The Durban FilmMart Institute is pleased to have partnered with FESPACO (the Pan-African Film & TV Festival of Ouagadougou) to host a gathering of Africa’s film labs during the festival’s 29th edition.
The festival, which remains an important meeting place for film professionals to celebrate African cinema, also featured DFMI project alumni with 11 films screening across its programme, and two projects pitching at FESPACO PRO’s Yennenga Post-Production forum. It was a proud moment when alumni received awards at the Closing Ceremony held on Saturday. (See below for award winners).
For the labs programme, 18 representatives of 14 labs gathered to discuss their work in providing professional support to filmmakers across the continent in the realisation of their films. The time together presented an opportunity for the DFMI to introduce the Future Mentors Programme, and for the group to have protected time together to gain a closer understanding of one another’s process and practice, to learn from one another’s approach and to reflect and think through shared challenges.
Facilitated by Tiny Mungwe and Lauren Rosenberg who were both part of the co-creation of the Future Mentor’s Guide in 2022, the group was able to take a deep dive into the Guide, unpacking the freely available resource with representatives offering insights into mentorship from their own lab-specific experience and from the perspective of labs. This introduction opens a door for labs to adapt the Future Mentors Guide for use within their own lab context and for their lab needs. Importantly, it allows for the guide to remain responsive to the real-time needs of labs, as the feedback which emerged in response to it will be used to update the guide.
Much was shared during the three days together with four key areas of focus for labs emerging, namely: Context and Capacity, Sustainability, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Audience Development and Distribution.
The last day was spent strategising around these key focus areas, allowing for new knowledge and points of connection to emerge and be shared amongst the group.
As Africa’s leading co-production market the DFMI is committed to African cinema and the professionals at its centre. Labs offer a vital source of ongoing professional support and expertise to projects and a crucial network that drives the continent’s film industry forward.
Lab representatives in attendance were:
Alaka Film Lab – Eugénie Michel Villette and Madelin Roberts
Centre Yennenga – Ibee Ndaw
Climate Story Lab ZA – Tarha McKenzie
Creative Africa Lab – Romeo Umulisa
DocA – Mohamed Said Ouma and Renny Matsiko
Doc House – Soumaya Bouallegui
Doc Society / Story Lab – Emily Wanja
FIDA Doc – Hicham Falah
Great Lakes – Samuel Tebandeke
Institut Mousso – Angèle Diabang
Matatu Residency Patience Asaba and Ali Musoke
Mucii Pictures – Fibby Kioria
Nhanha Kuletivu – Natasha Craveiro
OuagaLab – Sam Genet
PALOP Film and Audiovisual Network – Samira Vera-Cruz
DFMI thanks the support from DW Akademie and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for the Future Mentors Programme.
If you haven’t already, be sure to access the Future Mentors Guide. This free to use, open resource is available in English and French and was designed to support mentors and platforms in their work.
A true celebration of the cinema of Africa and its diaspora was highlighted at the Closing Ceremony of the 29th edition of FESPACO. The ceremony took place in a full stadium with music and dance from Burkinabe and Chadian performers, awards were presented in the presence of the President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
The following DFMI project alumni received awards:
The Silver Stallion of Yennenga for Best Feature Documentary
Tongo Saa – Rising Up At Night (DFM 2020)
Nelson Makengo (Director), Dada Kahindo (Producer), Rosa Spaliviero (Producer)
The President Thomas Sankara award for the promotion of the values of Pan-Africanism – first prize
Our Land, Our Freedom (DFM 2020)
Meena Nanji (Director/Producer), Zippy Kimundu (Director/Producer), Eliane Ferreira (Producer)
The President Thomas Sankara award for the promotion of the values of Pan-Africanism – second prize
Mother City (DFM 2018)
Miki Redelinghuys (Director), Pearlie Joubert (Director) ,Kethiwe Ngcobo (Producer)
FESPACO PRO Yennenga Post-Production Award
Nzonzing (DFM 2022)
Moimi Wezam (Director) ,Nelson Makengo (Producer) , Angèle Diabang (Producer) ,Michael A. Dobbin (Producer)
We congratulate all the filmmakers who were programmed in this edition of FESPACO, testament to the rich talent working in African cinema.
