Registration opens for 7th Durban FilmMart

Registration opens for 7th Durban FilmMart

The 7th Durban FilmMart (DFM), Africa's premier film finance and co-production forum will open for early bird delegate registration on April 4, 2016.

The dates for this year's DFM, a joint project of Durban Film Office (DFO), the eThekwini Municipality's industry development unit, and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) are from June 17 to 20, earlier than in previous years, to co-incide with the DIFF (June 16-26), which was moved to an earlier slot for this year.

The aim of the DFM is to increase the visibility of African cinema, kindle the creation of film on the continent, and to stimulate the development of project collaboration between African filmmakers through a dynamic networking programme, explains Durban Film Office's Toni Monty. The objective of the Mart speaks to the need for African film makers to be creating their own content and telling their own stories to their own markets. By driving the development of local content, we believe that it lays a bedrock for business and employment within the sector to thrive and look towards its own models for success.

This year, the Mart, will provide delegates with access to prominent film industry experts, financiers, content directors and broadcasters from around Africa and the world, and other industry specialists attending both the DFM and DIFF as independents to connect and develop business associations

The DFM is structured around three programmatic pillars Master Classes, a Finance Forum and Africa in Focus a series of industry workshops, which offer networking and social opportunities for industry representatives.

Master classes are led by well-known industry experts and will unpack issues and challenges in concept development, project packaging, co-production development, new media, finance, marketing, distribution, and other related themes.

The DFM's co-production market, which called for submissions of film projects last year, has roughly ten feature films and ten documentary films selected for mentorship. These will be presented to industry experts during the Mart, and following thorough sessions with experts, projects are awarded grants for further development.

Partners of this year's DFM include the International Film Festival Rotterdams (IFFR) CineMart, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), Sundance Film Festival, AfriDocs, the Berlinale Film Festival, HotDocs - Blue Ice Documentary Film Fund, Produire au Sud, Restless Talent Management, S rfond, French Embassy South Africa, , National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, Durban Film Office, VideoVision Entertainment, Goethe Institute and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.

For registration or for more information view the delegate registration process online at the official website: www.durbanfilmmart.com. There is an Early Bird registration discount for those booking before 30 May 2016. Fees are R1 485 (ZAR) for the 4 day event which includes access to allocated sessions, lunch, access to DFM networking events, entrance into the Durban International Film Festival screenings (subject to ticket availability), listing in the DFM Industry Manual and access to Masterclasses and the Africa in Focus programme. After 30 May 2016, fees are R2035. Daily passes are R605 (this does not include tickets to the DIFF screenings or access into the opening and closing events.)

-ends

Sharlene Versfeld

Versfeld & Associates

Public Relations and Communications

Mobile: +27 (0) 83 326 3235

Tel: +27 (0) 31 811 5628

Post: P O Box 30547, Mayville, 4058

Email: sharlene@versfeld.co.za

Twitter: sharlvers

Website: www.versfeld.co.za

Note to Editors:

The Durban FilmMart (DFM) is a co-production and finance market and is a joint programme of the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF). DFM provides filmmakers from across Africa with a valuable opportunity to pitch projects to financiers, distributors, sales agents and potential co-producers, and to participate in meetings, project presentations and a series of master classes and workshops on the latest industry trends. www.durbanfilmmart.com

The Durban Film Office (DFO) is the film industry development arm of the eThekwini Municipality, mandated to position Durban as a world-class film production destination and facilitator for the development of the local film industry. The DFO drives activity and development in the sector in order to boost tourism, job creation and the development of core skills and SMMEs in the region. www.durbanfilmoffice.com

The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) presents over 200 screenings from different countries and cultures with a special focus on Africa. The festival includes development programmes such as Talents Durban and a rich schedule of workshops. DIFF is a flagship project of the Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal, which facilitates creative platforms and economic opportunities for artists and related industries, intercultural exchange and network development, training, audience development and strategic Pan-African and international cooperation in the cultural sectors. www.cca.ukzn.ac.za

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