Highlights from the first Future Mentors Programme

The Durban FilmMart Institute is pleased to share that the first-ever Future Mentors Programme, funded by the DW Akademie, supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development took place in late 2024. Nine African film professionals gathered in Durban to deepen their mentoring skills in order to nurture the next wave of unapologetic African voices in cinema.

The week-long in-person workshop was filled with group discussions, creative exercises and reflections on mentorship in the film industry. The programme kicked off with rich conversations about the role of mentors and the environments in which mentorship thrives. The group emphasised the importance of creating safe spaces for creative risk-taking, horizontal exchanges for mutual learning, and the value of a diverse range of experiences that help sustain and support narrative sovereignty on the continent.

Best practices for mentorship were a central theme, with discussions on mentee needs, the intangible benefits of mentorship, how to provide effective care and support to mentees, and balancing creative and commercial needs. Mentors also examined how to prepare for and engage with mentees while setting healthy boundaries.

The programme included role playing exercises that allowed mentors to step into the roles of both the mentee and platforms which utilise mentors. These exercises allowed the participating mentors to reflect on their own mentorship practice and to think collectively around strategies to overcome various barriers, with a focus on building bridges despite challenges to the mentorship process.

The Future Mentors Programme, developed by the Durban FilmMart Institute in cooperation with Berlinale Talents, was co-created by a group of experts in 2022 and 2023 to upskill the next generation of mentors. The first edition, which was facilitated by Tiny Mungwe and Yanis Gaye, was presented to individuals who are committed to professional mentorship. These include: Bongi Ndaba (South Africa), Hayat Aljowaily (Egypt), Mamounata Nikiema (Burkina Faso), Mayye Zayed (Egypt), Mmabatho Kau (South Africa), Nicole Schafer (South Africa), Perivi Katjavivi (Namibia), Sihle Hlophe (South Africa) and Tapiwa Chipfupa (Zimbabwe).

Read more about our selected participants and the experts who participated in the co-creation process here: https://durbanfilmmart.co.za/future-mentors/

If you haven’t already, be sure to access the Future Mentors Guide (ENG) / Future Mentors Guide (FR). This free to use, open resource is available in English and French and was designed to support mentors and platforms in their work.

As participant Bongi Ndaba put it, “There’s never a ceiling to what you know.”

Click here to download the guide in English.

Click here to download the guide in French.

For more information: [email protected]

Future Mentors Funder Logos

Thank you

Submission received