The 17th edition of the Durban FilmMart (DFM) has wrapped up, concluding with the presentation of the 2026 DFM Awards on Monday 12 October

The premier film industry event in Africa, the Durban FilmMart (DFM) 2026, took place from 9 to 12 October in Durban, under the theme “Shifting Worlds: Turning Towards Ourselves” successfully bringing together 1131 film professionals and filmmakers from 56 countries across the world.

“We are delighted to have hosted such a dynamic array of filmmakers and industry leaders in Durban. Delegates entrusted us with their projects and ideas, and had honest, uncompromising conversations about alternative funding pathways, equitable co-production and authentic partnerships,” says Magdalene Reddy, Director of the Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI). “The talent showcased in this year’s programme and film projects exemplifies the strength of African cinema; networks expanded, and partnerships forged will extend DFM’s legacy and impact. We extend our gratitude to our partners for their support in celebrating and elevating African storytellers, producers and content creators.”

“The quality of the projects presented in this year was exceptional, with filmmakers bringing bold, original and well-developed work to the table,” adds Reddy. “That calibre was matched by the generosity of the organisations, funders and festivals who came to Durban to recognise it. Every prize, whether it is a cash grant, a place in a lab or market, or a mentorship, opens a door for these filmmakers, and we are deeply grateful to our partners for their continued belief in African storytelling.”

The event ended on a high with the presentation of 39 awards from 30 partners, valuing over R2 million (over $120 938,00).

All the award winners at the 17th Durban FilmMart 2026.

Category – Cash Awards:

The JustFilms Documentary Award (Ford Foundation) – Award of 10,000 USD

THE THREAD AND THE WALL - LE FIL ET LE MUR (Algeria)

Producer/Director: Mouni Bouallam

Al Jazeera Co-production Award of 10,000 USD

ON THE SEA ROAD (Palestine)

Director: Fitnat Waked with participation of Nour Obaid

Climate Story Labs Award of 10,000 USD

The award is on behalf of Climate Story Labs Africa and Doc Society, in collaboration with UMI Fund.

THE BIRTH OF DERNA (Libya)

Director: Hussein Eddeb

National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa (NFVF)

• Best Fiction – Grant of R100,000

THE BOY WHO SPOKE STATIC (Nigeria)

Agbajowo Collective: Temitope Ogungbamila, Samuel Okechukwu, Mat Cerf (Lead Producer) and Bisola Akinmuyiwa

• Best Non-fiction – Grant of R100,000

THE ONES WITH THE TEMPERED FLOWERS (Kenya)

Producer: Ivy Kiru

Director: Neema Ngelime

• Best Animation – Grant of R100,000

SUNDAY MORNING (Ethiopia)

Producer: Nahom Abiy

Director: Minasie Terefe

Inkaba Award (Stained Glass TV) – Award of R30,000

DADDIES (South Africa)

Producer: Catharina Weinek

Director: Sean Mongie

NEWF Natural World Storytelling Grant of 5,000 USD

A TOUCH OF PARADISE (Tunisia)

Producer: Sarra Ben Hassen

Director: Houcem Slouli

Red Sea Film Fund Award – Fiction of 5,000 USD

• HEIRS OF NO REGRET (Kenya)

Producer: Mumo Liku

Director: Saitabao Kaiyare

• THE BOY WHO SPOKE STATIC (Nigeria)

Agbajowo Collective: Temitope Ogungbamila, Samuel Okechukwu, Mat Cerf (Lead Producer) and Bisola Akinmuyiwa

Docubox Award of 5,000 USD

WHERE DO I BELONG? (Sudan)

Producer: Talal AfifI

Director: Ibrahim "Snoopy" Ahmad

TRT Award of 5,000 USD

ON THE SEA ROAD (Palestine)

Director: Fitnat Waked with participation of Nour Obaid

RRImpact Pitch Prize (DocA) of 5,000 USD

MY DJOMÉLÉ NIGHT (Burkina Faso)

Producer: Cinema Salama

Director: Barkima Nafissatou Laguempedo

Sundance Institute Documentary Fund New Voices Award of 5,000 USD grant

WHERE DO I BELONG? (Sudan)

Producer: Talal Afifi

Director: Ibrahim "Snoopy" Ahmad

The Whickers Bursary Award of 3,000 GB POUNDS

GREEN ISLAND GIRLS (Egypt)

Producer: Amrosh Badr

Director: Rogena Tarek

Sunshine Cinema UCT Impact Development Award 

The award comprises a bursary to the University of Cape Town Sunshine Cinema Film Impact Online Course of 2027 to the value of R18000 and a R7500 grant towards a first impact screening of the film.

Includes optional inclusion in the Sunshine Cinema distribution catalogue.

• PÜLÖ: BLOODSTREAM OF THE KIRIKE (Nigeria)

Producer/Director: Christina Ifubaraboye

• ON THE SEA ROAD (Palestine)

Director: Fitnat Waked with participation of Nour Obaid

Category – Market/Event Participation Award

DFMI Talents Durban Award

Flights, accommodation and accreditation to participate in the DFM Pitch and Finance Forum 2027

THE BASEMENT (Democratic Republic of Congo)

Director:  Mélanie K. ZAWADI

Sørfond Award

Flights, accommodation and accreditation to  participate in the Sørfond Pitching Forum and a pitch course

• THE BOY WHO SPOKE STATIC (Nigeria)

Agbajowo Collective: Temitope Ogungbamila, Samuel Okechukwu, Mat Cerf (Lead Producer) and Bisola Akinmuyiwa

• WHERE DO I BELONG? (Sudan)

Producer: Talal Afifi

Director: Ibrahim "Snoopy" Ahmad

Rotterdam Lab Award

5 nights’ accommodation and accreditation to participate in the Rotterdam Lab

FOUR MONTHS AND TEN DAYS (Sudan)

Producer: Samo Hussein

Co-producer: Anna Stylińska

Director: Alyaa Musa

The DOK Leipzig Award

3 nights’ accommodation and 2 accreditations to participate in DOK Leipzig 2027 as the selected project in the DOK Co-Pro Market

THE ONES WITH THE TEMPERED FLOWERS (Kenya)

Producer: Ivy Kiru

Director: Neema Ngelime

The FIDADOC Award

Flights, accommodation and accreditation to participate in the FIDADOC Pan African Writing Residency 2027

• THE BIRTH OF DERNA (Libya)

Director: Hussein Eddeb

• FITAMPOHA, THE RETURN OF THE KING OF MENABE (Madagascar)

Director: Ramaroson Anatole 

Movies that Matter Award

Accommodation and accreditation to attend Movies That Matter 2027

THE ONES WITH THE TEMPERED FLOWERS (Kenya)

Producer: Ivy Kiru

Director: Neema Ngelime

Animation Production Days (APD) Award

3 nights’ Accommodation and Industry badge (producer accreditation) to participate in Animation Production Days 2027

SUNDAY MORNING (Ethiopia)

Producer: Nahom Abiy

Director: Minasie Terefe

DOK.fest München Award

4 nights’ accommodation and 2 accreditations for the project team and to attend DOK.fest München 2027 and participate in the DOK.forum marketplace

WHERE DO I BELONG? (Sudan)

Producer: Talal AfifI

Director: Ibrahim "Snoopy" Ahmad

Sheffield Doc Fest Award

4 nights’ accommodation to attend the Sheffield DocFest 2027 with an Industry pass and a full waiver to submit to the MeetMarket  

THE ONES WITH THE TEMPERED FLOWERS (Kenya)

Producer: Ivy Kiru

Director: Neema Ngelime

NEWF Post-Production Residency Award

A post-production residency at eKhaya, NEWF’s Storytelling, Research and Dive Centre (maximum 3 team members)

THE BIRTH OF DERNA (Libya)

Director: Hussein Eddeb

NEWF Summit Attendance Award

NEWF Summit attendance, including flights and accommodation (maximum 2 team members)

SECOND BLOOM (Zimbabwe)

Director: Tendaiishe Chitima

El Gouna Emerge Award

7 nights’ shared accommodation,ground transport and accreditation for El Gouna Film Festival 2026

• THE BIRTH OF DERNA (Libya)

Director: Hussein Eddeb

• CAUSE, EFFECT & MAYBE CONSEQUENCES (Nigeria)

Director: Cheyi Okoaye

Talents Press Award presented by CIFF and FIPRESCI

Flights, 5 nights’ accommodation and accreditation for Cairo International Film Festival 2026 for the selected Talents Press participant

NEYA Harouna (Burkina Faso)

TFL x IEFTF Next Award (TorinoFilmLab)

A place in the TorinoFilmLab programme, with the stage of development to be determined with the Lab

FOUR MONTHS AND TEN DAYS (Sudan)

Producer: Samo Hussein

Director: Alyaa Musa

Visions du Reel Award

Accommodation and accreditation and to participate in the Visions du Reel Market 2027 THE ONES WITH THE TEMPERED FLOWERS

Producer: Ivy Kiru

Director: Neema Ngelime

Category – Mentorship, Distribution and Membership

Women Make Movies Award

Best Pitch by a Women Filmmaker. Acceptance into the Production Assistance Program, which includes fiscal sponsorship allowing filmmakers to raise grants in the U.S.; individualised fundraising, distribution and ongoing project consultations, including feedback on rough cuts; a project page on WMM’s website to facilitate online donations; access to WMM’s catalogue of more than 700 films; social media support for crowdfunding campaigns, screenings and events; promotion of the completed film; one year of free WMM webinars on the business side of the business and case studies; and scheduled use of WMM’s NYC office, including the conference room for meetings or rough-cut screenings.

ON THE SEA ROAD (Palestine)

Director: Fitnat Waked with participation of Nour Obaid

Impronta Films Consultancy Award

Distribution consultancy

• WAITING FOR EVOLUTION (South Africa)

Producer/Director: Karin Slater

• DESIGNING DIVIDE (South Africa)

Producer/ Director: Jessie Ayles

The Wrapped App Award: Wrapped premium subscription of 3 months worth R31500

SECOND BLOOM (Zimbabwe)

Director: Tendaiishe Chitima

The 17th Durban FilmMart,  held in association with MultiChoice, with principal funding from the National Lotteries Commission and the National Film and Video Foundation, and the support of the Ford Foundation, Netflix, MTN Group and the Industrial Development Corporation, among others.

The success of the annual Durban FilmMart is made possible through the generous support of funders and partners, eThekwini Municipality, Durban Film Office, Ford Foundation, National Film and Video Foundation, Splashout, MTN Group, KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority, Expertise France and GIZ, The International Emerging Film Talent Fund, NEFTI, Industrial Development Corporation, Netflix, CNC, Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, Arab Culture Fund, Avalon Group, French Institute of South Africa, Animation SA, African Producers Accelerator, Berlinale Talents, Canada High Commission of South Africa, Caribbeantales and the Cross Continental Forum, Chiriseri Studios, Climate Story Labs Africa, Cape Town International Animation Festival, Dante Languages, Department of Communication and Digital Technology, Disabled Audio-Visual Worker's Network, Documentary Filmmakers Association, Durban International Film Festival, Doc Society, Docubox, Documentary Africa, Durban University of Technology, Eastern Cape Development Corporation, Embassy of Cote d'Ivoire, European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs, FIVA, FIPRESCI, Gauteng Film Commission, Independent Black Filmmakers Collective, IMPACT (Canada), Independent Producers Organisation, Habesha Creative, Ladima Foundation, Nature Environment Wildlife Filmmakers (NEWF), South African Audio Visual Cluster, South African Guild of Actors, South Africa Guild of Editors, Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Storyboard Collective, Sisters Working in Film and Television (SWIFT), SASFED, Palestine Film Institute, Tunga Media Afrika, WGSA, WiC.  Media Partners include Arena Holdings and Variety.

REEL BALANCE: Pan-African Film Festival Gender Equity Project- Launches at the 17th Durban FilmMART

In a first for the African film ecosystem, seven of the most influential women-focused film advocacy organizations have united for one cause: to ensure gender equity at African film festivals.

REEL BALANCE, initiated by The Ladima Foundation and the Durban FilmMart, is being implemented in partnership with Rawiyat SIF (Sister in Film), Sisters Working in Film & Television (SWIFT), Womxn Activating Transformation Africa (WATA), Girls in Film SA, African Female Filmmakers Collective (AFFC), and African Women in Animation.

REEL BALANCE is tangible and collaborative intervention constructively engaging with over 50 film festivals in Africa to secure a commitment to increase the representation of women, both on screen and behind the scenes.  

Informal research conducted by The Ladima Foundation in early 2026 from 12 film festivals on the continent revealed two key challenges. Firstly, it is apparent that it is extremely difficult to access the data required to accurately interrogate and understand the issues of gender representation at film festivals in Africa. Despite this lack of access to data, the research did clearly yield a second insight; the significant need to increase the representation of films directed and produced by women, and particularly African women at film festivals in Africa.

REEL BALANCE has been designed to address both of these challenges, working in partnership with film festivals via a pledge to be signed that will commit signatory festivals to strive for 50/50 representation for films directed or produced by women, but also in management and jury positions, and in terms of participants in panels and workshops at festival events.

Signatory festivals also commit to sharing data on the number of women filmmakers submitting films, as well as the numbers of those selected. The compiling, benchmarking and reporting on this data over the coming years will be an integral part of the initiative and inform best practice solutions to address identified challenges.

To support this process, REEL BALANCE will harness the power of the eight participating partners who will activate extensive networks across the continent to promote participating festivals and encourage women filmmakers to submit their films to significantly increase the pipeline of available films for selection.

REEL BALANCE is founded on partnership and collaboration, as The Ladima Foundation’s Executive Director Lara Utian explains,

“Since its inception in 2018, The Ladima Foundation has worked to address the significant gender imbalances within the film landscape in Africa. We understand that lasting and impactful change takes place only through collaborations and partnerships.  This is why we are particularly excited to have initiated REEL BALANCE along with the DFM, and to have been able to partner with so many other like-minded organizations on the continent. The fact that so many festivals have already signed the pledge is inspiring and, with our partners, we will continue to engage more festivals over the coming weeks and months.  We will also work closely with signatory festivals to support them and to find constructive solutions to address issues of gender imbalance. In partnership with these signatory festivals, we believe that change can and will happen and that we will see more African women represented both on and off screen in the years to come.”

Nineteen festivals have already signed the pledge, reflecting the commitment of their leadership teams to supporting gender equality and transforming Africa’s film festival landscape. These festivals are to be applauded for their willingness to be leaders in the industry and to make intentional efforts to ensure gender parity at their events and REEL BALANCE will work to support and promote these festivals as we work together in the coming years. 

Film festivals that have signed the pledge to date include:

●      Kitale Film Week (Kenya) https://kitalefilmweek.org/

●      Bantu Film Festival (Botswana) https://filmfreeway.com/BantuFilmFestival

●      Juiced Short Film Festival (Kenya) https://filmfreeway.com/JuicedFilmFestival

●      Kilifi Creek Festival (Kenya) https://kilificreekfestival.com/

●      Mashariki African Film Festival (Rwanda) https://www.masharikifestival.org/

●      Ethiopian International Film Festival (Ethiopia) https://www.facebook.com/ethioiff/

●      Animatex Animation Festival (Egypt) https://animatex.net/

●      Fak'ugesi Festival (South Africa) https://fakugesi.co.za/

●      Cameroon African Animation Film Festival (Cameroon) https://canimaf.org/index.php/en/

●      AVIJOZI (South Africa) https://avijozi.com/

●      Durban International Film Festival (South Africa) https://ccadiff.ukzn.ac.za/

●      Joburg Film Festival (South Africa) https://joburgfilmfestival.co.za/

●      Encounters South African International Documentary Festival (South Africa) https://encounters.co.za/

●      FESPACO (Burkina Faso) https://fespaco.bf/en/welcome-to-fespaco/

●      Zanzibar International Film Festival (Zanzibar) https://www.ziff.or.tz/

●      FAME Week Africa (South Africa) https://www.fameweekafrica.com/

●      LIFANIMA - Nigeria’s Animation Festival (Nigeria) https://lifanima.com/

●      Luxor African Film Festival (Egypt) https://www.luxorafricanfilmfestival.com/

●      Festival International du film de l'océan Indien (Reunion Island) https://fifoi.re/

All film festivals within the African continent are invited to become part of this movement and to sign the pledge. Interested festivals can contact lara@ladima.africa for more information.

REEL BALANCE was officially launched on 10 October at the Durban FilmMart who are co-founders of the initiative with Magdalene Reddy, Director of Durban FilmMart Institute explaining their support:

“Since its inception, the Durban FilmMart's purpose has been to develop, support and sustain the African film industry, and to shape how African storytelling is represented in the global market. Partnering with The Ladima Foundation on REEL BALANCE is a natural progression of that mission. Lasting change in on-screen representation begins behind the scenes, with the people who select, programme and decide. As the leading film market in Africa, we can speak directly to festivals and industry players in a way advocacy alone cannot. We are using our platform to open the pipeline for African women filmmakers, and to ensure that the commitment is measured, not merely stated.”

REEL BALANCE will continue to engage with film festivals across the continent to sign the pledge as well as to encourage women filmmakers to submit films to signatory festivals. Updates will be issued via media and across partner organization social media platforms.

For more information: www.ladima.africa

Durban FilmMart Industry Programme Goes Live for 2026 Edition

The Durban FilmMart Institute (DFM) has announced that the industry programme for its 2026 edition, taking place from 9 to 12 October in Durban, is now live. This year's line-up brings together sessions on equitable co-production, film financing, advocacy and lobbying, artificial intelligence and emerging formats such as vertical drama, alongside dedicated Impact and Animation Day strands and its partner-programmed offering.

 This programme reflects where the African film industry is currently: expanding audiences, growing co-production pathways and new capital arriving in new forms, but also asks real questions about advocacy, technology and who gets to shape the future of the sector,” says Magdalene Reddy, Director of the Durban FilmMart Institute.

Khosie Dali (financing panel). She is the award-winning South African producer behind Sons of the Sea, which won Best South African Film at DIFF. 

Sessions dealing with finance and film include Talking Cents: Where's The Change: Co-production Beyond Financial Collaboration which brings together filmmakers and organisations to reflect on collaborative methods grounded in collective responsibility and interconnectedness, while interrogating the future of collaboration. Then Talking Cents: More Than Making Cents: A New View on Financing Film explores non-traditional financing approaches, including cooperative ecologies that lead to greater creative control, narrative sovereignty and the retention of intellectual property.

Sam Soko (film financing panel). Soko's debut documentary Softie premiered at Sundance 2020 and won the Special Jury Award for Editing. His company LBx Africa produced the 2018 Oscar-nominated short Watu Wote. He has awards credentials and is a pan-African, activist-filmmaker.

African film industries are growing, but growth without protection is fragile. Who Is Fighting Our Corner? Film Advocacy and Lobbying on the African Continent is a panel featuring representatives involved in active advocacy and lobbying work across the continent, from guilds and professional associations to filmmaker collectives and civil society bodies. Here they will examine what advocacy looks like in practice, where it has succeeded and failed, and how audiences fit into the advocacy picture.

Marie Lora-Mungai (Advocacy and Lobbying). She is an investor and advisor whose firm has worked with IFC, Proparco, Afreximbank, Netflix and Warner Bros. She is outspoken on AI, having urged African filmmakers to use AI tools to create content independently. She's a quotable, business-press-friendly voice on "where the money is going”.

One of DFM Alumni success stories features in an inspiring case-study: From the DFM to the Croisette: Samantha Biffot on Producing "Ben'Imana". Producer Samantha Biffot traces the years-long journey of Ben'Imana, Marie Clémentine Dusabejambo's Rwandan-Gabonese drama, from its early development as a work-in-progress project at the DFM to its celebrated premiere in Un Certain Regard at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it went on to win the FIPRESCI Prize and the Caméra d'Or. Biffot will discuss the realities of financing and packaging an international co-production across Rwanda, Gabon, France, Norway, and Ivory Coast, and what it takes to carry a story about memory and survival after genocide from a market pitch to the world stage.

Samantha Biffot (Ben'Imana session). Ben'Imana was the first feature from the African continent to win the Caméra d'Or, and it was also the first film by a Rwandan director in Cannes' official selection. It also took the FIPRESCI Prize. Biffot is the Gabonese producer who presented the project at La Fabrique Cinéma in 2022 with the director, and the DFM connection makes it a "from the market to the Croisette" success story. 

Artificial intelligence continues to be a hot topic across the film landscape, and animation filmmaking may be the most affected, given how integral the intersection of art and technology already is to the creative process.  In AI and Animation panellists interrogate what AI means for the world of animation filmmaking, the opportunities, the risks, and the long-term effect on a developing sector such as African animation

Hamid Ibrahim (AI and Animation). He is the CEO of Kugali Media, and the Disney+ series Iwájú he co-created earned three Children's and Family Emmy nominations. It was Walt Disney Animation's first collaboration with an independent company. Hamid's creative journey spans some of Hollywood's most iconic productions, including The Lion King (2019), Dumbo (2019), The Predator (2018), The Darkest Minds (2018), and Dolittle (2020).

Vertical dramas have exploded onto the international scene, reshaping how stories are consumed on mobile-first platforms and unlocking new revenue models for creators. In Short Form, Big Impact: The Rise of Vertical Dramas panellists examine the format's rapid global rise and its emerging footprint on the African continent, and whether it could become a viable new pathway for content and commerce.

Flavia Motsisi of Both Worlds Media, Development Executive and Creative Producer, brings with her over a decade of experience shaping award-winning African television and film. An International Emmy nominee and a Forbes Africa honoree for her contribution to scripted content.

These sessions feature as just a small part of the Durban FilmMart’s extensive four-day industry programme. This year's Industry Programme is built around a single conviction: that the African film industry's future depends on the strength and honesty of its relationships — with capital, with audiences, with partners abroad, and with itself.

The Co-production Focus stream interrogates what genuine partnership looks like in practice, from sessions like Fruits of Labour: Service as a Form of Coproduction, which asks whether South African service companies deserve recognition as true collaborators, to South Africa as Coproducing Partner, which confronts the administrative turbulence currently testing the country's long-standing treaty network, through to Brazil-Africa: Building Bridges Through Coproduction, which looks outward to new South-South alliances.

Minnie Harris Head of MTN Group Digital Service Verticals and Markets

That same spirit of scrutiny runs through The Power of Programming stream, where sessions on industry programming itself and the pressures facing the international festival circuit ask what infrastructure the sector still lacks and who is being left out of it, while two closed-door think tanks on distribution and audience design push past diagnosis into practical strategy for reaching African audiences on their own terms.

Sector-specific strands deepen the picture with CTIAF's Animation Day, tackles the business of building a sustainable animation industry; Doc Society and its partners' Doc Day: Impact Edition reframes impact producing as a discipline as rigorous as directing or financing; and NEWF's Beyond the Wild sessions push natural world storytelling toward questions of spirituality, authorship and ownership.

Threaded through all of it is a set of international partnerships- most visibly the Canadian delegation and the Cross Continental Forum's 25th-anniversary panel, that embody DFM's core mandate to be the meeting space where shared interest across continents becomes something built together.

To find more information on the sessions above, the rest of the Durban FilmMart Industry Programme and so much more, go to https://durbanfilmmart.co.za/

The 17th edition of Durban FilmMart, in association with MultiChoice and principal funding from the National Lotteries Commission, is supported by the following funders and partners:

eThekwini Municipality, Durban Film Office, Ford Foundation, National Film and Video Foundation, Hollywood Foundation, MTN Group, KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority, Expertise France and GIZ, The International Emerging Film Talent Fund, NEFTI, Industrial Development Corporation, Netflix, CNC, Arab Culture Fund, Avalon Group, French Institute of South Africa, Animation SA, African Producers Accelerator, Berlinale Talents, Canada High Commission of South Africa, Caribbeantales and the Cross Continental Forum, Chiriseri Studios, Climate Story Labs Africa, Cape Town International Animation Festival, Department of Communication and Digital Technology, Disabled Audio-Visual Worker's Network, Documentary Filmmakers Association, Durban International Film Festival, Doc Society, Documentary Africa, Durban University of Technology, Eastern Cape Development Corporation, Embassy of Cote d'Ivoire, European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs, FIVA, FIPRESCI, Gauteng Film Commission, Independent Black Filmmakers Collective, IMPACT (Canada), Independent Producers Organisation, Habesha Creative, Ladima Foundation, Nature Environment Wildlife Filmmakers (NEWF), South African Audio Visual Cluster, South African Guild of Actors, South Africa Guild of Editors, Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Storyboard Collective, Sisters Working in Film and Television (SWIFT), Palestine Film Institute, Tunga Media Afrika, WGSA, WiC.  Media Partners include Arena Holdings and Variety.

Durban FilmMart Welcomes Canadian Delegation

The Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) will welcome a delegation of Canadian film professionals to this year's market that takes place from 9 to 12 October.   The delegation's presence, presented in partnership with the High Commission of Canada Trade Office in South Africa, is anchored by a dedicated speed-meeting session connecting Canadian filmmakers with DFM delegates.

“Canada has long been one of South Africa's strongest coproduction partners, and this delegation builds on a relationship with the Canadian High Commission that we've been growing year on year,” says Magdalene Reddy, Director of the Durban FilmMart Institute. “South Africa's co-production treaty with Canada gives our filmmakers real, practical access to Canadian financing, expertise and markets, and vice versa. Durban FilmMart exists to be that meeting space; a hub where international delegations like this one can sit across the table from African producers and turn shared interest into actual projects.”

SPEED MEETINGS: MEET THE CANADIAN FILMMAKERS

Presented in partnership with the High Commission of Canada Trade Office

Durban FilmMart delegates will have the opportunity to meet selected film professionals from Canada, with the opportunity to finance, distribute, co-produce and collaborate. The Canadian delegation brings together an award-winning, genre-spanning group of 17 producers, writers and directors working across documentary, fiction, animation and factual formats - with slates spanning genre and elevated-genre features, impact-driven documentary, BIPOC-led storytelling and international co-production, from across Canada.

Alex Bogomolov, is CEO/Producer, at Apsis Pictures (British Columbia) an independent production company handling full-cycle development, financing, production and delivery for genre and elevated-genre features.

Amy Miller, is a Producer, with Wide Open Exposure Productions, who has for more than two decades, produced bold documentaries investigating the political, environmental, historical and cultural forces shaping the world, screening at 150+ international festivals. The company is now focused on expanding international collaborations through documentary co-production.

Annette Clarke is a Producer, at Ruby Line Productions Inc, and a National Film Board of Canada veteran who has produced or co-produced 100+ films.

Chibie Louis-Okoye, is Founder/Producer, at Colo Studios who is also a media entrepreneur whose work is shaped by spirituality, Africa and social themes. She produced KOFA (2024), which debuted at Number 1 in Nigeria on Amazon Prime Video and won Best Feature Film at AFRIFF.

Danilo Reyes, is Founder/CEO, Blue Maroon Media, and is also an actor and musician striving to diversify the voices and faces on screen. An alumnus of Reelworld's BEP Producer's Program and the CMPA Producer Mentorship Program, Danilo is currently developing a slate of television series and feature films.

Eritrean-Canadian filmmaker Feven Ghebremariam, is Founder/CEO of Zantana Media who is working at the intersection of cinema and community engagement, whose work explores diaspora, colonial legacy and belonging. Feven is a co-founder of Black on Black Films, a collective supporting Black filmmakers in Quebec.

Ian Mark Kimanje, is a Producer at Film Garage Studios that develops premium documentary and impact-driven content connecting culture, identity, science and social change, with relationships spanning Canada, Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and the US.

Katia Café-Fébrissy, is Producer/President, KaFé Productions Inc., a bilingual production company dedicated to telling bold, intimate stories that amplify fresh and underrepresented voices.

Letay Williams, is a Writer/Producer, at A Little Happy Media. She is the Founder of a production company amplifying BIPOC talent for global audiences.

Nina Dube, is Trade Commissioner, High Commission of Canada Trade office in South Africa. The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service helps Canadian export-ready companies navigate the complexities of international markets. Representatives from the Canadian Trade Office will be available throughout Durban FilmMart to facilitate introductions, support networking opportunities, and explore potential partnerships and co-production opportunities between Canadian and South African industry stakeholders.

Patricia Sims, is the President/Producer at CanazWest Pictures which has produced award-winning documentaries and factual series for CBC, Discovery Channel, ARTE, NHK and others. Patricia is also the Founder of World Elephant Day, a global awareness campaign reaching over 2 billion social media impressions.

Roble Issa, is Producer, Gobez Media Inc.an Ethiopian-Canadian production company creating documentary, fiction and digital content rooted in Africa and its diaspora. Recent projects include Finding Sally and the Emmy-nominated Made in Ethiopia, with work screened at Cannes, TIFF, Tribeca and FESPACO.

Samantha Kaine, is an activist, mentor and speaker; founder and CEO of IMPACT (Independent Media Producers Association of Creative Talent). She is a Jamaican-Canadian producer working at the intersection of AI, cultural policy and economic inclusion. Samantha leads IMPACT's accelerator programmes supporting Black mid-career producers across Canada and the diaspora, and serves on the AI Committee of the Coalition for Diversity of Cultural Expressions. IMPACT is also a co-partner of the 2026 Canadian delegation to DFM.

Sarlota Csete, is Director, Mentorship, International Development & Board Secretary (CMPA (Canadian Media Producers Association).  Sarolta leads international development initiatives at the CMPA, fostering global partnerships and co-production opportunities for Canadian producers. A co-partner of the Canadian delegation to DFM 2026, the CMPA is Canada's leading advocacy organization for independent producers, dedicated to helping Canadian producers establish international partnerships and bring their content to screens around the world.

Shane LaTouche, is Founder/CEO, Toronto Black Media Productions, a producer and cultural creative focused on projects for Black and Caribbean communities. He also volunteers as Executive Director of the Toronto Black Media Association.

Shannon Walsh, is Producer/Director at Last Songbird Productions, and is an award-winning filmmaker and Guggenheim Fellow producing documentary and fiction features, shorts, VR works and music videos centred on bold, underrepresented voices.

Sylvester Ndumbi, is Founder/Producer, at Simba Creative, and leads an award-winning production company creating scripted, documentary and unscripted content for global audiences, with fifteen years of Canadian broadcast credits and productions screened at UN events worldwide. Simba Creative is actively expanding its international co-production slate.

The Canadian delegation's presence at Durban FilmMart demonstrates, a growing interest in building sustainable co-production pathways between the Canadian and South African audio-visual industries, with opportunities spanning documentary, fiction, genre and digital content.

To find out more about the Canadian delegation as well as others attending the 2026 edition of the DFM, go to https://durbanfilmmart.co.za/.