loader image

Durban FilmMart announces 2021 award winners

August 24, 2021

The 12th Durban FilmMart concluded with the announcement of the 2021 Official Awards for Projects after ten days of virtual panel discussions, workshops, presentations, pitches, and meetings.

The DFM welcomed 1221 delegates from 73 countries this year. The event was streamed live from a production hub in Durban, where 67 different sessions by 217 speakers, panellists, and moderators were broadcasted to a total audience of 6917 people.

The sessions were delivered in English, with live simultaneous interpretations in French, Portuguese, and Sign for the majority of them. Furthermore, the team recorded 62 hours of webinars and “hangouts” and presented pitches from 66 African filmmakers to financiers, investors, sales agents, and international markets.

Award winners:

DFM Talents Durban Award went to Bushrider (Bosryer) written and directed by Aadil Dhalech  (South Africa) and will be able to participate in DFM 2022 programme.

Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival (China) Special GZDOC Invitation went

  • Eat Bitter (Central African Republic) – produced by Mathieu Faure, Orphe Zaza, Emmanuel Bamoy, Sol Sun, Pascale Appora-Gnekindy and Steve Dorst and directed by Pascale Appora-Gnekindy and Sol Sun
  • My Plastic Hair (South Africa) produced by Mamokuena Makhema, Yolanda K Mogatusi and directed by Yolanda K Mogatusi
  • The Possessed Painter: Abbès Saladi (Morocco) produced Mehdi Akacha and directed by Reda Lahmouid
  • Defying Ashes (Kenya) – produced by Joan Njeri Maina and directed by Karanja Ng’endo
  • Untitled: Miss Africa South (South Africa) produced by Bridget Pickering, Darren Kerr, Aliki Saragas-Georgiou and Jacqui-Lee Katz and directed by Aliki Saraga-Georgiou and Jacqui-Lee Katz

The filmmakers have an opportunity to participate in the virtual GZ Doc Pitch Session in 2022.

Miradas Doc Award (Spain) went to The Woman Who Poked The Leopard (Uganda). Producer Rosie Motene and director Patience Nutumwesiga will also go on to participate in the Miradasdoc 2022.

Carthage Pro-Carthage Film Festival Award went to The Killing Of A Beast (South Africa). Produced by Naledi Bogacwi and co-produced and directed by Vusi Africa Sindane.

DOK.fest München Award went to UNTITLED: Miss South Africa (South Africa) produced by Bridget Pickering, Darren Kerr, Aliki Saragas-Georgiou and Jacqui-Lee Katz, and directed by Aliki Saraga-Georgiou and Jacqui-Lee Katz who will be able to participate in the DOK.forum Marketplace.

DoK Leipzig Co-Pro Market Accelerator Prize (Germany) was awarded to The Woman Who Poked The Leopard (Uganda) produced by Rosie Motene and directed by Patience Nutumwesiga who will be given accreditation for the DOK Leipzig 2021 for the project team. The project will also participate in the DOK Co-Pro Market.

Festival International de film Documentaire d’Agadir (Morocco)  (FIDADOC) Award went Such a silent cry by Walid Tayaa (Tunisia) and Fanta Sacko by Kanouté Kankou (Mali) providing the filmmakers with the opportunity to participate in the FIDADOC Writing Residency.

OIF – Clap ACP Prize awarded by the OIF, the ACP Organization and the EU went to Come Sunrise, We Shall Rule (Zimbabwe) co-produced by Bramwell Iro and Sue-Ellen Chitunya and directed by Nyasha Kadandara.  The filmmakers will undergo project diagnostic mentorship and be assisted with re-writing mentoring (or audit of all application documents if the script needs no rewriting). They will also receive 18 months of exposure and promotion towards coproducers/distributors.

The IEFTA Award Narrative Feature (IEFTA) (Monaco) went to The Mailman, The Mantis, and The Moon (Namibia) produced by Valcerine Mouton and directed by Cecil Moller who will be given mentorship through one of IEFTA’s partner development programs and labs.

The IEFTA Award Documentary went to Eat Bitter (Central African Republic). Produced by Mathieu Faure with co-directors Pascale Appora-Gnekindy and Sol Sun who will receive mentorship through one of IEFTA’s partner development programs and labs.

International Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA) Spotlight Award went to The Woman Who Poked The Leopard (Uganda). Producer, Rosie Motene and director Patience Nutumwesiga was were awarded participation, travel and accommodation to IDFA’s next edition and participation in a tailor-made program within the IDFA Industry and training activities.

The Produire au Sud of Festival des 3 Continents (Nantes, France)/ IFAS Award went to the Day and Night of Brahma (South Africa). Producer Carol Kioko and director Sheetal Magan will be given the opportunity to attend the developmental workshop programme, PAS, where they are supported with developing tools, expertise, and opportunities to forge European networks.

CineMart Award sponsored by the co-production market of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (The Netherlands) went to The Killing Of A Beast (South Africa). Produced by Naledi Bogacwi and co-produced and directed by Vusi Africa Sindane will be able to participate in the Rotterdam Lab, a training and networking event for producers.

Sørfond Award (Norway) was awarded to The Woman Who Poked The Leopard (Uganda). Filmmakers; Rosie Motene and directed by Patience Nutumwesiga the opportunity to attend a pitch course at the Sørfond Pitching Forum in Oslo, Norway.

The Trace Studios Award went to

  • Entangled – a feature film by Happiness Mpase
  • The Year of our Lord – a feature film by Imran Shabaan
  • Ghriba’s Jews – a documentary film by Lassad El Ghaieb
  • From Patrice to Lumumba – a documentary film by Patrick Kabeya
  • Ties that Bind – a documentary film by Mpho Dintwa

Each project will feature in TRACE Content Distribution catalogue for 24 months.

Hot Docs-Blue Ice Docs Fund Award went to The Woman Who Poked The Leopard (Uganda). This project was produced by Rosie Motene and directed by Patience Nutumwesiga. They received $1,000.

AfriDocs Award went to Eat Bitter (Central African Republic). Produced by Mathieu Faure with co-directors Pascale Appora-Gnekindy and Sol Sun, the project has received a prize of  €2,500 awarded by AfriDocs for a documentary film project at DFM 2021.

The National Film and Video Foundation’s Award for Best Fiction went to The Killing Of A Beast (South Africa). Produced by Naledi Bogacwi and co-produced and directed by Vusi Africa Sindane. The National Film and Video Foundation’s Award for Best Non Fiction went to Eat Bitter (Central African Republic) – produced by Mathieu Faure, Orphe Zaza, Emmanuel Bamoy, Sol Sun, Pascale Appora-Gnekindy and Steve Dorst and directed by Pascale Appora-Gnekindy and Sol Sun. Both projects receive a cash prize of R100 000 each.

GET IN TOUCH

Email Us

Follow our socials

Subscribe for updates 

Share This