The 15th edition of the Durban FilmMart (DFM) has wrapped up, concluding with the presentation of the 2024 DFM Awards on Monday 22 July.
The premier film industry event in Africa, DFM 2024, took place from 19 – 22 July in Durban, under the theme “African Visions Unleashed: From Disruption to Accountability.” The event successfully brought together 1460 film professionals and filmmakers from 58 countries across the continent and beyond.
“We are delighted to have hosted such a dynamic array of filmmakers from across the African continent. They entrusted us with their projects and ideas, and generously shared their time, expertise, and passion through enriching conversations, creating a truly African event,” says Magdalene Reddy, Director of the Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI). “The talent showcased in this year’s programme and film projects presented exemplify the strength of African cinema. The memories made, networks expanded, and partnerships forged have significantly contributed to DFM’s enduring legacy and impact. We extend our gratitude to our partners for their support in celebrating and elevating African storytellers, producers, and content creators.”
Awards:
Known Inner Circle Award
$10,000
Acts of Man (South Africa) – Producer: Sean Drummond and Director: Sheetal Magan
Red Sea Film Fund Award Fiction
$5,000
Londoner (Nigeria) – Producers: Pamela Drameh and Sarudzayi Marufu and Director: Babatunde Apalowo
Red Sea Film Fund Award Documentary
$5,000
Africa AI (South Africa) – Producer: Amílcar Patel and Directors: Amílcar Patel and Chris Kets
Game Changer Films Award
$5,000
The Moon Can’t Run (South Africa, Zambia) – Producer: Shveta Naidoo and Director: Naishe Nyamubaya and Coproducer: Niza Lou Waldburger
CANAL+ Development Grant
5,000 € euros with a development contract
Children of Honey (Tanzania, United Kingdom) – Producer: Natalie Humphreys and Director: Jigar Ganatra
TRT Award
$5,000
Dear Tarkovsky (Tunisia) – Producer: Asma Chiboub and Director: Firas Khoury
MTN Group Digital Award
$5,000
The Moon Can’t Run (South Africa, Zambia) – Producer: Shveta Naidoo and Director: Naishe Nyamubaya and Coproducer: Niza Lou Waldburger
IDA Supported Artist Award
$5,000 grant, 1 x Getting Real Fellowship, one-year complimentary Doc Maker Membership to IDA
Children of Honey (Tanzania, United Kingdom) – Producer: Natalie Humphreys and Director: Jigar Ganatra
Sisters in Cinema Sustainability Award
$2,500
The Conservationist (Zimbabwe) – Producer and Director: Rumbi Katedza and Producer: Siza Mukwedini
Best Fiction Grant National Film and Video Foundation
R100,000
I’m Coming For You (Cameroon) – Producers: Alice Abah and Jean-Marie Gigon and Director: Cyrielle Raingou
Best Non-Fiction Grant National Film and Video Foundation
R100,000
We Had The Moon!
Best Animation Grant National Film and Video Foundation
R100,000
Monster Nanny (South Africa, Zimbabwe) – Producer: Kaya Kuhn and
Director: Tafadzwa Hove
Hot Docs-Blue Ice Docs Award
$1,500 CAD
My Father Killed Bourguiba (Tunisia) – Producer: Sarra Ben Hassan and Director: Fatma Riahi
The Whickers Bursary Award
£3,000
We Had The Moon!
Rotterdam Lab Award
Participation in the Rotterdam Lab
Jua Kali (Kenya) – Producer: Joash Omondi and Director: Yasmin Hassan
The DOK.fest München Award
With support from IEFTA
Participation in DOK.forum Marketplace
A Girl and a Gun (South Africa) – Producer: Antoinette Engel and Director: Arya Lalloo
The DOK Leipzig Award
With support from IEFTA
Participation in the DOK Leipzig
Africa AI (South Africa) – Producer: Amílcar Patel and Directors: Amílcar Patel and Chris Kets
Sørfond Award
Participation in the Sørfond Pitch
Benimana (Ivory Coast) – Producer: Samantha Biffot and Director: Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo
Miradas Doc Award
Participation in the MiradasDoc Market
A Girl and a Gun (South Africa) – Producer: Antoinette Engel and Director: Arya Lalloo
Special GZDOC Invitation
Participation in the GZ Doc Market Pitch
Bitter Seed (Algeria, France) – Producer: Antoine Goldet and Director: Camelia Gadhgadhi
The FIDADOC Award
Participation in the FIDADOC Pan African Writing residency
How Many Nights, How Many Days? (Egypt) – Producer: Kesmat Elsayed and Director: Alaa Dajani
Movies that Matter Award
With support from IEFTA
Participation at Movies that Matter
We Had The Moon!
Visions du Reel Award
With support from IEFTA
Participate in the Visions du Reel Industry Days
We Had The Moon!
Fak’ugesi Residency Award
Participation in the Residency Programme
Oarona (South Africa) – Producers: AJ Pitre and Thandiwe Mlauli and Director: Thandiwe Mlauli and Coproducer: Simangaliso Sibaya
The Hidden Hand Studios presents: The Hidden Talents Award
A trailer production of a story by the awardee by The Hidden Hand Studios
The Legend of Hyena Man (Tanzania) – Producer: Mathew Valerian and Directors: Elshadye Berhanu and Joshua Faber
OIF-ACP-EU Award
12 – 18 month mentorship
Londoner (Nigeria) – Producers: Pamela Drameh and Sarudzayi Marufu and Director: Babatunde Apalowo
TFL Next Award supported by IEFTA
Participation in the Torina Lab
Numalali (My Voice, My Void) (Guatemala) – Producers: Alberto Rodríguez Collía and Kurt Orderson and Director: Kimeshree Munsamy
Clermont-Ferrand ISFF Award
Nebula (Egypt) – Director: Michel Doss
IEFTA Connect Award
Mentorship by IEFTA
Baptism of Silence (South Africa) – Director: Kanya Viljoen
DFM Talents Durban Award
Participation in DFM 2025 programme
The Space Maasai (Tanzania) – Director: Priscilla Marealle
DFM thanks all attendees for their support and dedication to African cinema, travelling from near and far to be part of this event. We now eagerly anticipate the 16th edition of the Durban FilmMart and look forward to welcoming you back next year.
The DFM 2024 Programme is available on the DFMI website for one month.
For further inquiries, contact: info@durbanfilmmart.com
The Durban FilmMart Institute, which organises DFM 2024, receives its primary funding from the Durban Film Office and the eThekwini Municipality.
The success of the event is made possible through the generous support of various organisations and entities – Ford Foundation, Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, Netflix, NEFTI, KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority, National Film and Video Foundation, CNC, French Institute in South Africa, Industrial Development Corporation, KZN Convention Bureau, Afreximbank, International Emerging Film Talent Association, Gauteng Film Commission, Film and Publications Board, Eastern Cape Development Corporation, Namibian Film Commission, Panavision, Palestine Film Institute, Wesgro, Canal Plus, Sunshine Cinema, Pure n Black Entertainment, Wits School of Arts, Kenya Grips and Sparks, Alliance Française Durban, and DENTAL.
Our programme partners include the Durban International Film Festival, African Real Collective, Animation SA, Berlinale Talents, Climate Story Lab ZA, Cinemart, Dante Languages, Digital Lab Africa, Doc Society – Climate Story Unit, Documentary Filmmakers Association, Encounters South Africa International Film Festival, European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs, Fak’ugesi, FIPRESCI, GIPA, Hot Docs-Blue Ice Docs Fund, Independent Black Filmmakers Collective, Independent Producers Organisation, Produire au Sud, South African Guild of Actors, STEPS, SWIFT, and Writers Guild of South Africa
DFMI’s year-round programme is supported by the DW Akademie and BMZ.
About the Durban FilmMart Institute:
Durban FilmMart Institute is the business hub of the African film industry, where film professionals and content are globally competitive and celebrated. The institute’s mission is to provide appropriate and effective programmes and services to promote, support, and facilitate investment in the African film industry.
