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 2025 Official Projects
Animation
Aisha Qandicha
(Morocco)
Director:
Fatima Mahdar
Aisha Qandicha
(United States)
Producer:
Alyssa Harden
Au Nom Du Roi Njoya (In The Name of King Njoya)
(Cameroon)
Director & Producer:
Claye Edou
Crocodile Dance
(South Africa/Nigeria)
Co-Director:
Shofela Coker
Crocodile Dance
(South Africa/Nigeria)
Co-Director:
Ingrid De Beer
Crocodile Dance
(South Africa/Nigeria)
Co-Producer:
Nadia Darries
Kamaroza
(Egypt)
Co-Director:
Ahmad Abdelhameed
Kamaroza
(Egypt)
Co-Director:
Islam Mazhar
Kamaroza
(Egypt)
Producer:
Nouran Abdallah
KINTUADI: SIMON KIMBANGU
(Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Director:
Benny Lusakueno
KINTUADI: SIMON KIMBANGU
(Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Producer:
Giresse KASSONGA
Mboudgui
(Cameroon)
Director:
Bienvenu Wanso-Tissala
Mboudgui
(France)
Co-Producer:
Betty Sulty-Johnson
Mboudgui
(Cameroon)
Co-Producer:
Lamissa Ouattara
Nunu Rhu (The Girl With Wings)
(South Africa)
Director:
Clare Louis
Nunu Rhu (The Girl With Wings)
(Canada)
Co-Producer:
Sabrina Roc
Nunu Rhu (The Girl With Wings)
(South Africa)
Co-Producer:
Ameera Faber
Tribe
(Zimbabwe)
Director:
Tendayi Nyeke
Tribe
(South Africa)
Producer:
Debbie Crosscup
Documentary Features
Akal
(Morocco)
Director:
Basma Rkioui
Akal
(Morocco)
Producer:
Karim Debbagh
Climbing the Mountains
(Algeria)
Director and Co-Producer:
Sabrina Chebbi
Climbing the Mountains
(Algeria)
Producer:
Kenji Accard
Climbing the Mountains
(Algeria)
Co-Producer:
Oualid Baha
Golden
(Zimbabwe)
Director and Co-Producer:
Rumbi Katedza
Golden
(Zimbabwe)
Producer:
Ingrid Martens
Kivu
(Democratic Republic of Congo)
Director:
Elise Sawasawa
Kivu
(Democratic Republic of Congo)
Producer:
Christian Bitwaiki
Plastic Atlantis
(Cape Verde)
Director:
Samira Vera-Cruz
Plastic Atlantis
(Cape Verde)
Producer:
Pedro Soulé
Samaa Gafa (Dry Sky)
(Sudan)
Director:
Ibrahim Omar
Samaa Gafa (Dry Sky)
(Sudan)
Producer:
Aya Yusuf
The Salt of the South
(Tunisia)
Director:
Rami Jarboui
The Salt of the South
(Tunisia)
Producer:
Ramzi Laâmouri
Un/Settled
(South Africa)
Director:
Sydelle Willow Smith
Un/Settled
(South Africa)
Producer:
Mehret Mandefro
Vuka
(South Africa)
Director:
Matthew Robinson
Vuka
(South Africa)
Producer:
Rehad Desai
Documentary Series
Planet Carnival
(South Africa)
Director:
Kurt Orderson
Planet Carnival
(South Africa)
Co-Producer:
Luana Rocha
Planet Carnival
(South Africa)
Executive Producer:
Thandi Davids
Retour à Thiaroye (Return To Thiaroye)
(Tunisia)
Director:
Emilien Abibou
Retour à Thiaroye (Return To Thiaroye)
(Tunisia)
Co-Producer:
Dhia Jerbi
Retour à Thiaroye (Return To Thiaroye)
(Tunisia)
Co-Producer:
Manon Lavaud
Retour à Thiaroye (Return To Thiaroye)
(Tunisia)
Co-Producer:
Victor Thomas
Fiction Features
Al Asas (The Guardian)
(Algeria)
Director:
Muhannad Lamin
Al Asas (The Guardian)
(Algeria)
Producer:
Lynda Belkhiria
Bupya (Renewed)
(Rwanda)
Director:
Claire Sheila Birungi
Bupya (Renewed)
(Rwanda)
Producer:
Oge Obasi
Dowar Alqamar (The Sunflowers of the Moon)
(Tunisia)
Director:
ismaël
Dowar Alqamar (The Sunflowers of the Moon)
(Tunisia)
Producer:
Sarra Maali
Le Sanglier (The Boar)
(Senegal)
Director:
Mamadou Socrate Diop
Le Sanglier (The Boar)
(Senegal)
Producer:
Yanis Gaye
'n Doop om Stilte (Baptism of Silence)
(South Africa)
Director:
Kanya Viljoen and Emilie Badenhorst
'n Doop om Stilte (Baptism of Silence)
(South Africa)
Producer:
Casey Diepeveen
Nomvula (She Who Brings the Rain)
(South Africa)
Director:
Sibusiso Khuzwayo
Nomvula (She Who Brings the Rain)
(South Africa)
Producer:
Kethiwe Ngcobo
Space Maasai
(Tanzania)
Director:
Priscilla Marealle
Space Maasai
(Tanzania)
Producer:
Wilson Nkya
STERO
(Kenya)
Director:
Millan Tarus
STERO
(Kenya)
Producer:
Juliana Kabua
Fiction Series
High Flyers
(South Africa)
Director:
Ian Gabriel
High Flyers
(South Africa)
Producer:
Gabe Gabriel
The Second Coming
(South Africa)
Director:
Michael James
The Second Coming
(South Africa)
Producer:
Siyabonga Xaba
VigilAunties
(South Africa)
Director:
Loren Loubser
VigilAunties
(South Africa)
Producer:
Dominique Jossie
2024 Awards
| CASH AWARDS: | ||
| Organisation | Name of Award | Winners |
| Known Associates, Inner City Films, Circle Blue Entertainment, | Known Inner Circle Award | Acts of Man (South Africa) – Producer: Sean Drummond and Director: Sheetal Magan |
| Red Sea | Red Sea Film Fund Award X2 | Londoner (Nigeria) – Producers: Pamela Drameh and Sarudzayi Marufu and Director: Babatunde Apalowo |
| Africa AI (South Africa) – Producer: Amílcar Patel and Directors: Amílcar Patel and Chris Kets | ||
| Game Changer | Game Changer Films Award | The Moon Can’t Run (South Africa, Zambia) – Producer: Shveta Naidoo and Director: Naishe Nyamubaya and Coproducer: Niza Lou Waldburger |
| Canal + | CANAL+ Development Grant | Children of Honey (Tanzania, United Kingdom) – Producer: Natalie Humphreys and Director: Jigar Ganatra |
| TRT | TRT Award | Dear Tarkovsky (Tunisia) – Producer: Asma Chiboub and Director: Firas Khoury |
| MTN Group | MTN Group Digital Award | The Moon Can’t Run (South Africa, Zambia) – Producer: Shveta Naidoo and Director: Naishe Nyamubaya and Coproducer: Niza Lou Waldburger |
| International Documentary Association | IDA Supported Artist Award | Children of Honey (Tanzania, United Kingdom) – Producer: Natalie Humphreys and Director: Jigar Ganatra |
| Sisters in Cinema | Sisters in Cinema Sustainability Award | The Conservationist (Zimbabwe) – Producer and Director: Rumbi Katedza and Producer: Siza Mukwedini |
| National Film and Video Foundation | Best Fiction Grant | I’m Coming For You (Cameroon) – Producers: Alice Abah and Jean-Marie Gigon and Director: Cyrielle Raingou |
| National Film and Video Foundation | Best Non-Fiction Grant | We Had The Moon! (Mauritius) – Producer and Director: Pamella Eduoard |
| Best Animation Grant | Monster Nanny (South Africa, Zimbabwe) – Producer: Kaya Kuhn and Director: Tafadzwa Hove | |
| Hot Docs-Blue Ice Docs Fund | Hot Docs-Blue Ice Docs Award | My Father Killed Bourguiba (Tunisia) – Producer: Sarra Ben Hassan and Director: Fatma Riahi |
| The Whickers | The Whickers Bursary Award | We Had The Moon! (Mauritius) – Producer and Director: Pamella Eduoard |
| PROGRAMME PARTICIPATION: | ||
| Organisation | Name of Award | Winners |
| IFFR Pro | Rotterdam Lab Award | Jua Kali (Kenya) – Producer: Joash Omondi and Director: Yasmin Hassan |
| DOK.fest München and IEFTA | The DOK.fest München Award With support from IEFTA | A Girl and a Gun (South Africa) – Producer: Antoinette Engel and Director: Arya Lalloo |
| Dok Leipzig and IEFTA | The DOK Leipzig Award With support from IEFTA | Africa AI (South Africa) – Producer: Amílcar Patel and Directors: Amílcar Patel and Chris Kets |
| Sorfund | Sørfond Award | Benimana (Ivory Coast) – Producer: Samantha Biffot and Director: Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo |
| Miradas Doc | Miradas Doc Award | A Girl and a Gun (South Africa) – Producer: Antoinette Engel and Director: Arya Lalloo |
| Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival and IEFTA | Special GZDOC Invitation With support from IEFTA | Bitter Seed (Algeria, France) – Producer: Antoine Goldet and Director: Camélia Gadhgadhi |
| FIDA DOC | The FIDA DOC Award | How Many Nights How Many Days (Egypt) – Producer: Kesmat Elsayed and Director: Alaa Dajani |
| Movies that matter and IEFTA | Movies that Matter Award With support from IEFTA | We Had The Moon! (Mauritius) – Producer and Director: Pamella Eduoard |
| Vision du reel and IEFTA | Visions du Reel Award With support from IEFTA | We Had The Moon (Mauritius) – Producer and Director: Pamella Eduoard |
| Fak’ugesi | Fak’ugesi Residency Award | Oarona (South Africa) – Producers: AJ Pitre and Thandiwe Mlauli and Director: Thandiwe Mlauli and Coproducer: Simangaliso Sibaya |
| Hidden Hand Studio | The Hidden Hand Studios presents: The Hidden Talents Award | The Legend of Hyena Man (Tanzania) – Producer: Mathew Valerian and Directors: Elshadye Berhanu and Joshua Faber |
| MENTORSHIP: | ||
| Organisation | Name of Award | Winners |
| OIF-ACP -EU | OIF-ACP-EU award | Londoner (Nigeria) – Producers: Pamela Drameh and Sarudzayi Marufu and Director: Babatunde Apalowo |
| Torino Lab and IEFTA | TFL Next Award supported by IEFTA | Numalali (My Voice, My Void) (Guatemala) – Producers: Alberto Rodríguez Collía and Kurt Orderson and Director: Kimeshree Munsamy |
2021 Winners
Application Information
Animation Applications are now CLOSED.
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