The Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) has unveiled the official participant selection for Talents Durban 2026, running 9–12 October as part of the Durban FilmMart (DFM).
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Now in its 19th year, the African satellite of Berlinale Talents has received a record 551 applications, with 32 participants selected across fiction, documentary, animation, episodic content and film criticism.
A record year for African storytelling
This year’s cohort spans 18 countries and a wide mix of formats, from features and shorts to episodic work, animation and criticism.
Participants will take part in Story Junction pitching sessions, masterclasses, mentorship engagements, and one-on-one consultations with industry experts.
DFMI director Magdalene Reddy says the programme remains central to long-term industry growth, “Talents Durban is central to this vision. Now in its 19th year of partnership with Berlinale Talents, this collaboration continues to contribute meaningfully to the sustainability of the African film ecosystem.”
Shifting Worlds: Turning Towards Ourselves
The 17th edition of the Durban FilmMart runs under the theme Shifting Worlds: Turning Towards Ourselves, inspired by the words of Ousmane Sembène, often called the "father of African cinema": “Why be a sunflower and turn toward the sun? I, myself, am the sun.”
The theme reflects a shift towards self-defined storytelling, with a focus on local ownership, new funding pathways, and more equitable ways of making and distributing African film.
2026 official participants and projects
Fiction features:
Kelvin Kagambo: Dogi Dogi (Tanzania)
Lawrencia Aphua Larbi-Amoah: Bare Feet (Ghana)
Meekaaeel Adam: The Violent Type (South Africa)
Mélanie K. Zawadi: The Basement (DRC)
Russell Oru: The Things We Leave Behind (Nigeria)
Shandra Apondi: The Words I Do Not Have (Kenya)
Documentaries:
Ahmed Shams Nagm Eldin: SABARY (Sudan)
Hussein Eddeb: The Birth of Derna (Libya)
Junior Mozese: ABÉTI (DRC)
Michelle Simon: Rivers: Under Threat (South Africa)
Ramaroson Razafimbelo Anatole: Fitampoha, the Return of the King of Menabe (Madagascar)
Sarra El Abed: Goodbye Party (Tunisia)
Fiction shorts:
Daisy Masembe: Rukia (Uganda)
Ghazzal Abdullah: Facing the Sun (Egypt)
Moso Sematlane: Nightbirds (Lesotho)
Sarah Abena Adjei: Awake (Ghana)
Tendaiishe Chitima: The Last Tree on Kilimanjaro (Zimbabwe)
Xola Limba: Only We Remain (South Africa)
Episodic:
Cheyi Okoaye: Cause, Effect & Maybe Consequences? (Nigeria)
Des Dlamini: Slightly Awkward (South Africa)
Rudo Furusa: Borrowed Skin (Botswana)
Sogoba Hawa: The Eleventh Year (Mali)
Animation:
Jack Machiridza: All You Sheep (Zimbabwe)
Kirollos George: Alexandria Forever (Egypt)
Pule Mohotsi: Amandla (South Africa)
Talent press:
Elijah Oluwanisola (Nigeria)
Hlumela Luvuno (South Africa)
Neya Harouna (Burkina Faso)
Michelle Abuti (Kenya)
Domoina Ratsara (Madagascar) — Alumni
Wilfred Okiche (Nigeria) — Alumni
Industry voices shaping the work
Mentors include Akosua Adoma Owusu, Amine Hattou, Bongi Ndaba, Comfort Arthur, Jihane Bougrine, Mayye Zayed, Nicole Schafer, Oris Aigbokhaevbolo, Ramadan Suleman, and Razanaja Ambinintsoa Luck.
A newsroom, reimagined
The Talent Press stream introduces a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Digital Newsroom model, simulating a live festival newsroom instead of a traditional workshop.
Alumni Wilfred Okiche and Domoina Ratsara return as Section Editors, mentoring emerging critics.
Partnerships with the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival (4–14 June 2026) and the Durban International Film Festival (23 July–2 August 2026) will give participants real-world reporting experience.
Opening doors internationally
A collaboration between the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), and the DFMI will see one participant receive a CIFF-presented award and an invitation to attend and cover the Cairo International Film Festival.
Delegate registration and programme details will be announced in due course.
Visit the Durban FilmMart Institute's website at durbanfilmmart.co.za for more information.
