Durban FilmMart announces selected 2020 Finance Forum Projects

The projects, which have, as a proviso, at least one African director or producer involved, came from 13 countries including South Africa, Egypt, Tunisia, Cape Verde, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco, Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad, and Zimbabwe.

Durban FilmMart announces selected 2020 Finance Forum Projects

30 Jul 2020

“By going virtual this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to seize the opportunity to extend the call for submissions, as well as include a further 11 projects into the usual pool of 20 to pitch,” says Toni Monty, Head of the DFM. “What is exciting is how the projects echo our theme of Brave New Cinema, as stories presented relevant Afrocentric themes across a variety of genres. It is evident that the content possibilities, within the continent, are growing, and the quality of projects presented is maturing, which makes for an exciting dynamic for African filmmaking.

The selected projects, 16 documentaries and 15 fiction features, will have the opportunity to present a pre-recorded pitch to a panel for investors, agents, distributors, content editors, broadcasters, and programmers for possible further development.

DFM 2020 Project Selection

Documentary selection

• Abo Zabaal 1989, (Egypt) – Producer: Kesmat El Sayed, Director: Bassam Mortada
• Beyond the Light Barrier (South Africa) – Producer: Uga L Carlini, Associate producers: Jacqui Teasdale-Pearson and Dumi Gumbi, Director: Uga L Carlini
• Big Boys Don't Cry, (Egypt) – Producer: Hala Lotfy, Co-producer: Philipp Mairice Raube, Director: Muhammad Mustapha
• Des Espoirs (Hope), (Tunisia) - Producers: Erige Sehiri, Carine Ruszniewski, Clothilde Bunod, Director: Dhia Jerbi
• E Quem Cozinha? (And Who Will Cook?), (Cape Verde) – Producer and Director: Samira Vera-Cruz
• How to Build a Library, (Kenya) – Produced and Directed by Maia Lekow and Christopher King
• Les Oublies (The Forgotten Ones), (Mali) – Producers: Abdoulsalam Hama, Julien Fiorentino, Director: Ousmane Samassekou
• Man of God, (South Africa) – Producer: Jack Chiang, Director: Poppy Madela
• The Ship and the Sea (O Navio e o Mar), (Mozambique) – Producer: Lara Sousa, Co-producer: Matheus Mello, Directors: Lara Sousa and Everlane Moraes
• Our Bomb for Pan Africa, (South Africa) – Producer: Jean Meeran, Director: Eva Njoki Munyiri
• Rising up at Night, (Democratic Republic of the Congo) – Producers: Dada Kahindo, Rosa Spaliviero, Director: Nelson Makengo
• The House is Burning, (South Africa) – Producer: Natalie Geyser, Sara Gouveia, Director: Sara Gouveia
• The Men Who Speak Gayle, (South Africa) – Producers: Georgie Paget, Thembisa Cochrane, Director: Andrew Brukman
• The Wall of Death, (Morocco) – Producers: Merieme Addou, Alexis Taillant, Nadege Labe, Director: Amine Sabir
• Twelve Pangas, (South Africa) – Producers: James Tayler, Xola Mteto , Director: Xola Mteto
• What's Eating my Mind, (Kenya) – Producer: Sam Soko, Director: Noella Luka

Fiction selection

• A Can Of Condensed Milk (Working Title), (South Africa) – Producer: Julie Laurenz, Director: Sara Blecher
• Al Bahs An Manfaz L Khoroug Al Sayed Rambo (Seeking Haven For Mr Rambo), (Egypt) – Producer: Rasha Hosny, Director: Khaled Mansour
• Al Mostamara (The Settlement), (Egypt) – Producers: Hala Lotfy, Etienne de Ricaud, Director: Mohamed Ibrahim
• Ape Town, (South Africa) – Producer: Bridget Pickering, Director: Kurt Oderson, Screenwriter: Rea Human
• Goodbye Julia (Sudan)- Producer: Amjad Abu Alala, Director: Mohamed Kordofani
• Mehal Sefari (Median), (Ethiopia) – Producer: Tamara Dawit, Director: Abraham Gezahagne
• Over The Republic, (South Africa) – Executive Producer: Ramadan Suleman, Director: Lamar Bonhomme
• Searching For Lebo, (Kenya) – Producer: Matrid Nyagah, Director: Simon Mukali
• Sola, (Chad) – Producer: Wilf Varvill, Arnaud Dommerc, Michael Henrichs, Director: Issa Serge Coelo
• Stellar Collision, (South Africa) – Producer: Layla Swart, Director: Thishiwe Ziqubu
• The Accident, (South Africa) – Producer: Khosi Dali, Director: Imran Hamdulay
• The Weekend, (South Africa) – Producer: Akona Matyila, Director: Kenneth Gwele
• Vlees Van My Vlees (Flesh from my Flesh), (South Africa) – Producers: Lucia Meyer-Marais, Jozua Malherbe, Director: Matthys Boshoff
• Vrees (Fear), (South Africa) – Producer: Corne Van Rooyen, Director: Rene Van Rooyen
• We All Fall Down, (Zimbabwe) – Producer and Director: Tapiwa Chipfupa

Besides the Finance Forum, the DFM will host several webinars with panel discussions, conversations, forums and hangouts for filmmakers with film industry experts, where they will be able to benchmark themselves, expand their professional knowledge, pitch projects and ideas in meetings and extend their network on a global level.

The 2020 DFM takes place online from 4 to 13 September. Registration will open on 31 July on www.durbanfilmmart.com.