The selected film projects have been classified into different categories which include fiction, documentary, and animation.
By Hope Ibiale
South Africa’s film showcase, Durban FilmMart Institute, has revealed the films that will be screened for the Pitch and Finance Forum of the 2024 edition of the Durban FilmMart program (DFM). This year, 30 projects across Africa in development will participate in the Pitch and Finance Forum, a platform where filmmakers converge to network with global broadcasters, financiers, streamers, sales agents, festival programmers, and producers. The Pitch and Finance Forum will be held on July 19, 2024. The selected film projects have been classified into different categories which include fiction, documentary, and animation. The selected films include:
FICTION FEATURES
Acts of Man (South Africa) – Producer: Sean Drummond and Director: Sheetal Magan
Benimana (Ivory Coast) – Producer: Samantha Biffot and Director: Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo
Dear Tarkovsky (Tunisia) – Producer: Asma Chiboub and Director: Firas Khoury
Garde Baissée (Guard Down) (Egypt, France, Tunisia) – Producers: Imed Marzouk and Mark Lotfy and Director: Sami Tlili
Jua Kali (Kenya) – Producer: Joash Omondi
Londoner (Nigeria) – Producer: Pamela Drameh, Director: Babatunde Apalowo
Mimouna (Algeria) – Producer: Jeremie Palanque, Director: Amel Blidi
Numalali (My Voice, My Void) (Guatemala) – Producer: Kurt Orderson, Director: Kimeshree Munsamy
Pour Toi Je Reviendrai (I’m Coming For You) (Cameroon) – Producer: Alice Abah, Director: Cyrielle Raingou
Solar (South Africa) – Producer and Director: Jason Jacobs
The Moon Can’t Run (South Africa) – Producer: Shveta Naidoo, Director: Naishe Nyamubaya
The Pathfinder (South Africa) – Producer and Director: Rafieka Davis
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
A Girl and a Gun (South Africa) – Producer: Antoinette Engel, Director: Arya Lalloo
Africa AI (South Africa) – Producer: Amílcar Patel, Directors: Amílcar Patel and Chris Kets
Children of Honey (Tanzania, United Kingdom) – Producer: Natalie Humphreys, Director: Jigar Ganatra
In Pursuit of Ghosts (South Africa) – Producer: Jacintha de Nobrega, Director: Jethro Clifton Westraad
Kam Leila Kam Youm? (How Many Nights How Many Days?) (Egypt) – Producer: Kesmat Elsayed, Director: Alaa Dajani
My Father Killed Bourguiba (Tunisia) – Producer: Sarra Ben Hassan, Director: Fatma Riahi
The One Who Sings (South Africa) – Producers: Chelsea Art and Cameron Lawry, Director: Chelsea Art
Unsung (South Africa) – Producer: Masechaba Khumalo, Director: Amanda Lane
We Had The Moon (Mauritius) – Producer and Director: Pamela Eduoard
Zerri3a Morra (Algeria, France) – Producer: Antoine Goldet, Director: Camelia Gadhgadhi
ANIMATION
Jay Fly (South Africa) – Producer: Nosipho Maketo van den Bragt, Director: Tiaan Franken
Monster Nanny (South Africa, Zimbabwe) – Producer: Kaya Kuhn, Director: Tafadzwa Hove
Oarona (South Africa) – Producers: AJ Pitre and Thandiwe Mlauli, Director: Thandiwe Mlauli
R.E.M. (Rapid Eye Motion) (Egypt) – Producer: Ahmad Abdelhameed, Director: Mahmoud Hemeda
The Legend of Hyena Man (Tanzania) – Producer: Mathew Valerian, Directors: Elshadye Berhanu and Joshua Faber
The Legends of Bulan (Nigeria) – Producer: Ferdinand Adimefe, Director: Azubuike Joseph Duru
Uli & Tata’s African Nursery Rhymes (Kenya) – Producer: Sarah Mallia, Director: Chief Nyamweya
Unseen (South Africa) Producer – Annemarie du Plessis
Scheduled for 19 – 22 July 2024, the 15th edition of DFM, under the theme “African Visions Unleashed: From Disruption to Accountability,” will host a four-day event in Durban, South Africa. Some of the programs scheduled to be held alongside the Pitch and Finance Forum include masterclasses, panel discussions, and roundtables with some of Africa’s outstanding filmmaking professionals.
Magdalene Reddy, Director of the DFMI, commented on the selection of projects: “This year’s diverse array of narratives showcases the creativity, adaptability, and inquisitiveness of filmmakers throughout the continent. Our filmmakers are tackling complex subjects and presenting fresh perspectives to worldwide audiences. The chosen projects weave through the intricacies of identity, tradition, and modernity, among other themes. They not only explore historical legacies and their lasting effects but also highlight the vibrant interaction between cultural preservation and innovation”.
Established in 2020, Durban FilmMart Institute is a non-profit company that accelerates/facilitates local and international trade and investment in African films. This year, DFM 2024 will highlight themes of social responsibility in films, intellectual property protection, artist rights, workplace equality, and the impact of environmental changes on production.
Interested participants can register for DFM 2024.