The Durban FilmMart Institute has announced the participants of the 14th edition of Talents Durban, within the official Durban FilmMart, which takes place virtually from 16-25 July.
Founded in partnership with the Berlin International Film Festival and the Berlinale Talents project, Talents Durban is a highlight on the Durban FilmMart calendar. The 5-day training and development programme offers Talents a unique opportunity to engage with award-winning filmmakers and directors in a series of seminars, workshops and masterclasses.
This year, Talents Durban introduces Francophone projects from the African diaspora as it continues to inspire a sense of community on the continent by representing many languages and cultures. After a rigorous adjudication process, 28 projects and 6 film critics from 16 countries across the continent made the final cut with 6 fiction features, 4 episodic, 5 animations, 6 documentaries, 7 fiction shorts films, and 6 film critics being selected.
Fiction Feature Selection:
Kinafo, (COTE D’IVOIRE), Animation Director, Adja Soro
The Northern Lights (L’Aurore Boréale), (TUNISIA), Director, Oubeyd Ayari
Dance Rosa! (Rosa Baila!), (MOZAMBIQUE), Screenwriter, Milvia Atiana
Bushrider (Bosryer), (SOUTH AFRICA), Director, Aadil Dhalech
YVETTE, (KENYA), Director, Se’ydou Mukali
THE PATH OF RUGANZU Part 2, (SIERRA LEONE), Director, Lloyd Zachariah
Fiction Shorts Selection:
WHISPERS FROM MY MOTHER (KENYA), Director, Patricia Geula
THE LANTERN (LA LANTERNE), (BENIN), Director, Nelly BEHANZIN
Trouble (Wahala), (NIGERIA), Director, Sunny King
Crisis, (COTE D’IVOIRE), Director, Rita Ambeu
The pet, (CAMEROON), Director Njitam Amos
Why The Cattle Wait (SOUTH AFRICA), Director, Phumi Morare
Mob Passion, (SOUTH AFRICA), Director, Twiggy Matiwana
Documentary Selection:
Fanta Sacko, (MALI) Director, Kanouté Kankou
Hear Me Out, (SOUTH AFRICA) Director, Celean Nacken
A History of Distance, (SOUTH AFRICA) Director, Michael James
Solo Moms, (NIGERIA) Screenwriter, Ann Sarafina
Searching for Woody, (EGYPT) Director, Sara Shazli
Terror Scars (Marcas de Terrorismo), (MOZAMBIQUE) Director, Elisio Bajone
Animation Selection:
Egg (YAI), (KENYA), Screenwriter, Justus Macharia
The Stonemason, (SOUTH AFRICA), Animation Director, Erentia Bedeker
Twins (Ibeji), (NIGERIA), Screenwriter, Omotunde Akiode
Lioness (La Lionne), (DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO), Director, Christian Mokuba
The Memory Keepers (Les Gardiens de la Mémoire), (COTE D’IVOIRE) Animation Director, Roland “Kouadio” Oka
Episodic Selection:
Choice Assorted, (SOUTH AFRICA) Screenwriter Obvious Nomaele
Meet My Family, (ZIMBABWE) Screenwriter Ian Msakanda
Outer Rim Job, (SOUTH AFRICA) Director Xolelwa “Ollie” Nhlabatsi
ADAM TO EVE, (KENYA) Director, Lizz Njagah
Talent Press (Film Critic / Journalist) Selection:
Hélio Nguane (MOZAMBIQUE)
Adham Youssef (EGYPT)
Aina Randrianatoandro (MADAGASCAR)
Thabisa Ngcobo (SOUTH AFRICA)
Precious “Mamazeus” Nwogu (NIGERIA)
Buule Gabriel (UGANDA)
More information of our Talents can be found here.
Talents Durban is broken up into four categories: Storytelling Lab, Doc Lab, Animation Lab and Talent Press.
Storytelling Lab selects features, shorts and TV/Web series currently in development which are given advanced consultation and mentoring by script editors. Here, developing filmmakers participate in scriptwriting workshops.
Doc Lab is a hands-on training programme where participants who have submitted their documentaries are mentored by industry experts.
Animation Lab is open to animation directors and screenwriters who get one-on-one mentorship on character and visual development and animation in Africa.
Talent Press offers mentorship for emerging African film journalists and critics.
This year’s panel includes a number of industry experts whose work has earned both national and international acclaim. Featured on the panel are Mahad Ahmed Hashi, Bonnie Sithebe, Wilfred Okiche, Wanjeri Gakura, Kenneth Gyang, Philippe Lacôte and Kaouther Ben Hania.
Mahad Ahmed Hashi – is a Kenyan filmmaker who worked as a Somali translator before moving into films. His debut film, Wazi.fm won an award at the Zanzibar International Film Festival.
Bonie Sithebe – is a South African producer. With years of industry experience behind her, Sithebe co-owns a film, video and television company Durban Motion Pictures.
Wilfred Okiche – is a Nigerian film cand culture critic and a familiar face at the Durban International Film Festival.
Wanjeri Gakuru – is a freelance journalist and filmmaker living and working in Nairobi. She is an alumna of the 2014 Farafina Creative Writing Workshop and a member of pan-African writers’ collective, Jalada.
Kenneth Gyang – is a young Nigerian filmmaker whose film Confusion Na Wa was a DFM project in 2010 that went on to accumulate a number of awards around the world, including Best Film at the 2013 African Movie Awards.
Philippe Lacôte – is a Côte d’Ivoire film director. His 2014 film Run was a nominee for the Best French-Language Film at the 20th Lumières Awards. Last year, Lacôte’s film Night of the Kings was awarded the Amplify Voices Award at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival.
Kaouther Ben Hania – is a Tunisian film director is most known for her film Beauty and the Dogs which was selected for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards.
Ben Hania’s 2020 film The Man Who Sold His Skin was nominated for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards.
With principal funding from the Durban Film Office and Ethekwini Municipality, the Durban FilmMart will present a comprehensive online programme of discussions, masterclasses and hangouts in addition to the Finance Forum, thereby contributing to the growth of film industries across Africa.
Register for the Durban FilmMart here.