DFM Pitch and Finance Forum
Presented at the DFM annual market
Each year, through an open application process and two independent selection panels, the Durban FilmMart Institute 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.
DFM 2024 Official Projects
Animation
Jay Fly
(South Africa)
Producer: Nosipho Maketo van den Bragt
Jay Fly
(South Africa)
Director: Tiaan Franken
Monster Nanny
(South Africa, Zimbabwe)
Producer: Kaya Kuhn
Monster Nanny
(South Africa, Zimbabwe)
Director: Tafadzwa Hove
Oarona
(South Africa)
Co-Producer: AJ Pitre
Oarona
(South Africa)
Co-Producer and Director: Thandiwe Mlauli
R.E.M. (Rapid Eye Mystery
(Egypt)
Producer: Ahmad Abdelhameed
R.E.M. (Rapid Eye Mystery
(Egypt)
Co-Director: Ahmad Thabit
R.E.M. (Rapid Eye Mystery
(Egypt)
Director: Mahmoud Hemeda
The Legend of Hyena Man
(Tanzania)
Producer: Mathew Valerian
The Legend of Hyena Man
(Tanzania)
Co-Director: Elshadye Berhanu
The Legend of Hyena Man
(Tanzania)
Co-Director: Joshua Faber
The Legends of Bulan
(Nigeria)
Producer: Ferdinand Adimefe
The Legends of Bulan
(Nigeria)
Director: Azubuike Joseph Duru
Uli & Tata’s African Nursery Rhymes
(Kenya)
Producer: Sarah Mallia
Uli & Tata’s African Nursery Rhymes
(Kenya)
Director: Chief Nyamweya
Unseen
(South Africa)
Producer: Annemarie du Plessis
Documentary
A Girl and a Gun
(South Africa)
Producer: Antoinette Engel
A Girl and a Gun
(South Africa)
Director: Arya Lalloo
Africa AI
(South Africa)
Producer and Co-Director: Amílcar Patel
Africa AI
(South Africa)
Co-Director: Chris Kets
Children of Honey
(Tanzania, United Kingdom)
Producer: Natalie Humphreys
Children of Honey
(Tanzania, United Kingdom)
Director: Jigar Ganatra
In Pursuit of Ghosts
(South Africa)
Producer: Jacintha de Nobrega
In Pursuit of Ghosts
(South Africa)
Director: Jethro Clifton Westraad
Kam Leila Kam Youm? (How Many Nights How Many Days?)
(Egypt)
Producer: Kesmat Elsayed
Kam Leila Kam Youm? (How Many Nights How Many Days?)
(Egypt)
Director: Alaa Dajani
My Father Killed Bourguiba
(Tunisia)
Producer: Sarra Ben Hassan
My Father Killed Bourguiba
(Tunisia)
Director: Fatma Riahi
The One Who Sings
(South Africa)
Co-Producer: Rene Weston
The One Who Sings
(South Africa)
Co-Producer and Director: Chelsea Art
Unsung
(South Africa)
Producer: Masechaba Khumalo
Unsung
(South Africa)
Director: Amanda Lane
We Had The Moon
(Mauritius)
Producer and Director: Pamela Eduoard
Zerri3a Morra
(Algeria, France)
Producer: Antoine Goldet
Zerri3a Morra
(Algeria, France)
Director: Camelia Gadhgadhi
Fiction
Acts of Man
(South Africa)
Producer: Sean Drummond
Acts of Man
(South Africa)
Director: Sheetal Magan
Benimana
(Ivory Coast)
Producer: Samantha Biffot
Benimana
(Ivory Coast)
Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo
Dear Tarkovsky
(Tunisia)
Producer: Asma Chiboub
Dear Tarkovsky
(Tunisia)
Director: Firas Khoury
Garde Baissée (Guard Down)
(Egypt, France, Tunisia)
Co-Producer: Imed Marzouk
Garde Baissée (Guard Down)
(Egypt, France, Tunisia)
Co-Producer: Mark Lotfy
Garde Baissée (Guard Down)
(Egypt, France, Tunisia)
Director: Sami Tlili
Jua Kali
(Kenya)
Producer: Joash Omondi
Londoner
(Nigeria)
Producer: Pamela Drameh
Londoner
(Nigeria)
Director: Babatunde Apalowo
Mimouna
(Algeria)
Producer: Jeremie Palanque
Mimona
(Algeria)
Director: Amel Blidi
Numalali (My Voice, My Void)
(Guatemala)
Producer: Kurt Orderson
Numalali (My Voice, My Void)
(Guatemala)
Director: Kimeshree Munsamy
Pour Toi Je Reviendrai (I'm Coming For You)
(Cameroon)
Producer: Alice Abah
Pour Toi Je Reviendrai (I'm Coming For You)
(Cameroon)
Director: Cyrielle Raingou
2023 Awards
| AWARDS | NAME OF AWARD | Genre | DETAILS OF AWARD |
| CASH AWARDS | |||
| Known Associates, Inner City Films, Circle Blue Entertainment, | Known Inner Circle Award | All genres | $10,000 |
| Red Sea | Red Sea Film Fund Award X2 | Development and Post-production | $5,000 x 1 awards (for development projects) $5,000 x1 award (for post production) |
| Game Changer | Game Changer Films Award | All genres | $5,000 |
| Canal + | CANAL+ Development Grant | All genres | CANAL+ grant to the value of 5,000 € euros, with a development contract. |
| TRT | TRT Award | Fiction or Documentary | $5,000 |
| MTN Group | MTN Group Digital Award | All genres | $5,000 |
| International Documentary Association | IDA Supported Artist Award | Documentary | $5,000 grant One (1) IDA Supported Artist Grant to 1 nonfiction filmmaker. The IDA Supported Artist Grant includes the following: ○ USD $5000 cash prize ○ 1 Getting Real Fellowship ○ Free one-year Doc Maker Membership to IDA ● 8 x IDA year long Doc Maker memberships for Durban FilmMart Documentary projects. |
| Sisters in Cinema | Sisters in Cinema Sustainability Award | $ 2500 | |
| National Film and Video Foundation | Best Fiction Grant Best Non-Fiction Grant | Fiction and Documentary | R100,000 R100,000 |
| Africa No Filter awards | Africa Narrative-change Film Award | $5,000 | |
| Hot Docs-Blue Ice Docs Fund | Hot Docs-Blue Ice Docs Award | Documentary | $1,500 CAD |
| The Whickers | The Whickers Bursary Award | Documentary | £3,000 |
| PROGRAMME PARTICIPATION | |||
| IFFR Pro | Rotterdam Lab Award | Fiction | A prize package to a selected DFM project, the package will include: • Participation in the Rotterdam Lab • Accommodation |
| DOK.fest München and IEFTA | The DOK.fest München Award With support from IEFTA | documentary | A prize package to a selected DFM project, the package will include: • participation in DOK.forum Marketplace • accommodation expenses Flight suppported by IEFTA |
| Dok Leipzig and IEFTA | The DOK Leipzig Award With support from IEFTA | documentary or animation | A prize package to a selected DFM project, the package will include: • 2 x accreditation and 3 nights accommodation to DOK Leipzig 2024 in a twin room • Participation of the selected project in the DOK Co-Pro Market Flight suppported by IEFTA |
| Sorfund | Sørfond Award | Fiction / Documentary / Animation | Travel expenses covered in full for 1 team member from the awarded project |
| Miradas Doc | Miradas Doc Award | documentary | A prize package to a selected DFM project, the package will include: • Participation in the Miradasdoc • Flight, accommodation and accreditation |
| Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival and IEFTA | Special GZDOC Invitation With support from IEFTA | documentary | A prize package to a selected DFM project (documentary), the package will include: • Participation in the GZ Doc Market Pitch • Accreditation and 5nights accommodation Flight suppported by IEFTA |
| FIDA DOC | The FIDA DOC Award | documentary | • Participation in the FIDADOC Pan African Writing residency • Accreditation, flights and accommodation |
| Movies that matter and IEFTA | Movies that Matter Award With support from IEFTA | documentary | • Participation in Movies that Matter 2025 • Flights, Accreditation and accommodation |
| Vision du reel and IEFTA | Visions du Reel Award With support from IEFTA | documentary | • 2 x complimentary Networking accreditation (valued at CHF 190 each) to participate in the Visions du Reel Industry days from Sunday 6 to Wednesday 9 April 2025. • 3 x nights accommodation (twin share) for up to 2 project participants (must be the director/s and/or producer/s). Flight suppported by IEFTA |
| Fak’ugesi | Fak’ugesi Residency Award | animation | Partipcation in the Residency Programme |
| Hidden Hand Studio | The Hidden Hand Studios presents: The Hidden Talents Award | animation | A trailer production of a story by the awardee by The Hidden Hand Studios of MAX 1:30 min with all parts of the pipeline handled by the studio with the awardee as either Director or Co-Director depending on their skill and experience level. |
| MENTORSHIP | |||
| OIF-ACP -EU | OIF-ACP -EU Award | 12-18 month mentorship | |
| Torina Lab and IEFTA | TFL Next Award supported by IEFTA | TFL Next – Film online workshop in 2025 | |
| TALENTS DURBAN | |||
| IEFTA | IEFTA Connect | Mentorship by IEFTA | |
| DFMI | DFM Talents Durban Award | DFM Talents Durban Project Award to Talent project to participate at DFM 2022 programme | |
2021 Winners
Application Information
Live Action Applications are now CLOSED.
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