The Durban FilmMart (DFM), which showcases African cinema content and talent, is calling for submissions of live action films in development, for its 15th edition in 2024.
The DFM received recognition as the continent’s best film market in UNESCO’s 2021 Film Trends in Africa report. The 2024 event, organised by the Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI), is scheduled for 19 to 22 July.
“Over the last 15 years, DFM has attracted filmmakers from across the continent, resulting in unique African stories garnering global interest and winning awards internationally and locally”, says DFMI director Magdalene Reddy.
DFM alumni projects from the past year have seen premieres at Sundance (Mami Wata), accolades at the Cannes Film Festival (Goodbye Julia and Mother of All Lies), and selection as their countries’ entry for the upcoming Academy Awards (Goodbye Julia and Mami Wata).
The DFM is inviting full-length feature and documentary film projects, as well as series content with Africans in key creative roles seeking co-producers, financiers, sales agents, streamers, broadcasters, and funders to submit their applications. An independent selection panel will choose up to ten documentaries and ten fiction feature-length film projects from the submissions, with the selected projects set to be announced in early May 2024.
Application criteria are:
- The programme is open to African filmmakers with an active feature length or episodic project in development.
- The programme is open to both fiction and documentary projects.
- At least one of the 3 key creatives (producer, writer, director) must be from Africa or from the African diaspora.
- Project applications must be completed in English, however the language of the project itself is up to the imagination of the filmmaker.
- At least one representative must be available to participate in the mentorship programme and be present in Durban for the duration of the 15th Durban FilmMart.
* Filmmakers can submit their applications before 20 January 2024 here.