The Durban FilmMart Institute has opened its call for project submissions for the 2022 Durban FilmMart (DFM). The 13th DFM is scheduled to take place between 22-26 July 2022.
Currently entering its 13th year the annual Durban FilmMart is a pan-African finance and co-production market. Designed to create partnerships and further the development and production of African cinema, the DFM was named in UNESCO’s 2021 Film Trends in Africa Report as ‘the continent’s best film market’.
“Our vision is to stimulate the growth of the African film industry through the development of film projects, and to network African filmmakers within the continent, and the rest of the world,” says Magdalene Reddy, General Manager of the Durban FilmMart Institute. “The Durban FilmMart is a significant platform for African producers to meet and interact with key film professionals from across the globe.”
The DFMI invites filmmakers to submit for the three DFM programmes – DFM Finance and Pitch Forum (DFM Official Projects), Content Shop, and Talents Durban.
- DFM Finance and Pitch Forum (DFM Official Projects)
Fiction and documentary film projects with Africans in the major creative roles (writers, directors, and producers) seeking co-producers, financiers, sales agents, and funders are invited to submit their projects in development. A producer and director must be attached to the project. The DFMI independent adjudication committees will select ten documentaries and ten fiction film projects from the submissions. These projects will undergo a two-day packaging and mentorship programme during the DFM, followed by a pitching session to a panel of film financiers, buyers, and distributors from across the globe with one-on-one meetings thereafter.
For more about the project submission criteria, and how to submit your project, please visit https://www.durbanfilmmart.co.za/ProjectSubmissions
The deadline for submissions closes on 20 February 2022.
- Talents Durban
The DFMI in cooperation with Berlinale Talents, an initiative of the Berlin International Film Festival, invites participation in the 15th edition of Talents Durban.
Talents Durban is open to African screenwriters and directors with fiction, documentary, animation, and hybrid projects in development – this includes all media formats such as film, television series, web series, and content for mobile platforms.
Selected participants chosen by a panel of industry experts will participate in mentorship labs, workshops, discussions, and specialised programmes for specific disciplines including directing and scriptwriting. The Talents Press component invites emerging film critics and journalists from digital and traditional media to apply for mentorship and hands-on training.
Prospective Talents must have a portfolio of previous work and a current project in progress.
For more about the submission criteria, and how to submit your application, please visit https://www.berlinale-talents.de/bt/durban/ap/info/index
Deadline for submissions close on 4 March 2022
- Content Shop
The DFM Content Shop is a curated digital catalogue of film projects that aims to create opportunities, engender inclusivity, and champion access to markets for African filmmakers.
The DFMI will select African and African Co-Production projects that are completed (ready to be presented or in post-production) from 2020-2022 in the following categories:
- Fiction Feature Films (minimum runtime of 55 minutes) ready to screen or in advanced post-production stages;
- Fiction Short Films (up to 55 minutes) ready to screen or in advanced post-production stages;
- Documentary Films (both feature and short length) ready to screen or in advanced post-production stages;
- Series (Web and Television) ready to screen or in advanced post-production stages.
Selected projects will be presented exclusively to international programmers, sales companies, broadcasters, distributors, exhibitors, and talent agents.
For more about the project submission criteria, and how to submit your project, please visit https://filmfreeway.com/DurbanFilmMartZA
Deadline for submissions close on 25 February 2022
The Durban FilmMart 2022 is presented by the Durban FilmMart Institute with principal funding from the Durban Film Office and eThekwini Municipality.