Durban FilmMart 2012 winners announced

• The Hubert Bals Fund Award of 5000 €uros towards script and project development for 'The Most Promising African Project' was presented by Janneke Langelaan to an outstanding fiction project Live from Zimbabwe; producer Jackie Cahi and director Rumbi Katedzi.

• Three producers were awarded the prize to attend the 'Rotterdam Lab 2013' presented by Bianca Taal of the International Film Festival of Rotterdam's CineMart. They are David Horler for Flatland (SA), Ikechukwu Omenaihe for In Silence... &In Tears (Nigeria) and Jackie Cahi for Live from Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe).

• Isabel Arrate Fernandez of the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA) and the IDFA Fund presented the 'Most Promising Documentary Projects', together with Himesh Kar of WorldView which awarded the two travel grant funds totalling 5000 €uros for travel and accommodation for two filmmaker teams to IDFA. The prize was given to director Anjali Nayar and director Hawa Essuman for Logs of War (Kenya) and producer Neil Brandt and director Riaan Hendricks for The Devils Lair (SA).

• WorldView also awarded a 5000 €uros to 'The Most Promising Feature Projects' presented to producer and director David Horler and Jenna Cato Bass of Flatland (SA).

• EAVE CEO Alan Fountain awarded a prize to attend the 'European producers Workshop'. The award was given to producer and director David Horler and Jenna Cato Bass of Flatland (SA).

• Arte France awarded the 'Best Feature Film Project' award of 6000 €uros presented by representative Remi Burah to producer Steven Markovitz and Wanuri Kahiu for Jambula Tree (an SA/Kenya coproduction).

• Canal France International (CFI) awarded the "The Most Promising Project" prize presented by CFI representative Etienne Fiatte and Audrin Mathe of the Nambian Broadcasting Corporation. The award was given to Joel Karekezi (director and producer) for The Mercy of the Jungle (Rwanda).

• Videovision's 'Best South African Film Project' prize of R75 000, presented by Sanjeev Singh was awarded to The Visit, a coproduction by Imraan Jeeva, Omar Khan and Sara Blecher and Directed by Nadia Davids.

Other festival highlights

The Africa in Focus panel discussion sessions highlighted the nitty-gritty of film production in Africa from sourcing international coproduction, access to global funding and training opportunities, film packaging, marketing and distribution to developing authentic African stories and digital and new media technology.

Masterclasses were held with local and international experts ranging from; 'Getting to Greenlight' for independent producing with SA producer Helena Spring; Coproduction and Finance between Africa and Europe with Roshanak Behesht Nedjad; and Developing African Stories for Global Markets with scriptwriting expert Jacques Akchoti both of the European Audio Visual Entrepreneurs (EAVE). Visual film experts Stefan Puschendorf and Steve Macpherson, as part of the COA partnership, led discussions on the Art of 3D Dimension and Pre-visualisation to Virtual Production Technologies respectively.

The Africa in Focus programme also includes presentations by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) which presented its annual comprehensive industry engagement under the guidance of newly-appointed CEO Zama Mkosi, which provided a platform for industry dialogue between executive management of the national body and the SA film industry and the public. The NFVF also facilitated the high-level scriptwriting training and development programme Sediba Spark Masterclass during the programme targeted at providing foundational principles of scriptwriting.

Also on the programme included the NFVF's 'In Conversation with Filmmakers on International Platforms' educating the audiences on accessing and navigating international markets and festivals.

Funding opportunities

Driving the agenda of African Film Industry was the presence of a dozen African broadcasters for the first time at the Durban FilmMart, as part of sponsors Canal France International contribution to the France South Africa Season 2012 & 2013. The 'Meet the funders' panel discussion, another event highlight on the schedule of events, introduced a group of international funders and co-producers who informed delegates of the many funding opportunities available with a vested interest in African Cinema.

Delegates and participants also had the opportunity hear the first-hand accounts of filmmakers who had participated in film funding, mentorship and residency programs as well meeting with local and international television broadcasters who are currently seeking proposals for authentic African stories. The programme also delved into case studies unpacking the challenges and experiences of African distributors as well as Documentary Filmmakers Association case studies of transmedia projects.

The KZN Film Commission was launched. This project is undertaken by the KZN Department of Economic Development and Tourism which will be mandated to develop, promote and market the province of KZN as a global destination for film production to a local, national and international audience as well as facilitate the investment in the film industry in the province of KZN.

During the period of the Durban FilmMart, African project participants (12 Documentary and 11 Feature film project directors and producers) underwent a gruelling mentorship and skills training which prepared them to pitch to their 'work in progress' film projects in one-on-one sessions to international film funders, broadcasters, distributors and sales agents. The African filmmakers also had an opportunity to interact with industry elite at several scheduled networking sessions.

For more, go to www.durbanfilmmart.com.