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As we head into 2018 a full calendar of film festivals and content markets await. It can be both exhilarating and overwhelming; and the reality of attending these events needs to be understood.
For any content producer looking to sell outside of their home country, attending markets is essential to understanding the global content market. Producers must learn what kinds of markets are out there and what buyers are looking for to service those markets.
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Content producers who want to make the most of these opportunities need to do their homework and understand the competitive and global nature of the industry in which they operate. Having worked at and with festivals and markets for over six years, as well as having worked closely with buyers, sellers, organisers, producers and distributors, I have spent a lot of time discussing the actual benefits of these events, and have gained much wisdom from those more experienced than I.
Thanks to people like Pascal Schmitz and Mayenzeke Baza who, during their time running the Association for Transformation in Film and Television (ATFT), took over 100 companies/producers to market; Don Edkins, founder and director of STEPS and AfriDocs; and Patrick Zuchowicki, founder and general manager of DISCOP, there is a wealth of knowledge that can be shared.
So before leaping into the market and festival frenzy of 2018 - consider the advice the experts have to give. Make sure you talk to as many people as possible BEFORE you go to market, and make sure you do your research to understand which markets you should attend and why.
Which markets? First and foremost, producers must understand the nuances and functions of specific international markets and how these can benefit their specific content and business objectives. There is no point taking a TV series to a film market and doing so is not just a waste of time and money, but will also damage one's reputation within the industry.
It is therefore critical to research the various markets, to understand how they function, and then make an educated business-focussed decision on which to attend.
There are basically three categories of markets, all with very different aims and business imperatives:
Film markets: Film markets, often (but not always) associated with a film festival focus exclusively on feature films. The largest and most well-known of these markets are Cannes Marche du Film, the European Film Market, and the American Film Market. These markets attract serious buyers from all over the world. Unfortunately, the Durban Film Market (DFM) does not have the same level of international business success at this stage, as does these other markets. Markets are all about deals. That is not to say that there are no other benefits in attending, but if your aim is to sell your film internationally, you need to make sure the buyers for your type of content are going to be in attendance.
It's also important to remember that ANYONE can show/sell their film at a market, there is no badge of credibility that comes from appearing at the Cannes Marche du Film, as opposed to actually being selected at the festival. Some festivals, such as the Toronto Film Festival for instance, don't have a market per se, but the festival itself is so well-known that it attracts dozens of buyers and can still serve the same function as attending a market.
These markets however are generally focused on big films and big names. The chance of an unknown producer selling a film with no star power is very limited unless it is truly something special.
Documentary markets: These markets are similar to feature film markets and are often linked also to festivals, such as the largest of its kind, The International Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA). Other markets include Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, Sunny Side of the Doc, and the Sheffield Doc/Fest. If you are not selling a documentary FILM - don't bother going to these markets.
Television markets: Television markets are the most all-encompassing markets where you can sell anything and everything - films, documentaries, TV and digital series, genre categories etc. These markets are much more deal-focussed as the demand is greater. Ever-increasing content consumption means opportunities for producers and the types of content being sourced are more diverse than at film markets. The pinnacle of these markets are MIPCOM and MIPTV internationally and DISCOP within Africa.
In addition to broadcasters from across the globe, these events are also attended by many VOD players (apart from Netflix and Amazon however, who tend to rather only buy films and produce their own TV content).
TV markets are probably the best place to start as the scale and opportunity are much greater than at more niched film markets.
African content and the world Whilst there are a lot of positive indicators for the future of African content (that is content produced in Africa for African audiences), there are also harsh realities awaiting producers in this space.
The good news is that the appetite across Africa and the world for African content is growing. Patrick Zuchowicki, founder and general manager of DISCOP Markets is so confident in the growth of this sector that two more DISCOP markets are being added, Zanzibar in 2018 and Lagos in 2019. He explains further, With revenue from Africa's pay-TV sitting at $4.4 billion and expected to exceed $6 billion by 2021, the time is now to continue the momentum of content producion as a significant economic booster for African economies. Movies and TV programmes have always been part of the fabric of the countries we cover with DISCOP. What is changing is the ability for broadcasters, pay-TV platforms, mobile operators and on-demand video services to monetise the consumption
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