Thirty-Six African Projects Selected for Durban FilmMart Pitch and Finance Forum

The Durban FilmMart, Africa’s leading film finance and co-production market, has announced 36 African film projects for its 17th edition, scheduled for 9 to 12 October in Durban, South Africa.

The market will present these 36 projects, including 8 animation, 10 fiction features, 10 documentary features, and 7 series projects in development at the Pitch and Finance Forum alongside a robust industry programme which will focus on current trends, innovations, and challenges faced by the industry. 

Yearly, the Durban FilmMart Institute, through an open application process and two independent selection panels, selects 20-30 official African fiction and documentary projects in development to present to a panel of potential co-producers, sales agents, broadcasters, and film funds. The Pitch and Finance Forum consists of public pitching, one-on-one meetings with decision makers, and individual mentorship leading up to the market. 

The selected projects will be given the opportunity to prepare for their participation at DFM. The 8 animation projects will receive additional support from industry experts through participation in the Digital Lab Africa (DLA) programme presented by DFM partner, Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct. 

Projects selected for the animated fiction series include South African Robyn Viljoen’s Beast Seeker, produced by Danielle Retief, Kenyan and Brazil’s Orlymar Paredes’ capoZOOeira, produced by Mary Waweru Wanjiku and Carlos Zerpa Bravo, Nigerian Precious Anih’s Hadu: The Series produced by Damilola Solesi, C.J. Obasi’s JUJU SOCCER produced by Oge Obasi and Somto Ajuluchukwu, Tshepo Moche’s Nerve produced by Raffaella Delle Donne and co-produced by Renee Van Reenen, and Minasie Terefe’s Sunday Morning, from Ethiopia, produced by Nahom Abiy. 

The short animated fiction projects include Egypt’s Hagar Basiony’s In Her Hands, produced by Gehad El Akhal. The animated feature length projects include South Africa’s Lesego Vorster’s MIDNIGHT METRO, produced by Wako Sefara.

The fiction feature projects include Houcem Slouli’s A touch of Paradise, from Tunisia, produced by Sarra Ben Hassen, Sudan’s Alyaa Musa’s Arbaa Shuhuor wu Ashara Ayam (Four Months and Ten Days) produced by Alsamoual Hussein, Jahmil Qubeka’s Fairway to Freedom, from South Africa, produced by Tarina Patel, Asmae el Moudir’s Holy Cow from Morocco, Carla Fonseca Mokgata’s MIETA, from South Africa, produced by Neil Brandt, Rwandan Mutiganda wa Nkunda’s MOTHER THERESA produced by Shema Faustin, Jad Chahine’s Taht El Sama El Khadra’ (Under Green Skies), from Egypt, produced by Yara Goubran, The Agbajowo Collective’s The Boy Who Spoke Static produced by Mathew Cerf from Nigeria, Pablo Pinedo Bóveda’s Vino Amargo (Bitter Wine), from South Africa, produced by Davide Franciscus, and South African Batandwa Alperstein’s Waslap. 

The fiction series includes Democratic Republic of the Congo Erickey Bahati’s AGAIN, produced by Giresse Kassonga, Sean Mongie’s Daddies, from South Africa, produced by Cati Weinek, Dominique Jossie’s Fafi from South Africa, Sanele Zulu’s FISI (HYENA), produced by Mkamzee Mwatela from Kenya, South African Jozua Malherbe’s Smoke & Mirrors produced by Luke Rous, and Sihle Mthembu’s The Coven from South Africa. 

For the documentary series, we have Ugandan  Tina Obo’s Children of the Nile. 

Documentary features include Egyptian Rogena Tarek’s Banat aljaziea alkhadra’ (Green Island’s Girls) produced by Amrosh Badr, Jessie Ayles’ DESIGNING DIVIDE from South Africa, Sesihle Manzini’s Gwijo Nation, from South Africa, produced by Quinton Fredericks, Algerian and France’s Mouni Boullam’s LE FIL ET LE MUR (THE THREAD AND THE WALL), Barkima Nafissatou Laguempedo’s MA NUIT DU DJOMELE (My Djomele Night), from Burkina Faso, produced by Hicham Falah, Kenyan Saitabao Kaiyare’s Majuto si Mjukuu (Heirs of no Regret) produced by Mumo Liku, Phumlani Veto’s MDANTSANE – HOME OF BOXING from South Africa, Neema Ngelime’s The Ones With The Tempered Flowers, from Tanzania, produced by Ivy Kiru, South African Rehad Desai’s Urban Zulu: The Busi Mhlongo Story produced by Struan Douglas and co-produced by Vusi Mchunu, South African Karin Slater’s Waiting for Evolution, and Ibrahim “Snoopy” Ahmed’s WHERE DO I BELONG?, from Sudan, produced by Talal Afifi.