Some of the winners include Babatunde Apalowo, Amilcar Patel, Rumbi Katedza, Alice Abah, and many others.
By Hope Ibiale
The organisers of the 15th edition of the Durban FilmMart (DFM) have announced the winners of the 2024 DFM Awards. The film event successfully brought together 1,460 film professionals and filmmakers from 58 countries across the continent and beyond.

While speaking about the winners, Magdalene Reddy, Director of the Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) stated, “We are delighted to have hosted such a dynamic array of filmmakers from across the African continent. They entrusted us with their projects and ideas, and generously shared their time, expertise, and passion through enriching conversations, creating a truly African event. The talent showcased in this year’s programme and film projects presented exemplifies the strength of African cinema”.
The winners of African descent on the list include:
Known Inner Circle Award
$10,000
Acts of Man (South Africa) – Producer: Sean Drummond and Director: Sheetal Magan
Red Sea Film Fund Award Fiction
$5,000
Londoner (Nigeria) – Producers: Pamela Drameh and Sarudzayi Marufu and Director: Babatunde Apalowo
Red Sea Film Fund Award Documentary
$5,000
Africa AI (South Africa) – Producer: Amílcar Patel and Directors: Amílcar Patel and Chris Kets
Game Changer Films Award
$5,000
The Moon Can’t Run (South Africa, Zambia) – Producer: Shveta Naidoo and Director: Naishe Nyamubaya and Coproducer: Niza Lou Waldburger
CANAL+ Development Grant
€5,000 with a development contract
Children of Honey (Tanzania, United Kingdom) – Producer: Natalie Humphreys and Director: Jigar Ganatra
TRT Award
$5,000
Dear Tarkovsky (Tunisia) – Producer: Asma Chiboub and Director: Firas Khoury
MTN Group Digital Award
$5,000
The Moon Can’t Run (South Africa, Zambia) – Producer: Shveta Naidoo and Director: Naishe Nyamubaya and Coproducer: Niza Lou Waldburger
IDA Supported Artist Award
$5,000 grant, 1 x Getting Real Fellowship, one-year complimentary Doc Maker Membership to IDA
Children of Honey (Tanzania, United Kingdom) – Producer: Natalie Humphreys and Director: Jigar Ganatra
Sisters in Cinema Sustainability Award
$2,500
The Conservationist (Zimbabwe) – Producer and Director: Rumbi Katedza and Producer: Siza Mukwedini
Best Fiction Grant National Film and Video Foundation
R100,000
I’m Coming for You (Cameroon) – Producers: Alice Abah and Jean-Marie Gigon and Director: Cyrielle Raingou
Best Animation Grant National Film and Video Foundation
R100,000
Monster Nanny (South Africa, Zimbabwe) – Producer: Kaya Kuhn and
Director: Tafadzwa Hove
Hot Docs-Blue Ice Docs Award
$1,500 CAD
My Father Killed Bourguiba (Tunisia) – Producer: Sarra Ben Hassan and Director: Fatma Riahi
Rotterdam Lab Award
Participation in the Rotterdam Lab
Jua Kali (Kenya) – Producer: Joash Omondi and Director: Yasmin Hassan
The DOK.fest München Award
With support from IEFTA and participation in DOK.forum marketplace.
A Girl and a Gun (South Africa) – Producer: Antoinette Engel and Director: Arya Lalloo
The DOK Leipzig Award
With support from IEFTA
Participation in the DOK Leipzig
Africa AI (South Africa) – Producer: Amílcar Patel and Directors: Amílcar Patel and Chris Kets
Sørfond Award
Participation in the Sørfond Pitch
Benimana (Ivory Coast) – Producer: Samantha Biffot and Director: Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo
Miradas Doc Award
Participation in the MiradasDoc Market
A Girl and a Gun (South Africa) – Producer: Antoinette Engel and Director: Arya Lalloo
Special GZDOC Invitation
Participation in the GZ Doc Market Pitch
Bitter Seed (Algeria, France) – Producer: Antoine Goldet and Director: Camelia Gadhgadhi
The FIDADOC Award
Participation in the FIDADOC Pan African Writing residency
How Many Nights, How Many Days? (Egypt) – Producer: Kesmat Elsayed and Director: Alaa Dajani
Fak’ugesi Residency Award
Participation in the Residency Programme
Oarona (South Africa) – Producers: AJ Pitre and Thandiwe Mlauli and Director: Thandiwe Mlauli and Coproducer: Simangaliso Sibaya
The Hidden Hand Studios presents: The Hidden Talents Award
A trailer production of a story by the awardee by The Hidden Hand Studios
The Legend of Hyena Man (Tanzania) – Producer: Mathew Valerian and Directors: Elshadye Berhanu and Joshua Faber
OIF-ACP-EU Award
12 – 18 month mentorship
Londoner (Nigeria) – Producers: Pamela Drameh and Sarudzayi Marufu and Director: Babatunde Apalowo
Clermont-Ferrand ISFF Award
Nebula (Egypt) – Director: Michel Doss
IEFTA Connect Award
Mentorship by IEFTA
Baptism of Silence (South Africa) – Director: Kanya Viljoen
DFM Talents Durban Award
Participation in DFM 2025 programme
The Space Maasai (Tanzania) – Director: Priscilla Marealle

Durban FilmMart Institute is the business hub of the African film industry, where film professionals and content are globally competitive and celebrated. The institute’s mission is to provide appropriate and effective programmes and services to promote, support, and facilitate investment in the African film industry.