Who is DFMI?
Established in 2020, the Durban FilmMart Institute is a non-profit company that facilitates local and international trade and investment in African film content.
Our Vision
To be the premier business hub of the African film industries in a world where African film industry professionals and content are globally competitive and celebrated.
Our Mission
The mission of the Durban FilmMart Institute is to provide appropriate and effective programmes and services in order to promote, support and facilitate investment in the African film industries, so that African film industry professionals and products are competitive and celebrated globally.
The Durban FilmMart aims to:
- Raise the visibility of projects from the African Continent and create networking opportunities with potential co-producers and other industry partners.
- Facilitate access to funding for promising projects and accelerate the financing of participating projects through transnational cooperation.
- Stimulate the production of African content and promote international co-production opportunities.
- Encourage project collaboration between African filmmakers.
- Generate market access for African film industry professionals and content to international markets.
- Build a community of filmmakers that have access to year-round support.
Our Journey
Based on a Feasibility Study and the approval of City of the Durban Council to fund the Durban FilmMart, in 2009 the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) entered into a Memorandum of Agreement to collaborate in the development and the implementation of the Durban FilmMart (DFM). The DFO and the DIFF continued the partnership to steer the implementation of the DFM programme for 10 years.
In 2020 the City of Durban Council approved the registration of the Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) with an independent board governing the non profit company. The inaugural board of the DFMI is composed of individuals from South African film industry bodies.
Board of Directors
Tshepiso Chikapa-Phiri
Chairperson
Tshepiso Chikapa Phiri is the CEO and founder of the Known Associates Group of Companies, which includes a below the line agency, design studio, film production development and finance company and is currently building a state-of-the-Art film and television Studio in the Cradle of Humankind outside Johannesburg. KA skilfully produces and directs world-class projects in the communications, experiential, and relationship marketing industries, both locally and across Africa.
She is a University of Cape Town Alumni, with 20 years’ experience in communications, events, media, marketing, and film and television production. Her career includes working in international events including the North Sea Jazz Festival and Sithengi Film Festival. She has also worked in classic advertising as a ‘suit’. In 2007 she decided to commit to a career as a television and film producer. Her training ground was at Bomb Productions where she was the Associate Producer on the drama series Zone14. In 2008 she formed a boutique film and television production company Zing Entertainment with her partner Joel Phiri. Zing in partnership with Pulp Films produced MTN’s The Beautiful Game, a football documentary filmed throughout Africa.
She sits on the board of Media Heads 360 and is a shareholder in the business. She is a trustee of the Smile Artist Foundation and the Gerald Sekoto Trust. Tshepiso holds key industry roles including Co-Chair of SASFED, Deputy Chairperson of the IPO (formerly Chairperson and Treasurer), and Board Member at the Durban FilmMart Institute. She is also a leading voice in the Independent Black Filmmakers Collective (IBFC), advocating for transformation and inclusive growth across the African screen sector.
She is also on the board of the Cradle Nature Reserve, which controls over 10 000 hectares of land in the Cradle Precinct. In 2018 she founded Known Associates Entertainment with Dan Jawitz. The company has recently purchased Moonlighting Films PTY LTD, a leading television and film servicing company. The first KAE production, uBettina Wethu was a multi season series based on the Columbian smash hit telenovela YO SOY BETTY LA FEY (adapted as Ugly Betty in the US).
The company has serviced international productions including Universal Studios’ feature film, Beast and Sony Pictures’ The Woman King. KAE produced ETV’s first EVOD feature film, Atlantis (2021), John Barker’s The Umbrella Man, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022 and Fabian Medea’s feature film Wild Is The Wind, which premiered on Netflix in 2022.
Ameera Faber
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Ameera Faber, whose career continues a three-generation presence in the business of storytelling, is an award-winning producer with extensive experience in Transmedia storytelling campaigns. She has produced over 600 hours of television content broadcast on networks including SABC, e.tv, and Netflix. Her producing portfolio spans across several genres from documentary, factual, and reality entertainment shows to drama series, reflecting her deep understanding of African storytelling and global distribution ecosystems.
Ameera serves as Deputy Chair of the Documentary Filmmakers Association and has been a juror for multiple SAFTAs and International Emmy Awards. She holds two bachelor degrees in Film & Metaphysical Science, a Masters Degree in Business Psychology, and is pursuing her PhD in Conscious Business Ethics. She is an ordained minister and also the author of multiple books on relationship-building in the film, television, music and entertainment industries and owns a post-production facility in Johannesburg supporting major SABC 1 soapies. Ameera is also the co-founder of True Continent an African Documentary streaming platform, co-founder of The Superhero Project NPO and the founder of Coaching for Women- which focuses on leadership development for African women.
Khalid Shamis
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Khalid Shamis is an editor and educator, director and producer with a film-making practice over 25 years. His practice is strongly dedicated to the pedagogy of independent filmmaking and story construction in Africa, teaching and consulting in and outside film institutions and organised frameworks.
Khalid is a regular jury at film festivals and reads for film funds and workshops. He is on the executive board of the South African Guild of Editors, board member of the Durban Film Mart Institute, a member of Rough Cut Service and a doctoral fellow at the Centre for Humanities Research (CHR) at the University of the Western Cape. Khalid is also founder and director of Rough Cut Lab Africa, RCLA, a story support programme for independent African films at the rough cut stage.
Khalid’s films as editor are numerous, and as director notably ‘Imam and I’ and ‘The Colonel’s Stray Dogs.’
Masi Mtshali
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Masi Mtshali is an accomplished attorney with a strong focus on intellectual property law. He obtained his LL.B degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is also a member of the Legal Practice Council, the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law and the International Trademark Association.
Masi assists businesses and persons who wish to register their trade marks (setting their businesses apart from others and to have the ability to commercialise their trade names), copyright registrations for cinematographic films, strategic advice on intellectual property portfolios as well as protecting already existing or registered intellectual property rights from infringement and exploitation. Masi’s expertise and dedication in the creative industry makes him a valuable asset for those seeking to legally register and/or protect their intellectual property rights.
Masi is the Founder and Director of Mtshali & Associates Inc.
Mocke Jansen van Veuren
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Mocke Jansen van Veuren is an experimental filmmaker, multimedia artist, educator and PhD candidate holding the positions of Deputy Head of Department at the Wits Department of Film & Television and Vice-Chair of Animation SA. His PhD research focuses on the development of unique, community-based film and animation production methodologies and pedagogies. He is the recipient of the FNB Art Prize (with Nelisiwe Xaba) in 2013, the UJ Chancellor’s Award for Research in 2013, and the Wits Vice Chancellor’s Award for Academic Citizenship in 2025.
Van Veuren has been deeply involved in the creation of national standards, qualifications and curricula in film, audio-visual production and animation. He has taught filmmaking, multimedia and animation at a number of institutions including UJ, Academy of Sound Engineering, AFDA and Wits over the past twenty years. He is a member of The Beehive Culture Worx, a grassroots collective developing and running community-based film and animation education and production programmes in Kliptown and Eldorado Park, and is currently developing an experimental animated documentary feature film with the collective.
Poovashnee Reddy
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Poovashnee Reddy is a Chartered Accountant and strategic finance and investment professional with over 13 years of experience across PwC South Africa, Deloitte UK, venture-backed startups, and institutional investment environments. Her expertise spans strategic finance, investor readiness, financial modelling, transaction advisory, governance, capital strategy, and financial reporting, with experience supporting multinational organisations, early-stage ventures, and investment stakeholders across complex and cross-border environments.
Poovashnee work focuses on the intersection of finance, investment, and business growth, supporting founders, investors, and leadership teams through capital raising, investment evaluation, governance, and strategic decision-making. She has developed investor-facing financial models and investment materials, supported due diligence processes, and advised businesses on strengthening financial governance and investment readiness. Her work is centred on translating complex financial information into practical insights that support sustainable growth and informed decision-making.
In addition to her advisory work, Poovashnee contributes to boards and strategic initiatives across the energy, infrastructure, and creative sectors. She brings experience in financial oversight, governance, risk management, and long-term strategic planning, with a particular interest in strengthening investment ecosystems, supporting entrepreneurship, and creating sustainable pathways for business growth and capital formation.
Zanele Mthembu
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Zanele Mthembu is Managing Director and Executive Producer at Brown Panther Films, a part-time lecturer at Tshwane University of Technology, and Acting Executive Officer at Sisters Working in Film and Television (SWIFT).
A seasoned media professional, she has 30 years’ experience in broadcasting, production, and distribution across local and international markets. Her senior roles include Executive Head of Channel at Newzroom Afrika and Group Head of Content at eMedia Group. She began her career at Penguin Films, later became Discovery Communications, Inc.’s International Fellow, and earned an MFA in Film from Howard University in Washington, DC.
Zanele contributes to industry development through her service on the South African Audio Visual Cluster Board. She has also served as a board member of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) Council and as Chair of the SWIFT Board. She has served on the judging panels for several major awards, including the SAFTAs, Wildscreen Festival Awards, Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival Awards, and other international honours. She is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative and the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
She was Executive Producer on the feature films Otelo Burning and Felix, has recently completed her first PESP5-funded docuseries, and is currently in production with her first documentary.
Advisory Committee
Mo Abudu
Nigeria
launched EbonyLife TV, Africa’s first global black entertainment and lifestyle network, in 2013. Her primary goal for the channel was to alter the narrative around Africa into something more positive. What followed was a string of glossy, aspirational series like The Governor, Fifty, Desperate Housewives Africa and Sons of the Caliphate, and most recently, the Netflix series Blood Sisters. Abudu is described by Forbes as “Africa’s Most Successful Woman” and rated as one of the “Most Powerful Women in Global Television”. Abudu is a Nigerian media mogul and philanthropist who has built an empire spanning almost a decade. In 2019 she was named among the Inaugural List of 100 Most Influential African Women in 2019 by Advance Media.
Steven Adams
USA
Steven Adams (USA) is a Founding Partner at Alta Global Media
where he represents international media companies and talent. Adam is the producer on the Netflix Original adaptation of Roger Guenveur Smith’s solo performance piece Rodney King, directed by Academy Award winner Spike Lee. Having served for 4 years as a VFX Executive Producer with Paris-based VFX house BUF, his credits there include such Academy Award winners as James Cameron’s AVATAR, Ang Lee’s LIFE OF PI, THOR for Marvel Studios, as well as GREEN LANTERN, GREEN HORNET, Stephen Sommers’ ODD THOMAS, and Tim Burton’s DARK SHADOWS. Steven was also VFX Executive Producer for French VFX house Digital District whose credits include the Academy Award winning features THE ARTIST & THE INTOUCHABLES. Adam is a member of the Producers Guild of America, the Television Academy, Content London and the Los Angeles Art Association Advisory Board and serves as Board Ambassador for the Blackhouse Foundation, an official partner of the Sundance Institute.
Todd Brown
Canada
of international and independent film website ScreenAnarchy.com (formerly TwitchFilm.com). An experienced festival programmer and co-ordinator of the Macao Project Market co-production market, Brown is also the Head of International Acquisitions for XYZ Films. In his time at XYZ, Brown has shown a strong focus on emerging talent and territories and has served as a producer or executive producer on a wide range of Cannes, Toronto and Sundance selected titles such as The Raid, Spring, Bushwick and many more.
Jihan El-Tahri
Egypt
film director, writer, producer and visual artist who currently serves as the General Director of the Berlin based documentary support institution Dox Box. She sits on the selection committee of the Locarno International Film Festival and has served on several African film board organisations. She has directed more than 15 films and her visual art exhibitions have travelled to renowned museums and several Biennales around the world. As a member of The Academy (Oscars) for the last five years, El-Tahri has directed more than 15 films. Her writings include Les Sept Vies de Yasser Arafat (Grasset) and Israel and the Arabs, The 50 Years war (Penguin).
Cécile Gérardin
France
and has honed her skills across the spheres of television, producing, developing and creative writing. She is the Head of Drama at Canal + International with a focus on the African Continent including Invisibles, Sakho & Mangane, Agent, Oasis, L’Amour à 200m, Cacao, Manjak, Mami Wata, De plus en plus Loin, Eki. Gérardin holds a MBA from Boston College Carroll School of Management, and an MBA from French Graduate Business School Sup de Co Reims (NEOMA Group).
Judy Kibinge
Kenya
strongly in the power of storytelling. She works with like-minded friends, collaborators and partners to create engaging and powerful films. As part of her responsibilities, she led Pan African campaigns for brands like Coca-Cola, East African Breweries, and Unilever. She has written and directed several award winning fiction and documentary films. In 2013, she founded Docubox, Sub Saharan Africa’s first homegrown fund and hub for independent filmmakers. Kibinge is also a founding member of the Creative Economy Working Group (CEWG) formed to shape cultural policy in Kenya and in 2021, was named Most Influential Woman in Film at the Women in Film Awards (Kenya). Kibinge is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture and Sciences and a sitting member of the Documentary Branch Committee for three years running.
Tendeka Matatu
UK
Africa’s most prolific film producers and a champion of African cinema. Driven by a desire to bring African and African diaspora cinema to the world, he founded Ten10 Films, an award winning production and distribution company based in London.
Matatu’s films have premiered at major film festivals including Berlin, Toronto, Rotterdam, Busan and London. His producer credits include the multi-award-winning Max & Mona; the South African box office hit Material; and the action-drama epic, Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema, which was South Africa’s official entry for the Academy Awards Foreign Language category in 2008. Matatu is currently Netflix’s Director of Film for the Sub-Saharan Africa region.
Dana Sims
USA
over a decade of industry experience having worked with big names in the industry and has been described as one of the most talented and hardest working agents in the business. She began her career at the William Morris Agency where she worked as a liaison between the talent and music departments and secured several prolific roles for the agency’s clients, most notably, roles in The Academy Award-winning Crash and HBO’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. She was instrumental in creating a successful crossover division and continues to flourish in her unique industry position. Sims is currently the MP Talent Agent at the leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) where she represents many of the world’s leading musicians and actors, including Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Wesley Snipes, Pearl Thusi, Alyssa Goss and Gabrielle Union among others.
Roger Ross Williams
USA
producer and writer and the first African American director to win an Academy Award. He has directed a number of acclaimed films including Life, Animated, which won the Sundance Film Festival Directing Award, was nominated for an Academy Award and won three Emmys in 2018, including the award for Best Documentary. Williams began his career producing political satire for Comedy Central and Michael Moore’s Emmy Award-winning series TV Nation.
Our Team
Magdalene Reddy
Director
Faiza Williams
Project Manager
Menzi Mhlongo
Project Manager
Minenhle Luthuli
Project Assistant
Sibahle Khwela
Programme Coordinator
Thobeka Mnyandu
Administrator
Minenhle Khwela
Financial Administrator
Nelisiwe Mkhize
Intern
