialogue between stakeholders across disciplines and even borders. We will further develop the sustainability of our industry, but also give new opportunities to markets within the MENA region and beyond.”

Adding to this, festival CEO Nazeera Hartley Roach had this to say, “One of our main objectives is to effect meaningful change by creating opportunities for youth from under-served communities, ensuring that transformation and job creation remain top priorities. This was demonstrated in our focused youth programme this year that engaged more than 500 youth from across the Cape Flats and as far as Paarl.”

“Woman in film was another key focus, as gender equality was another key priority for the festival. This was underscored by the many woman filmmakers, jury members and panel speakers who participated in the festival this year. Women took home the majority of the awards in the Works in Progress programme, as well as winning The Writers Guild of South Africa Pitch Competition. The CTIFMF also hosted the launch of the Ladima Foundation’s A-List, South Africa’s largest searchable database of women film industry professionals,” added Roach.

This year’s Cape Town International Film Market and Festival’s Industry Programme, meticulously programmed by market director Elias Ribeiro and his team, saw over 300 industry professionals and experts taking part in four days of intensive discussions and sessions that focused on skills transfer, best practice and intellectual capacity building.

The CTIFMF Market programme included the incredibly important Works in Progress programme, the ENGAGE Audience Development programme, the ADAPT book adaptation programme, as well as the Writers Guild of South Africa’s Screenwriting pitch competition.

One of the key sessions within the Industry Programme was the unique Work Café – a full day devoted to harnessing the collective power of the some of the more exciting emergent national film industries across Africa through a focused discussion where policy makers and experts could develop best practice to move the industry forward.

All of the participants, which included Wesgro, the Dti, the Kenya Film Commission, The Nigeria Film Corporation, the NFVF, and the KZN Film Commission, were aware of the uniqueness and importance of the rare opportunity for so many key African film policymakers to be in one room and that the discussion was only the start of what now must become a Pan-African collaborative effort to bridge the gaps between bureaucracy and practicality, and to create a fertile environment in which developing film industries can flourish.

A major announcement was also made during the festival, the confirmation of IFFR as official partners with the CTIFMF to ensure that the festival will now be part of the on-going annual EAVE programme. Five African and five European producers will be selected to take part in a year long programme where 10 audiovisual projects will be developed through two residential workshops and presented at CTIFMF 2019 and at the 38th CineMart in January 2020.

Other partners and participants of this year’s event included Brand South Africa, The European Film Market/Africa Hub, Cannes Film Festival, The Kenya Film Commission, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Nigerian Film Corporation, The Black Filmmakers Festival, SWIFT, the National Film and Video Foundation, The Dti, The KZN Film Commission, BFI London, Curtis Brown, The Ladima Foundation, Italian Consulate South Africa, Tribeca Film Festival, Electric South, Black Rhino, Flourishing Films, the DFA, The Moving Billboard Picture Company, The Refinery, Hollard Insurance, African News Agency, The Callsheet, European Audio Visual Entrepreneurs (EAVE), Independent Producers Association, The Durban International Film Festival, Ster Kinekor, Nu Metro, The V & A Waterfront, The Comedy Club, Workshop 17, Africa Halal Week, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates and many others.

The immense success of this year’s event has built a solid foundation for 2019, although the increased support of industry and related stakeholders will be essential in order to constructively build on this foundation.

The Cape Town International Film Market & Festival 2018 industry programme

Cape Town International Film Market and Festival
-
0
The Cape Town International Film Market & Festival 2018 industry programme

The 2018 edition of the Cape Town International Film Market and Festival (CTIFMF) will take place from 9 to 19 October 2018 at venues across the V & A Waterfront in Cape Town.

For this year’s Industry Programme, the CTIFMF has made a concerted effort to focus on outcome driven programmes with tangible results that will benefit both emerging and experienced filmmakers and industry professionals.

The 4-day programme offers an array of skills development master-classes, highly informative panel discussions, and intense and engaging networking opportunities. With an eye to the CTIFMF’s themes of CREATE, COLLABORATE, CELEBRATE, the industry program is a truly inclusive offering that proudly celebrates the diversity of the South African and African film industries whilst also focusing on the importance of global cooperation and collaboration.

The various sessions include experts from the South African context, from across Africa with strong representation from Kenya and Nigeria, and from further afield, industry talent from Brazil, Canada (TIFF), the UK, Germany (Berlinale), France (Cannes), and the USA.

Highlights of the four days include panel discussions on topical and relevant issues such as the importance of emerging technologies within the industry. An exhibition space for audience to experience VR at its best will also be on display at the EXPO.

A comprehensive session on VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality), as well as the importance of crypto currencies and blockchain, will include experts Brian Afande, (Black Rhino VR Kenya) Ingrid Kopp (Electric South), Toni Caradonna, (Ethereum Movie Venture), and Karl Carter, (Snake Nation, USA). Toni will also present a separate Masterclass focusing on block chain and cryptos for Dummies.

Within the focus on tech and digital, there is also a look at web-series with case studies that will include producers in this space such as, Dorothee Wenner – Kinshasa Collection and Kelly-Eve Koopman – Coloured Mentality.

With a strong emphasis on diversity as well as the importance of the space that African content occupies globally, the CTIFMF will also present a range of highly topical panel discussions.  A key session on diversity will be presented by Flourishing Films’ Themba Bhebhe.

Additionally, Africa is in the spotlight in a number of sessions including Positioning Africa, the Opening Assembly of the Industry Program that will include both African filmmakers as well as top international gate keepers. These experts will have a frank and open discussion on the way that Africa and African content is currently positioned. The panel will include Remi Bonhomme from Marrakesh and Cannes Semaine de la Critique, Andrew Orgel – Quality of Life Media, USA, Cara Causmano –  Tribeca Film Festival, and filmmakers Zamo Makwenze, Amira Tajdin, and Phillipa Ndisi Herrmann.

The Ladima Foundation will also focus on the importance of Pan-African networks specifically for women in the industry with their panel discussion.  A range of influential women from the industry from across Africa will take part, including Mildred Okwo, a producer/director from Nigeria, from Kenya, Phillipa Ndisi Herrmann and Catherine Gitahi of the Kenya Film Commission, as well as international filmmaker Tessa Boerman.

The book adaption programme, ADAPT, will also present two sessions open to badge holders that will focus on the journey from Book to Screen, and these will be presented by Selina Ukwuoma, Selina is a freelance script consultant who began her career at literary agency Curtis Brown working on a number of adaptations including 2008 BAFTA winner BOY A. She has since gone on to advise on award-winning indie films such as 2014 Teddy winner THE WAY HE LOOKS and this year’s Goyas triumph SUMMER 1993, both Foreign Language Oscars entries from their respective countries.

Various other sessions such as the Meet the Makers series will provide various perspectives and “behind-the-scenes” insights into iconic and successful African films. These sessions will cover themes such as Performance, Visual Style, Lo-Fi, Children Content, Documentaries and Local / Global Success.

CTIFMF market director Elias Ribeiro sums up the industry programme this way, “We are incredibly excited by the support and enthusiasm we have had from the dozens of experts and professionals who have committed to taking part in this programme. They all share our collaborative vision that is based on creating real value and tangible outcomes for all participants. We urge everyone with an interest in the growth of the South African and African film industries to take part in these events and reap the real rewards that will come from these informative sessions and truly remarkable networking opportunities.”

 

CTIFMF announces 2018 Works in Progress selection

Cape Town International Film Market and Festival
-
0
CTIFMF announces 2018 Works in Progress selection

The 2018 edition of the Cape Town International Film Market and Festival (CTIFMF) will take place from 9 to 19 October 2018 at venues across the V & A Waterfront in Cape Town.

As part the CTIFMF’s outreach efforts and in keeping with its theme, of CREATE, COLLABORATE, CELEBRATE, a number of key programmes, all designed to maximise opportunities and to establish long term inclusive programmes for emerging talent as well as professionals will take place at this year’s event.

WIP (Works in Progress) selection

The CTIFMF has selected five fiction and four documentary projects to take part in this intensive process, a creative surgery of sorts with their handpicked mentors in private one to one sessions. The nine films will showcase to programmers from Rotterdam, Berlinale, Tribeca, SXSW, Cannes Critics Week, Cannes Directors Fortnight, Venice, TIFF and London BFI; international sales companies such as Pyramide International, Flourishing Films, MPM Premium, Memento and Versatile. Talent Agents Casarotto Ramsay & Associates and Curtis Brown. Local broadcasters M-Net, distribution company Indigenous Films, exhibitors Ster-Kinekor and Nu Metro.

At the end of the process, the most promising projects will receive in kind awards for grading, sound design, final sound mix, VFX, online editing, subtitling and DCPs, with the generous support of South African post production facilities such as Priest Post, Rhapsody, The Refinery, The Work Room Audio Post, Post Production South Africa and The Moving Billboard Picture Company.

Market director Elias Ribeiro has this to say of the selection process, “After screening 54 entries from over 15 countries in Africa, I’m convinced we still have a lot of work to do in bridging the gap between content that works in the continent and content that will travel beyond. As a market director for CTIFMF it is my mission to foster spaces and discussions for more financial instruments to emerge.”

“Our talent needs support to harness their voices as there are so few avenues to finance development in Africa. I am also certain there are many brave stories shouting out loud to be told by raw and some more polished voices and African perspectives. I hope this will be evident in our WIPs selection, with a focus in Sub-Saharan Africa: Nine films which will hopefully find their way into the world with the helping hand of the international programmers, sales companies, broadcasters, distributors, exhibitors and talent agents attending our screenings.”

FICTION:

FREEDOM by Jafta Mamabolo & Ralph Ziman, produced by Tendeka Matatu – South Africa

KNUCKLE CITY by Jahmil X.T. Qubeka, produced by Layla Swart – South Africa

LUSALA by Mugambi Nthiga, produced by Siobhan “Ginger” Wilson – Kenya

SALVATION by Carmen Sangion, produced by Kim Sangion – South Africa

TOORBOS by Rene van Rooyen, produced by Danie Bester – South Africa

DOCUMENTARY:

BOLOMBOTO by Rasoanaivo Tovoniaina & Razanajaona Luck, produced by Razanajaona Luck – Madagascar

BUDDHA IN AFRICA by Nicole Schafer, produced by Nicole Schafer – Malawi

THE LETTER by Maia Lekow & Chris King, produced by Maia Lekow & Chris King – Kenya

THE HOME by Jessie Zinn, produced by Chase Musslewhite & Jessie Zinn – South Africa

The selected filmmakers are all excited and enthusiastic about the upcoming programme;

“Of all the challenges in making a film, post production remains one of our biggest and the CTIFM&F now provides a tangible solution in elevating African films and its presence on the international stage. We are excited for October, to work and collaborate with the industry experts and immerse ourselves in the process.” – Rene van Rooyen

“We are truly honoured to have been selected to participate in CTIFMF-WIP programme.  To present our film in front of an audience of highly respected film industry professionals has the potential to take our film’s release to new heights as well as help build bridges between the Kenyan and South African film communities.” – Maia Lekow

“We are honoured to present our new film, Freedom, as part of the inaugural WIPs at the CTIFMF. The festival team have done an incredible job in bringing together serious industry professionals from South Africa and around the globe and we look forward to contributing towards a successful market.” – Tendeka Matatu (Recently been appointed a member of the Academy in the Producers division.)

“It is an amazing opportunity to be a part of this pilot edition of the WIP programme devised by Elias Ribeiro. Our industry is growing rapidly and it is these programs that bridge the divide between what is in the imagination of a film maker, and what the audience will receive. A chance to have this feedback from such astute industry professionals before the film is complete is a crucial step in the process.” – Jahmil X.T. Qubeka

“As black female filmmakers we are exhilarated by the possibilities that this program exposes us to. To have access to important industry players, who captain the business end of filmmaking, is truly a privilege that few are afforded and we look forward to making full use of this opportunity.” – Kim Sangion

Click here more information on the CTIFMF.

CTIFMF announces official selection 2018: feature films

Cape Town International Film Market and Festival
-
0
CTIFMF announces official selection 2018: feature films

The Cape Town International Film Market and Festival has announced the official selection of feature films for the 2018 edition of the festival. Festival screenings are open to the public and will run from 10 to 19 October at various cinemas within the V&A Waterfront, including free family-friendly films at the Amphitheatre.

The programme is a cinematic feast with some 120 world-class films on show to the public, festival delegates, and the jury. The meticulously curated selection will include a significant amount of African content amongst the independent feature films, short films and documentaries on show. Particular focus areas are New Voices (first-time feature directors), That’s So Gay (new LGBTQ releases), and Cinema of Conscience.

This year’s selection is full of powerful and entertaining films that together celebrate the diversity and uniqueness of cultures and stories from all over the world. Ticket sales open on 1 October 2018.

CTIFMF festival director Leon van der Merwe has this to say of this year’s selection, “This year we will present more films, including short and feature documentaries, submitted by filmmakers from more than 78 countries around the world. From the more than 700 entries we received more than 80 Feature Films, 20 documentaries and 66 short films were selected. It was encouraging to see more filmmakers from Africa submitting their films to the film festival and supports our theme of create collaborate and celebrate.

Woman in film and also woman film directors rose in their numbers since last year. We celebrate and congratulate the extraordinary group of talented filmmakers who have employed their skills and craft in the exploration of social, cultural, economic and political subjects. We are extremely excited for this year’s festival. We believe that the CTIFMF provides one more outlet to local and international filmmakers.”

Films that will screen include a range of World Premieres and the festival will play host to a number of respected filmmakers from across South Africa, the rest of the continent, and the globe.

Films from as far afield as Japan, Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, Russia, Germany, Romania, the UK, Indonesia and the Philippines will be joined from a selection from across Africa including Ghana, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Niger, and Tanzania.

Kenya is especially well represented by two films; the much celebrated film Rafiki, from the multi-award winning director Wanuri Kahiu, along with the beautifully moving Supa Modo, directed by Likarion Wainaina.

Rafiki (“Friend”) was inspired by Ugandan Monica Arac de Nyeko‘s 2007 Caine Prize Winning short story Jambula Tree, Rafiki is the story of friendship and tender love that grows between two young women, Kena and Ziki, amidst family and political pressures. The film had its international premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Rafiki was banned by the Kenya’s Film and Classification Board (KFCB) due to its homosexual theme, which in Kenya is contrary to the law.

Supa Modo tell the story of a young girl whose dream of becoming a superhero is threatened by terminal illness, inspiring her village to rally together to make her dream come true. This uplifting debut film for Likarion Wainana has won seven awards in various International Film Festivals.

South Africa is strongly represented with no less than 10 South African feature films in competition. Amongst these are:

Captive (Ko nkanga), from director David Kabale tells the story of an immigrant woman, who after moving into her aunt’s house, experiences sexual abuse at the hands of her in law. She must now make a choice of whether to submit or fight.

Joseph Jones Umba’s Epiphany is a thoroughly modern story. After a clerical insemination error, an acquiescent woman must choose between her conservative husband and a child that has eluded her for so long.

Included in the selection is also a strong contingent of women filmmakers, including the World Premiere event for the film Cut Out Girls, a Cape Town made South African film from director Nicola Hanekom that is is loosely based on her award winning stage play that deals with the uneasy subject of date rape.

The coming of age tale from Iranian filmmaker Sadaf Foroughi, Ava has won multiple awards including the Toronto International Film Festival 2017 and the Discovery – International Critics’ Award (FIPRESCI).

Other noteworthy films include from the Philippines, The Eternity Between Seconds and The Great Buddah+. The Eternity Between Seconds is a romance about two strangers who meet in Korea and form an intimate relationship as they bond over their loneliness, conversations and neuroses and is directed by Alec Figuracion.

The Great Buddah+ is Taiwan director Hsin-yao Huang’s film that has won 15 awards in various International Film Festivals and is an almost comical tale that involves gods, middle-aged men’s sexual desire and the conversation between ghosts and humans.

The Harvesters (Die Stropers), a South African entry within the LGBTQ section and is a 2018 internationally co-produced film written and directed by Etienne Kallos. The film presents a new generation of Afrikaans youths coming of age in contemporary Africa through the story of a teenager living on his parents’ remote cattle farm.

For a full list and information on all the feature films that will be screening at this year’s CTIFMF, visit their website.

Information and official announcements of the short films and documentary films, screening schedules and ticket information will all be made soon.

The Cape Town International Film Market and Festival is proudly hosted by the City of Cape Town.

The CTIFM&F 2018 Market badges are now available

Cape Town International Film Market and Festival
-
0
The CTIFM&F 2018 Market badges are now available

The 2018 edition of the Cape Town International Film Market and Festival will take place from 9 to 19 October 2018 at venues across the V & A Waterfront in Cape Town.

For film professionals, an expanded and content-focused Market and industry programme will run from 10 to 13 October, aimed at inclusive and constructive engagements that foster the development of quality content and support the growth of a cohesive African film industry.

Highlights include a Works in Progress programme, a Book Adaptations programme and an Audience Development workshop as well as Work Cafés, keynote speeches, panel discussions and networking opportunities.

Throughout the four days a range of discussions will cover topics including capacity building and skills development, virtual reality, festival strategies, curatorship, financing, blockchain and cryptocurrency, amongst others.

Delegate registration is now open, and we encourage everyone to register now, ahead of the 12 September deadline to be included on the delegate book to be distributed at the event. The complete industry programme will be announced on 15 September 2018.

The CTIFM&F Works in Progress programme has also extended its deadline for entries to Friday, 17 August. This programme will see six works viewed and evaluated by high calibre decision makers and experts, with the goal of increasing the artistic quality and challenging the core creative teams to think about audiences beyond their own territories. To submit an entry email zahrah@filmfest.capetown.

The CTIFM&F expo will run alongside the Market programme from 10 to 13 October at the North Wharf Harbour, a prime location in the V&A Waterfront with a natural flow of attendees from the various CTIFM&F venues.

Industry stakeholders, film-related agencies, governmental agencies and production service companies such as logistics, location support and scouting, crew agencies, gear sales and rental, security, catering, transport, post-production, technology and software, are invited to take part by exhibiting their products and services in the official expo space. Further opportunities for these companies include networking lounges, speaking opportunities, press conferences for product announcements and more. For more information and to book a stall email sales@filmfest.capetown.

To make this year’s revamped Market programme and expo as accessible to film industry professionals, the CTIFM&F has made Market badges as affordable as possible. Market director Elias Ribeiro explains further, “We want to see as many industry professionals as possible taking part in this year’s programme, and we also want to ensure that delegates experience the real value that the programme presents. The full Market pass is the ideal way for both seasoned professionals and those just starting out in the industry to benefit from the skills sharing, networking, and other opportunities that will be part of the programme.”

CTIFM&F Market badges can be secured here. Prices are as follows:

Full Market Passes
4 day market pass incl. screenings: R750
4 day market pass excl. screenings: R500
4 day market pass – student ( incl. screenings) R400
4 day market pass – student (excl. screenings) R350

Day passes:
Per day (10 or 11 or 12 or 13 Oct) – incl. screenings: R250

The Cape Town International Film Market and Festival drives audience engagement

Cape Town International Film Market and Festival
-
0
The Cape Town International Film Market and Festival drives audience engagement

In the exciting build-up to the industry focused Market programme of the Cape Town International Film Market and Festival (CTIFMF), a host of interventions such as the Works in Progress (WIP) programme have already been announced.

Another key component of this year’s CTIFMF Market will be the Audience Development programme – entitled ENGAGE, with the specific aim of improving the capacity within the film industry to identify and develop markets for African films.

The CTIFMF realises that one of the most challenging and pressing issues for local films is to earn the trust of local audiences that translates into box office success, as Elias Ribeiro explains, “CTIFMF in its commitment to harness and develop wider audiences will host a number free public screenings as part of the Festival programme in 2018. We hope to engage the local community and learn from these experiments. These, as well as the box office will inform the audience engagement strategy exercise that we will have to go through with the two winners of the cash prize.”

In order to address this challenge and ensure tangible outcomes, the CTIFMF will convene a group of marketing and industry experts with an understanding of these challenges. A three-day outcome-based workshop, under the guidance of Valeria Richter, will equip these professionals with the most current and powerful tools designed to assist film teams in identifying their target market and core focus.

Richter mainly works as creative producer, scriptwriter and script consultant. She works in her own company, Nordic Factory Copenhagen, and has co-produced a host of features including Granny’s Dancing on the Table – Sweden 2015, Cora – Brazil 2018, The Feminist – Sweden 2018, and shorts, Nordic Factory at Directors’ Fortnight – DK/Finland 2014. She has won over 50 awards and was project manager for the Nordic Film & TV Fund led development initiative, Nordic Genre Boost (2015-17), and has worked for TorinoFilmLab (TFL) and the Baltic Event (BE) co-production market since 2008.

She developed the Audience Design approach and workshop programme for TFL and has developed several concepts and formats for training for them and other clients. Additionally, both South Africa’s The Wound and Senegal’s Felicite, both of which received Oscar entries for their regions, went through Richter’s audience development program.

Richter is currently writing and show-running a TV series in collaboration with the Finnish production company Bufo. She holds an MA in Film and Media Science, is a graduate producer from the Danish Super16 Film Collective, and since 2009 she has been a member of the European Film Academy.

Richter has this to say about her participation in the CTIFMF, “As with any form of marketing, there is never a guarantee that it leads to a film’s success in the market, the early audience engagement focus does however guarantee a strong platform to develop the marketing approach on, and it has a significant impact on the quality of the choices you make for your film as it meets the market, short term and long term.”

At the end of the workshop, each participant will be assigned a project from the WIP and will be expected to deliver an Audience Design Strategy with a cash prize awarded to the most prolific two of the lot, to craft an Audience Design Strategy in collaboration with the Festival Board for CTIFMF 2019.

Aimed at publicists, marketing and sales professionals, distributors and others within the field, applications are open until 17 August.  More details on the programme, outcomes and prize can be found on the CTIFMF website or by emailing zahrah@filmfest.capetown.

The overall programme of the CTIFMF will also be made of four days of industry panels and workshops that will include experts from South Africa, the rest of Africa, and from across the globe. There will be a variety of relevant topics covered, all aimed at inclusive and constructive dialogues that foster the development of a cohesive and continually developing film industry. These topics include mentorship, financing, AR/VR, blockchain and crypto currency and animation.

CTIFMF: Works in Progress programme entries now open

Cape Town International Film Market and Festival
-
0
CTIFMF: Works in Progress programme entries now open

The Cape Town International Film Market and Festival (CTIFMF) will take place from 9 to 19 October 2018. While the festival promises to be a feast of film screenings designed to celebrate the best in regional and international cinema, the Market programme, taking place from 10 to 13 October is squarely focused on providing tangible opportunities for filmmakers from across Africa.

In order to focus strongly on content, CTIFMF has developed a programme that aims to raise the bar for African films in terms of quality and innovation. The CTIFMF will run a Works in Progress programme that will see a maximum of six works in progress will be selected from the African continent to show to international industry experts.

High caliber decision makers and experts, as mentioned below, will be hand-picked to screen the selected films to give detailed feedback on with the goal to increase the artistic quality and challenge the core creative teams think about audiences, beyond their own territory.

This initial viewing will be followed by a screening of a segment of the same works to a wider audience of invited industry stakeholders comprising of festival programmers, sales companies, distributors and post-production financiers. The WIP programme will disburse finishing awards to the most promising projects: grading, final sound mix, VFX, online editing, subtitling and DCPs, with the generous support of South African post production facilities such as Priest Post, Rhapsody, The Refinery, The Work Room Audio Post, and and Post Production South Africa.

In order to deliver the most value as possible to attendees, the CTIFM has secured participation from a range of top industry experts from home and abroad. Experts from the Berlinale’s European Film Market and Berlinale Africa Hub, Tribeca, Cannes Director’s Fortnight, TIFF, London BFI; international sales companies such as Pyramide International, Flourishing Films, Talent Agents Casarotto and Curtis Brown, Mnet, Indigenous Films, and Ster-Kinekor will all contribute to this programme.

CTIFMF market director Elias Ribeiro explains further, “We are honoured to welcome a range of carefully considered experts that can all tangibly assist producers to improve the overall quality of their works in progress. Amongst the professionals who will take part in the works in progress sessions are Cynthia Okoye from Curtis Brown, David Kayser from Casarotto & Ramsay Associates, Eric Lagesse, head of Acquisitions from Pyramide International, South African producer and story consultant Mmabatho Kau, and Themba Bhebhe, sales executive at Flourishing Films. This programme will prove to be a unique and invaluable opportunity and we encourage filmmakers from across Africa and the rest of the continent to apply.”

Cynthia Okoye joined Curtis Brown in 2008 having freshly graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in Law (LLB). In 2013 she began to build her own list of writers, directors and filmmakers from the ground up. 

Curtis Brown is one of the world’s leading literary and talent agencies. They represent authors, playwrights, film and television writers and directors, theatre directors and designers, television and radio presenters and actors. Their film portfolio includes – Broken, London Road and The Ones Below, all for BBC Films.

David Kayser is South African himself is a talent agent at Casarotto Ramsay & Associates – one of the world’s leading creative agencies, representing writers, directors, dramatic rights to books & estates across film, TV and theatre. Casarotto clients include Steve McQueen, Hope Dickson-Leach, Jack Thorne, Lenny Abrahamson, Lucy Kirkwood, Sibs Shongwe-La Mer, Caryl Churchill, Joachim Trier, Sarah Gavron, Phyllis Nagy, David Yates, Kelly Marcel, Terry Gilliam, and the estates of JG Ballard, Roald Dahl, Joe Orton, and Tennessee Williams, to name a few.

David explains his reason for getting involved, “I’m extremely passionate about African storytelling – the voices that are coming out of South Africa and beyond at the moment are hugely exciting for the industry-at-large. I am incredibly honoured to be a part of the forums at this year’s festival and look forward to taking part and immersing myself in what promises to be a fantastic platform for South African talent.”

Eric Lagesse, head of Acquisitions from Pyramide International, will serve as a mentor to the works in progress selected projects. He will work with the director and producer on the current edits and hopefully help them find an even better version of their film still in the making.

Eric will be joined in those feedback sessions by Mmabatho Kau, one of the most prolific story consultants in South Africa, Mmabatho has worked as a producer, broadcaster, development executive and script consultant for over 15 years. She has produced a wide variety of shows in public service and commercial pay for various broadcasters in South Africa. She was recently selected to participate as a script editor in the Torino Script Lab 2018 and, in the past two years, facilitated Realness a Pan African Screenwriters Residency alongside Selina Ukwuoma.

Drawing on almost a decade of experience in international sales, Themba Bhebhe is a British-born international sales executive for L.A-based sales agency, Flourishing Films, a boutique international sales agent, production company and North American distributor specialising in global filmed content with a particular focus on Black content from across the African diaspora. Themba also works seasonally for the Berlinale’s European Film Market as Diversity Liaison Officer.

Themba is particularly excited to take part in this programme, “As a sales agent that foregrounds African and African-diaspora content, I am delighted to attend CTIFMF’s upcoming Market and Industry programme. In an extremely pragmatic way, the programme not only focusses on fostering the emergence of rising talent through its work in progress scheme, but also explores how best we can engage African audiences and harness the continent’s intellectual property through the adaptation of its literary works.”

Filmmakers with fiction or documentary feature length works currently in progress are encouraged to submit before the closing deadline of August 10th 2018.

For more information, submissions material list and to download application forms: www.filmfestival.capetown

 

CTIFM&F 2018 initial market programme announced

Cape Town International Film Market and Festival
-
0
CTIFM&F 2018 initial market programme announced

The 2018 edition of the Cape Town International Film Market and Festival (CTIFM&F) will take place from 9 to 19 October 2018 at venues across the V & A Waterfront in Cape Town. This year’s edition will feature an expanded and content focused market, led by the recently appointed market director Elias Ribeiro.

The CTIFMF has reached out to various industry stakeholders in a collaborative effort in keeping with its theme of Create, Collaborate, Celebrate, to develop a programme with tangible outcomes and a view to the long term growth of the industry both regionally and across the continent.

A number of key programmes have been finalised, all designed to maximise opportunities for emerging talent and to establish long term inclusive programmes.

Elias Ribeiro explains further, “As the CTIFMF, learning from many who have paved the way, we have taken great care in crafting an offering that is complementary to current industry offerings. We hope to strengthen our bonds with partners such as the Durban Film Mart and together foster a dynamic and vibrant ecosystem that will contribute to assertive impact in film projects, our financial instruments and funders, policy designers and audiovisual makers at large. We also have prioritised an audience development programme called Engage, with the faith we will in the long term make local films more sustainable in the domestic market.”

Marketing director of the CTIFMF Jehad Kasu has this to say about the programme, “It is the vision of the CTIFMF to reposition South Africa’s film industry offering through meaningful industry collaboration. If we harness our collective resources we can achieve an infinite amount of collective growth and success. This will of course take a reasonable amount of time and commitment to achieve. So we implore all film industry stakeholders new, established, private and state owned to support one another and become active participants in elevating the presence and contribution of the South African film industry within the global ecosystem.

WIP (Works in Progress)

As the most important element of a market is its content, the CTIFMF has developed a programme that aims to elevate the bar for African content in terms of quality and innovation. A maximum of six works in progress will be selected from the African continent to show to international industry experts. High calibre decision-makers and experts will be hand-picked to view the selected films and then give detailed feedback, with the goal of increasing the artistic quality and challenging the core creative teams to think about audiences beyond their own territories.

This initial viewing will be followed by a screening of a segment of the same works to a wider audience of invited industry stakeholders comprising of festival programmers, sales companies, distributors and post production financiers. The WIP programme will disburse finishing awards to the most promising projects: grading, final sound mix, VFX, online editing, subtitling and DCPs, with the generous support of South African post-production facilities such as Priest Post, Rhapsody, The Refinery and The Work Room Audio Post.

We have confirmed attendance from Berlinale’s European Film Market and Berlinale Africa Hub, Tribeca, TIFF, London BFI; international sales companies such as Pyramide International, Flourishing Films, Talent Agents Casarotto and Curtis Brown, Mnet, Indigenous Films, Ster Kinekor, and Post Production South Africa.

Entries are due no later than 10 August 2018. For full details visit the CTIFMF website or email zahrah@filmfest.capetown.

ENGAGE

Considering that one of the most challenging and pressing issues for local films is to earn the trust of local audiences that then translates into box office success, the CTIFMF will have a special focus on audience design and development.

A group of marketing and industry experts with an understanding of these challenges will be convened for a three-day workshop under the guidance of Valeria Richter. This outcome based workshop will equip these professionals with the most current and powerful tools designed to assist films in finding their target market and core following.

At the end of the workshop, each participant will be assigned a project from the WIP and will be expected to deliver an Audience Design Strategy, with a cash prize awarded to the most prolific two of the lot to craft an Audience Design Strategy in collaboration with the Festival Board for CTIFMF 2019.

Aimed at publicists, marketing and sales professionals, distributors and others within the field, applications are open until 17 August 2018.  More details on the programme, outcomes and prize can be found on the CTIFMF website, or by emailing zahrah@filmfest.capetown.

 ADAPT

CTIFMF’s Adapt programme will bring together creatives, producers, and rights holders from the publishing and film industries to explore the possibilities of cinematic book adaptations as well as to develop an economic model and business practice around this that accounts for our African realities.

A number of toolbox sessions and workshops will be led by Selina Ukwuoma on translating from book to screen. She is no newcomer to South Africa as she has been working closely with Realness as well as Talents Durban over the past three years.

Selina is a freelance script consultant who began her career at literary agency Curtis Brown working on a number of adaptations including 2008 BAFTA winner Boy A. She has since gone on to advise on award-winning indie films such as 2014 Teddy winner The Way He Looks and this year’s Goyas triumph Summer 1993, both Foreign Language Oscars entries from their respective countries.

The industry programme of the CTIFMF will see four days of panel discussions, keynote speeches and workshops with participation from experts from South Africa, the rest of Africa, and across the globe. There will be a variety of relevant topics covered, all aimed at inclusive and constructive dialogues that foster the development of a cohesive and continually developing film industry. These topics include mentorship, financing, AR/VR, animation, blockchain and crypto currency.

For more information, submissions material list and to download application forms visit the CTIFMF website.

US-based Inter-Continental Interpretations Film Competition launching in SA by CTIFMF and partners

Cape Town International Film Market and Festival
-
0
US-based Inter-Continental Interpretations Film Competition launching in SA by CTIFMF and partners

After nearly a year of strategic planning and development behind the scenes, the CTIFMF, in partnership with Snake Nation and the YOMYOMF Foundation is proud to announce the Interpretations Inter-Continental Film Competition in South Africa.

Interpretations is a short film contest, an initiative from the USA-based YOMYOMF Foundation, a non-profit arm of the digital production company YOMYOMF (YouOffendMeYouOffendMyFamily) that is devoted to fostering and developing Asian American and other underrepresented voices in film and entertainment.

This innovative competition sees filmmakers invited to submit a short film of no more than three minutes, all using the same four-line script:

“So here is what happened”
“Let me see”
“It’s about that time”
“What’s my option”

Snake Nation, one of the partners of the CTIFMF in 2017, is once again working with the festival to promote young and emerging talent. Founder and CEO Karl Carter had this to say about the competition: “The objective of this competition is to encourage aspiring South African filmmakers to develop their own original and unique voice and to encourage filmmakers to find their own take on the material and be as creative with it as they can. The script is broad and fluid enough so that one director could craft a comedy from it, another a stylish music video, another an action film, etc.”

Once the films are submitted, a distinguished panel of judges from both the studio and independent filmmaking worlds will review the submissions and narrow them down to fifteen semi-finalists. From those fifteen, three finalists or winners will be selected—two decided by the judges and one by online audience voting.

The winning filmmakers will have an opportunity to work on a full production of their project with the Snake Nation team at Georgia State University Creative Media Industries Institute under the mentorship of seasoned industry professionals.
Snake Nation, YOMYOMF Foundation and the CTIFMF will also make an effort to introduce promising filmmakers, whether they are a finalist or not, to appropriate industry mentors to help create more focused opportunities for growth and networking.

CTIFMF spokesperson Jehad Kasu explains further: “The CTIFMF is leading the way in applying existing local and national policies and partnerships to benefit and accelerate growth of the film industry. We have successfully done this by using the people-to-people exchange mechanism between China and South Africa to establish the first film industry partnership between South Africa and China, and now with Interpretations, we are successfully doing the same with the sister-cities collaboration between the City of Cape Town and the City of Atlanta committed to by their respective Mayors between October 2016 and May 2017, that seeks to strengthen cultural and economic relations between them. This is another demonstration of the CTIFMF practicing its theme to ‘Create. Collaborate. Celebrate.’”

YOMYOMF Foundation founder and director Justin Lin (Fast & Furious franchise, Star Trek Beyond) expressed that “It’s been amazing to experience the depth of the talent in the Asian American community here in the U.S through the previous Interpretations initiatives and it’s exciting to see it expand to Southern Africa. I look forward to seeing what these filmmakers on the other side of the world create and have no doubt we will be as equally successful in finding unique and talented voices.”

Submissions are to be made via the Snake Nation website. Deadline for submissions is on 2 September, midnight SAST.

For more information about the Interpretations competition, visit the CTIFMF website as well as Snake Nation.

12Page 1 of 2
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
© Copyright 2017

Pin It on Pinterest