DISCOP Press

Earlier this year DISCOP, in partnership with ONGEA! Africa, announced the launch of a new sidebar programme. DISCORE, is a programme that will specifically target the music industry across Africa with a focus on music production and supervision for content, licensing, synch deals and all the related implications.

DISCORE will provide a unique opportunity to learn from the pros and build relationships with international music supervisors as well as with film, television, digital content producers seeking original songs and scores that can accompany entertainment content destined for global audiences.

The programme will launch at DISCOP Johannesburg taking place from Wednesday, 25 October to Friday, 27 October at the Sandton Convention Centre, with a panel discussion featuring a host of experts in this field. The panel will be moderated by Mike Strano, the founding director of PHAT! Music & Entertainment in Nairobi, Kenya. Strano has been in the music industry for 18 years and is also the founder of the ONGEA! Africa East African Music Conference. ONGEA! Africa is PHAT!’s social enterprise, helping to further develop the music industry in the motherland.

Joining him will be South African experts including David Alexander from Sheer Publishing, composer and producer, Kurt Slabbert, tech/digital content expert Michael Balkind from The Content Bar, and Marc Algranti of Pulse Music, an artist-owned-and-operated music production house with offices in Chelsea, New York and Cape Town.

International experts joining the panel will also include Andrea da Silva, who heads of the US Department of Commerce’s Global Team on Media and Entertainment, Todd Brown from Canada, who is the head of International Acquisitions at XYZ Films and who also has a long history of work in South Africa, and Enyi Omeruah who works as a music supervisor for film and television in Nigeria.

FRI 27 OCT | 15h00 – 16h30 | PANEL DISCUSSION | THE SOUND OF MUSIC|
Music is a significant part of any television show or film. Production companies, who produce these audiovisual works, sometimes hire a composer to write the music, an artist to reproduce a previously existing song, or seek the music rights to use an existing recording. This session will expressly look at the role Africa’s reservoir of musical talent can play in the fast-evolving, cross border, film, television, digital content production global ecosystem.

Moderated by Mike Strano | founding director | PHAT Music & Entertainment Ltd.
• David ALEXANDER | founder & managing director | SHEER PUBLISHING AFRICA
• Andrea DA SILVA | global team leader, Media & Entertainment | US DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• Kurt SLABBERT | composer & producer | BLUENOISE PRODUCTIONS
• Todd BROWN | head of International Acquisitions | XYZ FILMS
• Marc ALGRANTI | executive music producer / Supervisor | PULSE MUSIC
• Enyi OMERUAH | partner | SEE FEEM
• Michael BALKIND | director | CONTENTBAR

DISCOP Johannesburg is Africa’s largest content market with over 1 300 registered delegates from over 34 African countries as well as from across the globe. It is therefore the ideal platform for new player, Mahala.tv to launch its technology that will enable content producers to monetise and distribute their content easily, efficiently, seamlessly and borderlessly.

Mahala.tv is a game-changer for thousands of independent content producers, as well as the many new VOD platforms appearing on the continent. The platform is an entire eco-system designed for content producers as well as aggregators and distributers to easily distribute and monetise their existing platforms, be they websites, blogs, or even social media pages.

Unlike existing models such as YouTube and others, Mahala.tv enables content producers to share their content via any digital platform and to self monetise content through a variety of subscription and advertising models.

The fully-integrated back distribution and advertising functions are underpinned by a global, secure and ubiquitous digital exchange that enables real-time royalty payments to producers for content downloads, streams, related purchases and even micro-payments from anywhere in the world using the latest block chain technology.

Push-driven content partnerships in a variety of physical screen locations, as well as via mobile, will also address the fundamental challenge on the “demand” side of the digital distribution equation.

The platform creates opportunities for content producers and aggregators to advertise within videos, to set up subscription or pay-per-view models, and provides the most advanced and effective way to secure product placement. Viewers can instantly buy any product seen in a video with a simple process supported by the global free and secure digital exchange.

With all this functionality, content producers can instantly create their own Facebook shops and ad e-commerce elements to their websites. All content views and downloads, along with payments, can be tracked in real time.

To celebrate its beta-launch at DISCOP Johannesburg, Mahala.tv will be hosting the Pitching and Pilot Marathon within the Mahala.tv theatre.

Various producers whose content and pitches have been pre-selected will have various opportunities to showcase their work. A three-day Pitching Marathon will see 60 producers presenting short so-called “elevator’ pitches to a panel of expert judges that includes Jacqui Setai, Siyaya TV, head of Mojalove channel; Theresa Hill, documentary producer at STEPS; Pat van Heerden, VIA Channel 147 on DStv, head of Content; Andre Odendaal, film director; Jack Devnarain, Actor, Isidingo, Endemol Shine; and Uwe Beckmann, president of SASC.

Additionally, two hours per day have been set aside in the theatre for the screening of pre-selected pilots from across Africa. Producers will have the opportunity to meet with buyers who will be invited to attend these viewing sessions.

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

Africa’s largest content market runs in Johannesburg at the Sandton Convention Centre from 2 to 5 November, attracting over 600 international companies and 250 of the world’s most recognisable TV networks looking to acquire African content for global distribution. This year, DISCOP Africa saw an increase of 36% in pre-registration figures from 2013.

Patrick Zuchowicki, founder of DISCOP Africa says, “We are very proud to welcome more exhibitors, more national pavilions, more producers, more TV Stations, more Pay-Tv platforms than ever before. We are also reassured to see so many major global, regional and national television brands represented in force and supporting our initiative so strongly.”

Attending Pan-African and international TV networks and channels include:
A+E Networks
BBC Worldwide
Canal +
Caracol Television
CBS Studios International
CCTV
Cisneros
Cote Ouest
Diffa
Discovery Networks
Dreamworks Animation
Entertainment One Group
France TV Distribution
Global Agency
ITN, Kanal D
Kenya Film Commissio n
Keshet Broadcasting
Lionsgate
MFM
Miramax
MTV / VIACOM
NBC Universal
NHK
Orange
Record TV
SABC
Seed Entertainment
Sky News
Telemundo
Televisa
The Walt Disney Company
Thema
Trace TV
Turner Broadcasting
Zee Entertainment

Sinethemba Magona, coordinator of the DISCOPRO workshop programme says, “This year’s program will include twenty workshops mentored by talented and experienced practitioners, to cover critical issues for established and up and coming producers and creators seeking to grow their business: How to establish a distribution contract, alternative news reporting, how to pitch a project, innovative funding methods, branded entertainment and many other subjects. The program has also evolved in the sense that it is now backed by important players such as Cote Ouest, MultiChoice, Canal+, Endemol Africa, Wananchi, Rapid Blue, RTI, etc. who are seeking new talent and consider DISCOPRO as a great platform to spot creators of fresh ideas.”

Speakers participating in interactive workshops and panel discussions on television, broadcasting, technology and content development include:

Bernard Azria: CEO, Cote Ouest
Jim Faulds: general manager JWT South Africa
Emeka Mba: general director, Nigeria National Broadcasting Commission
Francois Deplank: Sr VP Canal+ Overseas
Amadou Bakayoko: CEO Radiodiffusion Television Ivoirienne (RTI)
‘Teju Ajani:YouTube content partnerships, Sub-Saharan Africa
Jason Njoku: CEO, iROKOtv
Ryan Grim: editor Africa Desk, Vice Media
Gary Rathbone: founder, Sports News Africa
Olivier Laouchez: founder, Trace Sports
William Stucke: director, ICASA
Dr. Setumor Mohapi: CEO Sentech
Christoph Limmer: broadcast and video development commercial director,
Eutelsat

In addition the 20 Years of Television in Africa: What’s Next conference, a two-day summit which examines the challenges in developing a sustainable digital television ecosystem that can serve as a role model across Africa, features keynote speakers: Xinxing Pang, chairman of Star Times and Imitaz Patel, CEO of MultiChoice.

Visit the DISCOP website for more information.

From 5 to 7 November 2014 DISCOP Africa, a multiplatform television and digital
content market, takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
The event brings together leading buyers, sellers and producers of televised
entertainment which seek to do business with and across the continent.
Registration is now open for exhibition space as well as for non-exhibiting
delegates who would like to attend.

Over 2000 delegates from 70 countries including over 250 global and regional
exhibitors, over 750 key acquisitions, commissioning and programming
executives from leading African broadcasters, pay-TV operators, OTT platforms,
mobile networks and production companies will attend the TV and content
industry hub along with national umbrella exhibitions representing firms from
South Africa, US, Ivory Coast, the European Union, Kenya, China, Korea, France
and Israel.

The event combines unique networking opportunities and events with a market
and informative sessions delivered by expert guest speakers. It has also
engaged in strategic partnerships with the Department of Arts and Culture, The
National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), The Gauteng Film Commission (GFC)
and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

Zama Mkosi, CEO of the NFVF says, “The NFVF recognises distribution as one of
the most critical elements in the development of South Africa’s film and content
production industries. DISCOP Africa presents a unique opportunity for the
advancement of our distribution goals.”

Desmond Mthembu, projects manager at the GFC adds, “The GFC, in our on-
going support for locally based filmmakers and content producers, is proud to be
part of DISCOP Africa, an event that presents real business opportunities for
established and emerging content producers alike.’

Events

Cote d’Ivoire celebrations

Ivory Coast is DISCOP Africa 2014’s guest country and the event, which is
organised in partnership with RTI, Ivory Coast’s public broadcaster, ONACI, the
country’s leading funding institution for film and TV content, the Ministry of
Culture, the Ministry of Communications and the Ivory Coast Government, will
celebrate the country’s growing industry.

A national pavilion will also be set up to ensure maximum visibility for Ivory
Coast as an attractive regional and international television content coproduction
partner.

20 Years of Television in South Africa: What’s Next
conference

This two-day conference will bring together governmental representatives and
key experts to discuss challenges in developing a sustainable digital television
ecosystem in South Africa.

Black Legacy Gala evening

A celebration of 50 years of African American television pop culture and the
achievements of those who have made a significant contribution to the global
entertainment business.

DISCOPRO: Pitching, Mentoring and Networking Program

A 3-day program aimed at assisting established and emerging TV content
producers with TV content development, coproduction and distribution across
Africa. The event includes mentoring workshops, pitching competitions and
access to the marketplace.

The deadline for project submissions for the pitching competition is 15 of
September and all pitching competitions will take place on 7 November. Visit the
DISCOPRO Pitching competition webpage for more
information.

20 Years of Television in South Africa conference

Trends which have affected and driven television programming over the past 20
years in South Africa and the continent at large are the focus of this event.
Highlights include:

From YouTube to the Big Screen: a two-part series paying tribute to creators of
highly acclaimed TV shows which began on YouTube.

Digital Migration – a panel discussion on the obstacles which lie ahead of the full
digital switchover process.

Home-grown Sports Content – a session to examine ways to establish a
sustainable, home-grown, televised sports entertainment industry in Africa.

Mobile Loves TV – a panel discussion on the reasons behind encouraging
partnerships between content producers and mobile operators.

French Speaking Africa Rising – major international TV content production and
distribution companies involved in Africa express views on growing coproduction
opportunities for predominantly French-speaking African countries.

Close-Up on Nigeria – an in depth look at where Nigeria stands and the
monumental challenges it faces in the transition to digital migration in 2015.

Speakers and Participants

The below guest speakers are to take part at DISCOP Africa, its affiliated
DISCOPRO and the 20 Years Of Television In South Africa What’s Next
programmes as experts, mentors and jurors:

Damien Naughton: Sports News Africa
Justin Bonello: Cooked In Africa / Ultimate Braai Master
Sarah Graham: Okuhle Media
Grant Flynn: Okuhle Media
Louise McClelland: Okuhle Media
Evert Van der Veer: Viacom International / head of Comedy Central Africa
Marc Schwinges: Underdog Productions
Saira Sow: Viasat Broadcasting
Miki Mori: NHK
Han Gao: Jiangsu
Denise Mwende: Zuku
Aletta Alberts: MultiChoice
Molefi Lebone: Endemol
Brendan Gabriel: Endemol
Charles Povey: Endemol
Helga Palmer: Endemol
Bridget Pickering: Fireworx Media
Marguerite Abouet: Abouet Productions
Ben Amadasun: Viasat Broadcasting UK
Ahmadou Bakayoko: director general RTI, Ivory Coast
Pierre Barrot: O.I.F. audiovisual specialist
Don Edkins: STEPS acquisition executive
Rick Feldman: former NATPE president
Grant Flynn: Okuhle Media
Gregoir Furrer: founder / president Montreux Comedy Festival
Michelle Garfoth-Venter: Ezinkulu
Peter Gird: Cooked in Africa Films
Ryan Grim: Vice Media
Terrence Khumalo: NFVF
Hans-Christian Mahnke: AfricAvenir chairperson of the board, Namibia
section
Steven Markowitz: Big World
Alain Modot: founder and president Diffa Media Consulting Group
Wangeci Murage: Wananchi Programming
Jason Njoku: iROKO Partners
Gary Rathbone: Sports News Africa founder/director
Michel Rodrigue: The Format People
Anthony Silverston: TriggerFish Animation Studios
Justin Scroggie: The Format People
Russell Southwood: Balancing Act
François Thiellet: Thema TV
Rachel Do Valle: Brazilian TV Producers Association
Aric Noboa: Discovery Learning Alliance

Visit the DISCOP Africa website for more information.