MultiChoice Puts the SA Creative Industry First at Durban FilmMart 2026

With a long history as a major investor in local storytelling, MultiChoice is heading to the 17th Durban FilmMart (9 to 12 October) to build new partnerships that will help turn South African filmmakers’ abundant supply of creative ideas into viable productions and grow businesses, careers and protect intellectual property.

The global production industry is facing sustained headwinds – and the South African creative industry is not immune to those. “A sustainable local content industry requires both investment and an enabling ecosystem in which producers can build businesses, women can progress into leadership, and where emerging professionals can access mentorship and opportunity,” says Willington Ngwepe, MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd CEO. “As the custodians of DStv’s content in South Africa, we understand the challenges that creators are facing while constantly listening to our customers to understand what they want to see on their screens – and we want to bring the supply and demand sides closer together with the right funding, training and support to continue to grow the industry we’ve invested in for over three decades”.

Willington Ngwepe, MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd CEO

Durban FilmMart has a long history of connecting filmmakers and producers with finance, co-production opportunities, industry expertise, international market opportunities and potential partners. Ideas and intellectual property must also be protected, and working with Partners Against Piracy MultiChoice is leading public awareness campaigns to educate consumers about the risk and damage of consuming pirated content, engaging with government authorities to put in place stricter regulation and legislation to protect intellectual content in the digital age, and supporting law enforcement agencies to prosecute pirates in South Africa and beyond the country’s borders. “Our participation at Durban FilmMart creates opportunities for direct engagement with independent producers, creators, policymakers, distributors, and other industry partners to help build, safeguard and promote our industry,” says Willington Ngwepe, MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd CEO.

“Having a partner of MultiChoice's stature alongside us is a significant milestone for the Durban FilmMart,” said Magdalene Reddy, Director of the DFM. “MultiChoice has a long-standing commitment to African storytelling, and their involvement strengthens our mission to connect filmmakers with the financing and partnerships they need. For filmmakers, this kind of access is invaluable. It means projects will engage with decision-makers who can help move them from concept to screen.”

MultiChoice representatives will be leading and participating in a series of discussions and events. On 9 October MultiChoice Head of Content Renee Jacobs and key content supplier CANAL+ Africa’s Head of Scripted Content Tebogo Matlawa will headline the discussion topic ‘Support and Funding of Local Content in SA’. 

Durban FilmMart, in association with MultiChoice, runs from 9-12 October at the Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani on the Durban beachfront. Visit www.durbanfilmmart.co.za for more information.

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, 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.

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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 expands 2026 line-up with animation, impact producing and natural world storytelling partnerships

Durban, South Africa – September 2026 – The Durban FilmMart (DFM) has announced an expanded partner programme for its 17th edition, running in Durban from 9 to 12 October 2026. Three new industry strands - developed with the Cape Town International Animation Festival (CTIAF), a coalition of documentary impact producing organisations, and the Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers organisation (NEWF) - bring animation, impact producing and natural world storytelling into DFM's core programme.

"This year's partner programme strands reflect exactly the kind of collaboration DFM exists to enable,” says Magdalene Reddy, Director of the Durban FilmMart Institute. "We are always open to working with organisations who share our commitment to strengthening the African film ecosystem, and these partnerships allow us to bring specialist expertise into the DFM programme for the benefit of the filmmakers and industry professionals we serve."

ANIMATION DAYS - with Cape Town International Animation Festival (CTIAF)

The strand moves the conversation beyond talent to infrastructure: financing, studios, audiences and IP. 

"Animation is often talked about as if the only question is whether Africa has the talent," says Dianne Makings, Festival Director of CTIAF. "We know we have the talent. The bigger question is what happens next; who commissions the work, who finances it, who builds the studios, who develops the audiences and how do we create an industry that allows African creators to keep making African stories." 

Sessions include Innovate. Animate. Elevate.: From Cape Town Studio to Global Market, on building a real studio cluster; Beyond the Festival Circuit: Who Is Watching African Animation?, tracing the pipeline from commissioning to audience development; and Too Big for Grants, Too Small for Investors: The Missing Middle, on financing the jump from small teams to scalable studios. The programme also features a WATA Creative Workshop for women in African animation and gaming, plus studio networking and a screening of CTIAF's Best of 2026 selection.

IMPACT DAY - with Documentary Africa, The StoryBoard Collective, Perspective Fund, Real Reel Impact, Doc Society, Climate Story Labs Africa, Tunga Media Afrika, UCT Centre for Film and Media Studies, Climate Story Lab ZA, Climate Story Lab Lagos, South x Sul Network and UMI Fund

A full-day working forum on impact producing across the filmmaking lifecycle - not just at delivery. Highlights include a case study on Children of Honey, presented by Odera Onyore Nyambok II (Documentary Africa); an Impact Hackathon building live strategies for three documentary projects; case studies on Get Reel and Murder in Paris; a fishbowl discussion on impact financing with Doc Society, DocuBox and Documentary Africa; and The Climate Cine-bar, a screening-and-dialogue session on films that move audiences beyond the screen.

Top Row (L-R): Mohamed Saïd Ouma (Documentary Africa), Miki Redelinghuys (Plexus Films), Matamba Kombila (Dougantsi Films), Dr Liani Maasdorp (UCT Centre for Film and Media Studies, Climate Story Lab ZA, RRI Mentor)

Middle Row (L-R): Enver Samuel (EMS Productions), Khadidja Benouataf (Impact Social Club and RRI Mentor), Julian Etienne (Doc Society)

Bottom Row (L-R): Wanja Emily (Doc Society), Cindy Makandi (Tunga Media Afrika), Anthony Ochieng Onyango (TonyWild Foundation), Susan Mbogo (DocuBox)

NATURAL WORLD STORYTELLING - with NEWF

"So many of the stories emerging from the continent remind us that nature is not separate from people," says Pragna Parsotam-Kok, Executive Director, NEWF. "Social, environmental and climate justice intersect, conservation films explore people and place, and stories about the natural world can move between documentary, fiction and natural history. Now more than ever, it matters that African voices are part of global conversations about our environment, nature and wildlife. Together, we hope to invite filmmakers who may not yet see themselves as nature world storytellers, to bring their voices, craft and perspectives to the wild side; and to expand what natural world storytelling can be, who gets to shape it and how these stories are shared with the world.”

Sessions include Beyond the Wild: Representing Nature and Spirituality on Screen, with Pippa Ehrlich, Zolani Mahola, Dr Gcina Mhlophe and Gogo Lindi Dlamini; Beyond the Wild: Getting the Shot, on wildlife cinematography with NEWF Fellows; and Beyond the Wild: Expanding Stories About the Natural World. Delegates can also explore The NEWF Room, an immersive exhibition featuring 360° VR from Zululand to Sodwana Bay's reefs and the multiplayer game Aquabots, alongside The Wild Side, a curated shorts programme.

Top Row (L-R): Thihangwi Ramutsindela (Nga Maanda Awe Film Festival and NEWF), Nondumiso Masache (Zenkosi Films), Matamba Kombila (Dougantsi Films), Anthony Ochieng Onyango (TonyWild Foundation), Sewela Mutileni (Beat of Africa Productions)

Middle Row: (L-R): Pippa Ehrlich, Zolani Mahola, Dr Gcina Mhlophe, Gogo Lindi Dlamini

Bottom Row (L-R): Nkosikhona Mthembu, Carlos Norhona, Elshadaye Temesgen, Nathan Rice, Chisomo Kawaga

Registration for the DFM can be done on the website: durbanfilmmart.co.za

For inquiries: info@durbanfilmmart.com

The 17th edition Durban FilmMart is funded by the Durban Film Office, eThekwini Municipality, Ford Foundation, the National Film and Video Foundation and IEFTF.

South African Industry Organisations Featured at the 17th Durban FilmMart

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA (24 August 2026) — The Durban FilmMart remains a significant gateway to the African and global film industry for film professionals. This year, the programme, which is designed with panel discussions, masterclasses, pitch forums and networking opportunities, also offers a focus on South African cinema through its “SA in Focus” programming stream. This focus brings together the nation's most influential industry bodies, guilds and creative professionals to address the current state and future of the local audiovisual sector.

Taking place under the theme “Shifting Worlds: Turning Towards Ourselves,” the 17th Durban FilmMart, scheduled from 9 to 12 October 2026, once again anchors conversations about the health and future of the local industry within the wider market.

“The local South African industry is navigating real challenges,” says Durban FilmMart Institute Director, Magdalene Reddy. “The 2026 DFM has been programmed with a view that answers begin at home: it begins in the strength of our guilds, the ability of our practitioners to pivot, and our willingness to have honest conversations about what needs to change. By bringing together the organisations that represent South African film professionals, DFM 2026 reaffirms that a thriving local industry is the foundation for everything else we build internationally.”

Opening the SA stream, Animation SA will unpack how the sector is adapting to consolidation, shifting streaming algorithms and the rise of generative AI in the session “Africa-Centred Collaboration in a Shifting Landscape — New Strategies and Practices in Marketing, Distribution and Community Development for Animation and Gaming.” The panel features Isabelle Rorke, Mocke Jansen van Veuren, Rashid Juma, Xolile Vundla and Nick Cloete.

Xolile Vundla

The Documentary Filmmakers Association turns to the changing shape of nonfiction storytelling with “Slow Stories in a Fast World: Documentary in the Age of Infinite Content,” asking what remains uniquely documentary as creator culture and vertical storytelling reshape audience habits. The session includes Sara Hatira, Sifiso Nobela, Catherine Meyburgh, Jane Lipman and Jacqui Hlongwane.

The Writers Guild of South Africa presents “Writers vs the Machine,” tackling AI's growing role in writing and what it means for authorship, craft and copyright. The panel brings together Busisiwe Ntintili, Sizwe Fortune Zuma, Bongi Ndaba and Zunaid Mansoor.

Zunaid Mansoor

Making the case for involving editors earlier in the process, the South African Guild of Editors presents “Editors at the Table: Why Story Should Start Before Post,” arguing that stronger communication from development onward leads to healthier productions and better films. The panel features Melissa Parry, Nikki Comninos, Simon Beesley and Sifiso Khanyile.

Sifiso Khanyile

The Independent Black Filmmakers Collective confronts the structural pressures facing local production, addressing delayed incentive payments and funding uncertainty. The session, “The System Is Broken. Let's Fix It,” will also review lessons learned from countries that have successfully repositioned their audiovisual sectors. The panel brings together Lehlohonolo Mokhosi, Tumelo Chipfupa and Tshepiso Chikapa Phiri.

Tshepiso Chikapa Phiri

The Independent Producers Organisation joins this focus, the focus on the Olsberg SPI Economic Study.  The session will unpack the importance, relevance and potential impact of the study, with a particular focus on how its findings can inform the future development, sustainability and growth of South Africa’s film and television industry.  The session will feature Delon Bakker, Jade Gezane, Luke Rous, Paul Buys and Wandile Molebatsi.

Wandile Molebatsi

The South African Guild of Actors turns to questions of ownership and equity with “Turning Towards Ourselves: Performers as Co-Creators in African IP Ecosystems.” The panel discussion, proposing that performers share earlier and more fairly in the IP they help originate, rather than remaining downstream labour, will feature Adrian Galley, Vicki Bawcombe, Hungani Ndlovu and Neo Mothae.

Hungani Ndlovu

Ensuring women's perspectives remain central to industry change, Sisters Working in Film and Television (SWIFT) will present “Women's Voices on Industry Dialogues: Why Your Voice Matters.” This call for greater representation on industry bodies and in policy conversations will feature Miranda Ntshangase, Kaona Letlape, Loreley Yeowart and Amilcar Patel with Marion Seymour moderating the session.

Miranda Ntshangase

Alongside these industry-led panel discussions, the DFM programme will also feature South African policymakers throughout the event. Making their first appearance at DFM will be the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture's newly established cluster — the South African Audio-Visual Cluster and Pixel Creators (Animation and Gaming Cluster)— who will join discussions in October 2026 in Durban, positioning DFM as the essential gathering point for South African film industry advancement.

Register now: durbanfilmmart.co.za

For inquiries: info@durbanfilmmart.com

The 17th edition Durban FilmMart is funded by the Durban Film Office, eThekwini Municipality, Ford Foundation, the National Film and Video Foundation and IEFTF.

About the Durban FilmMart Institute:

Durban FilmMart Institute is the business hub of the African film industry in a world where film professionals and content are globally competitive and celebrated. The mission of the Durban FilmMart Institute is to provide appropriate and effective programmes and services to promote, support and facilitate investment in the African film industry.

Durban FilmMart Institute Announces the Selection of Participants for Talents Durban 2026

The Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) announces the lineup of participants for the 19th edition of Talents Durban, taking place during the Durban FilmMart (DFM) in Durban from 9 – 12 October 2026. As the African satellite programme of Berlinale Talents, Talents Durban continues to play a vital role in nurturing emerging African filmmakers, animators, and film critics through mentorship, professional development, and international networking opportunities. 

Berlinale Talents is a networking platform organised by the Berlin International Film Festival, offering a space for emerging filmmakers to connect, learn, and collaborate. Talents Durban serves as its African counterpart, providing a similar platform specifically tailored to the continent's unique filmmaking landscape.

DFMI Director, Magdalene Reddy, explains, “The Durban FilmMart Institute remains committed to advancing African cinema through strategic collaborations that expand international access to professional networks, markets, and sustainable industry opportunities. Talents Durban is central to this vision. Now in its 19th year of partnership with Berlinale Talents,  this partnership helps to contribute meaningfully to the long-term growth and sustainability of the African film ecosystem.”

The 2026 edition reflects the diversity of African storytelling, bringing together participants from 18 African countries. This year’s selection process was highly competitive, receiving a record 551 applications. From these submissions, 26 participants and six film critics were selected across fiction features, documentaries, short films, episodic content, animation, and film criticism.

Selected participants will engage in an intensive programme of project-oriented and hands-on professional development initiatives, including Story Junction pitching sessions, masterclasses, mentorship engagements, and one-on-one consultations with leading industry experts.

Mentors for the 2026 edition include Akosua Adoma Owusu, Amine Hattou, Bongi Ndaba, Comfort Arthur, Jihane Bougrine, Mayye Zayed, Nicole Schafer, Oris Aigbokhaevbolo, Ramadan Suleman and Razanajaona Ambinintsoa Luck.

A highlight of this year’s programme is the evolution of the Talent Press stream through the introduction of a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Digital Newsroom model. Moving beyond the traditional workshop format, the programme will simulate a live festival newsroom environment.

Acclaimed alumni Wilfred Okiche and Domoina Ratsara return as Section Editors, mentoring and collaborating directly with a new generation of emerging African critics serving as Festival Film Writers. The initiative is further strengthened through partnerships with the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival (04-14 June 2026) and the Durban International Film Festival (23 July - 2 August 2026), providing participants with real-world reporting experience, and opportunities to publish critical writing from the forefront of African cinema.

Talent Press is an initiative of Talents Durban in collaboration with FIPRESCI. A new collaboration between the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), and the Durban FilmMart Institute was announced during FIPRESCI's annual reception. The partnership will see FIPRESCI select an outstanding participant from the Talents Durban Press programme at Durban FilmMart 2026 to receive an award presented by CIFF. The selected critic will be invited to attend the Cairo International Film Festival, cover the festival's activities, and contribute to its English-language daily publication. This initiative represents an important step in strengthening film criticism across the African continent and creating greater opportunities for emerging critical voices to engage with international film culture and discourse.

Official 2026 Talents Durban Participants and Projects:

Fiction Features

Kelvin Kagambo – Dogi Dogi (Tanzania)

Lawrencia Aphua Larbi-Amoah – Bare Feet (Ghana)

Meekaaeel Adam – The Violent Type (South Africa)

Mélanie K. ZAWADI – THE BASEMENT (DRC)

Russell Oru – The Things We Leave Behind (Nigeria)

Shandra Apondi – The Words I Do Not Have (Kenya)

Documentaries

Ahmed Shams Nagm Eldin – SABARY (Sudan)

Hussein Eddeb – The birth of Derna (Libya)

Junior Mozese – ABÉTI (DRC)

Michelle Simon – Rivers: Under Threat  (South Africa)

Ramaroson Razafimbelo Anatole – Fitampoha, the return of the king of Menabe (Madagascar)

Sarra El Abed – Goodbye Party (Tunisia)

 

Fiction Shorts

Daisy Masembe – Rukia (Uganda)

Ghazzal Abdullah – Facing the Sun (Egypt)

Moso Sematlane – Nightbirds (Lesotho)

Sarah Abena Adjei – Awake (Ghana)

Tendaiishe Chitima – The Last Tree on Kilimanjaro (Zimbabwe)

Xola Limba – Only We Remain (South Africa)

 

Episodic

Cheyi Okoaye – Cause, Effect & Maybe Consequences? (Nigeria)

Des Dlamini – Slightly Awkward (South Africa)

Rudo Furusa – Borrowed Skin (Botswana)

SOGOBA Hawa – The Eleventh Year (Mali)

 

Animation

Jack Machiridza – All You Sheep (Zimbabwe)

Kirollos George – Alexandria forever (Egypt)

Pule Mohotsi –  Amandla (South Africa)

Talent Press 

Elijah Oluwanisola (Nigeria)

Hlumela Luvuno (South Africa)

NEYA Harouna (Burkina Faso)

Michelle Abuti (Kenya)

Domoina Ratsara (Madagascar) – Alumni

Wilfred Okiche (Nigeria) – Alumni 

The Heads of Berlinale Talents, Nikola Joetze and Tobias Pausinger, highlight their anticipation, stating: “At Berlinale Talents, we regard Talents Durban as an essential creative partner and a space where exceptional filmmakers and storytellers from across the African continent continue to push boundaries, challenge form, and expand the global cinematic imagination. Year after year, we are inspired by how Talents Durban nurtures bold artistic voices that embody the spirit of this year’s Berlinale Talents theme, Creating and Confusion, transforming uncertainty into innovation and new narrative possibilities.

Equally vital is the internationally renowned Durban Film Market itself, which stands as one of the continent’s most significant platforms for connecting emerging and established talent with industry opportunity. It plays a decisive role in strengthening the creative ecosystem, while underscoring South Africa’s position as a dynamic and indispensable hub for the international film industry.”

As the premier film market in Africa, the 17th edition of the Durban FilmMart, under the theme “Shifting Worlds: Turning Towards Ourselves”. Inspired by the words of Ousmane Sembène, often referred to as the “father of African cinema” who said, “Why be a sunflower and turn toward the sun? I, myself, am the sun,” the 17th edition of the Durban FilmMart will be the space for discussions that advance alternative film funding pathways, revise models for distribution, consider equitable co-production frameworks and create authentic partnerships. DFM 2026 will encourage looking within to forge relationships and design new strategies that will brace a world in flux and endure the economic and social structures that are changing and destabilising the film industry.

More information on this year’s theme can be found on the Durban FilmMart Institute’s website, https://durbanfilmmart.co.za/

Delegate registration and programme details will be announced in due course.

The 17th edition Durban FilmMart is funded by the Durban Film Office, eThekwini Municipality, Ford Foundation, the National Film and Video Foundation and IEFTF.

The Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) announces the project selection for the annual DFM Pitch and Finance Forum 2026

Thirty-six African film projects have been selected for the 17th Durban FilmMart Africa’s leading film finance and co-production market that will now take place from 9 to 12 October, in Durban, South Africa.

The market will present an array of projects, including 8 animation, 10 fiction features, 10 documentary features and 7 series projects in development at the Pitch and Finance Forum alongside a robust industry programme which will focus on current trends, innovations, and challenges faced by the industry.

"Our stories are our voices; they represent our culture, our history, our joy, our pain and our victories.  DFM is honoured to present a unique selection of African stories that will add to the successes that have gone before," says Magdalene Reddy, DFMI director. "We look forward to following the journey of these projects for years to come, as we do with all our project alumni. The DFM provides an important platform, not only to showcase the creative work of filmmakers but also to support them in building a cross-continental community, creating networks and access

The 36 selected projects will be given the opportunity to prepare for their participation at DFM with online one-on-one mentorship by leading industry experts to ensure that they are collaborator- and investor-ready when they get to Durban for the in-person pitch.

The 8 animation projects will receive additional support from industry experts through participation in the Digital Lab Africa (DLA) programme presented by DFM partner, Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct.

The 2026 DFM Official Projects:

Animated Series - Fiction               

Beast Seeker             

Producer: Danielle Retief

Director: Robyn Viljoen

South Africa               

capoZOOeira             

Producers: Mary Waweru Wanjiku, Carlos Zerpa Bravo

Director: Orlymar Paredes

Kenya, Brazil

Hadu: The Series                   

Producer: Damilola Solesi

Director: Precious Anih

Nigeria           

JUJU SOCCER                     

Producers: Oge Obasi, Somto Ajuluchukwu

Director: C.J. Obasi

Nigeria           

Nerve             

Producer: Raffaella Delle Donne, coproducer: Renee Van Reenen

Director: Tshepo Moche

South Africa               

Sunday Morning                    

Producer: Nahom Abiy

Director: Minasie Terefe

Ethiopia                      

Animated Short - Fiction                

In Her Hands             

Producer: Gehad El Akhal

Director: Hagar Basiony

Egypt              

Animated - Feature length fiction              

MIDNIGHT METRO               

Producer: Wako Sefara

Director: Lesego Vorster

South Africa               

Fiction Features

A touch of Paradise

Producer: Sarra Ben Hassen

Director: Houcem Slouli

Tunisia

Arbaa Shuhuor wu Ashara Ayam (Four Months and Ten Days)

Producer: Alsamoual Hussein

Director: Alyaa Musa

Sudan

Fairway to Freedom

Producer: Tarina Patel

Director: Jahmil Qubeka

South Africa

HOLY COW (selected at El Gouna 2025 through partnership)

Producer and Director: Asmae el Moudir

Morocco

MIETA

Producer: Neil Brandt

Director: Carla Fonseca Mokgata

South Africa

MOTHER THERESA

Producer: Shema Faustin

Director: Mutiganda wa Nkunda

Rwanda

Taht El Sama El Khadra' (Under Green Skies)

Producer: Yara Goubran

Director: Jad Chahine

Egypt

The Boy Who Spoke Static

Producer: Mathew Cerf

Director: The Agbajowo Collective

Nigeria

Vino Amargo (Bitter Wine)

Producer: David Franciscus

Director: Pablo Pinedo Bóveda

South Africa

Waslap (selected through DFM ACCESS)

Producer and Director: Batandwa Alperstein

South Africa

Fiction Series

AGAIN

Producer: Giresse Kassonga

Director: Erickey Bahati

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Daddies

Producer: Cati Weinek

Director: Sean Mongie

South Africa

Fafi

Producer and Director: Dominique Jossie

South Africa

FISI (HYENA)

Producer: Mkamzee Mwatela

Director: Sanele Zulu

Kenya

Smoke & Mirrors

Producer: Luke Rous

Director: Jozua Malherbe

South Africa

The Coven (selected through DFM ACCESS)

Producer and Director: Sihle Mthembu

South Africa

Documentary Series

Children of the Nile

Producer and Director: Tina Obo

Uganda

Documentary Features

Banat aljazira alkhadra' (GREEN ISLAND'S GIRLS)

Producer: Amrosh Badr

Director: Rogena Tarek

Egypt

DESIGNING DIVIDE (selected at Talents Durban 2025)

Producer and Director: Jessie Ayles

South Africa

Gwijo Nation

Producer: Quinton Fredericks

Director: Sesihle Manzini

South Africa

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

Producer and Director: Mouni Boullam

Algeria, France

MA NUIT DU DJOMELE (My Djomele Night)

Producer: Hicham Falah

Director: Barkima Nafissatou Laguempedo

Burkina Faso

Majuto si Mjukuu (Heirs of no Regret)

Producer: Mumo Liku

Director: Saitabao Kaiyare

Kenya

MDANTSANE – HOME OF BOXING (selected through DFM ACCESS)

Producer and Director: Phumlani Veto

South Africa

The Ones With The Tempered Flowers

Producer: Ivy Kiru

Director: Neema Ngelime

Tanzania

Urban Zulu: The Busi Mhlongo Story

Producer: Struan Douglas, coproducer: Vusi Mchunu

Director: Rehad Desai

South Africa

Waiting for Evolution

Producer and director: Karin Slater

South Africa

WHERE DO I BELONG?

Producer: Talal Afifi

Director: Ibrahim “Snoopy” Ahmed

Sudan

More information on this year’s theme can be found on the Durban FilmMart Institute’s website, https://durbanfilmmart.co.za/ 

Delegate registration and programme details will be announced in due course.

The 17th edition Durban FilmMart is funded by the Durban Film Office, eThekwini Municipality, Ford Foundation, the National Film and Video Foundation and IEFTF.

17TH EDITION OF THE DURBAN FILMMART RESCHEDULED WITH NEW DATES SET FOR 9 - 12 OCTOBER 2026

Durban, South Africa: After careful consideration, the Durban FilmMart (DFM), Africa’s best loved film finance and co-production market, has decided to move its 17th edition to 9 - 12 October 2026 due to significant funding challenges.

The viability of hosting the DFM event in July 2026 has been considerably impacted by the current global financial crisis which directly affects funding for film and the arts in general. Significant changes in key funding partnerships and the ongoing reduction of local year-on-year funding opportunities presents challenges for planning and strategic growth. 

The Durban FilmMart Institute, a non-profit organisation, plays a pivotal and significant role in driving African and diaspora film professionals to convene, do business, build relationships, exchange ideas and shape the future of filmmaking. 

“Rescheduling the market has been a difficult decision but one that the board and management had to take because we remain committed to the pan-African film ecosystem we serve,” says Magdalene Reddy, Director of the Durban FilmMart Institute. “Despite the uncertainty we face with limited long term, multi-year support for the annual event, we believe that the space we create for African film professionals must exist and that it is essential to those who believe in the power and impact of African independent film. We encourage all those who never miss a DFM to move with us and join us in October for what they have come to cherish.”

Those attending this year’s edition are set for a series of uncompromising conversations under the theme: Shifting Worlds: Turning Towards Ourselves. Inspired by the words of Ousmane Sembène, often referred to as the "father of African cinema” who said, “Why be a sunflower and turn toward the sun? I, myself, am the sun,” the 17th edition of the Durban FilmMart will be the space for discussions that advance alternative film funding pathways, revise models for distribution, consider equitable co-production frameworks and create authentic partnerships.  DFM 2026 will encourage looking within to forge relationships and design new strategies that will brace a world in flux and endure the economic and social structures that are changing and destabilising the film industry. 

An anchor in the international co-production market calendar and with a continued focus on African cinema, all DFM market activities including the Pitch and Finance Forum for live action, documentary and animation, Talents Durban and the Industry Programme made up of panel discussions, masterclasses and think thanks go ahead as planned. Industry, attendees, stakeholders and partners are encouraged to spread the news and show their support by attending the market during its new dates in October 2026.

More information on this year’s theme can be found on the Durban FilmMart Institute’s website, https://durbanfilmmart.co.za/

Delegate registration and programme details will be announced in due course.

The 17th edition Durban FilmMart is funded by the Durban Film Office, eThekwini Municipality, Ford Foundation and the National Film and Video Foundation.

France heads to the Durban FilmMart - Africa’s Top Film Industry Event

Durban, South Africa: The Durban FilmMart (DFM) has firmly established itself as one of the most important meeting grounds to conduct the business of film on the African continent. After the renewed and extended co-production agreement between South Africa and France entered into force in 2023, a delegation of 12 film professionals from France and Reunion Island driven by the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) will make its way to the DFM, taking place from 19 to 22 July, to network with South African filmmakers and begin discussions around possible co-productions for the future.

“This is a very exciting time for filmmakers, as the benefits of co-productions are really enormous,” says Emmanuelle Denavit-Feller, Regional Head of New Media, Film and Music at IFAS. “The fact that a year after the entry into force of this new agreement, we have some serious conversations taking place, is a testament to the will of the French industry to pursue and develop discussions with the South African audiovisual industry including development organisations, film commissions, government structures, individual producers, and other film professionals, that could help pave the way for future productions.”

“As we know, the business of film creates large, small, and micro business ecosystems that not only support the economy, but it also acts as a holistic driver for growth, inclusivity and capacity building. This initiative aims to help the French delegates to scout, network, and build relationships within the local film industry, fostering cross-country collaboration, co-productions and new shared stories to tell.”

In driving French-South African collaboration forward, the DFM will also host a ‘Co-Production Focus: France’ session that focuses on co-production opportunities and more broadly on the support schemes proposed by France to international players. The panel will comprise of French delegates Rémy Jacquelin, President of Paradoxal, an audiovisual production company, Morad Koufane, Director of International and Young Adult Fiction at France Télévisions, and Céline Leclercq, Head of the Co-production, Cooperation and World Cinema Department at the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC), as well as South African industry experts, Terrence Khumalo, Project Monitoring & Evaluation Manager at the NFVF, and Ramadan Suleman, Producer and Founder of Natives at Large.

The delegation will also participate in panels where 20 animation, documentary, and fiction film projects will be pitched to other potential co-producers, sales agents, broadcasters, and film funds at the DFM Pitch and Finance Forum. Here they will give feedback on the public pitches and also take one-on-one meetings with the filmmakers.

“We are really pleased that such a high-level delegation will be representing the French film industry at the DFM,” says Magdalene Reddy, Director of the Durban FilmMart Institute. “Over the past 15 years, the DFM  has seen the tangible results of the robust engagement that emanates from the market, and we believe that the delegation will be stimulated by the quality of projects and the stories that are being developed on the continent.”

Additionally, IFAS is supporting pan-African talent through DFM's Jumpstart programme, a dynamic incubator that equips aspiring filmmakers with skills in scriptwriting and project packaging, and aims to empower them to tell their stories with authenticity and impact. This initiative is hosted in collaboration with Produire au Sud, the film industry market of Festival des 3 Continents in Nantes, France.

The project is supported by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and Institut français in Paris, with IFAS and Alliance française in Durban, as part of a strategy for the international export of cultural and creative industries. It also benefits from the support of the Reunion Island Film Commission.

For more information about IFAS go to www.frenchinstitute.org.za

For more information about the Durban FilmMart go to www.durbanfilmmart.co.za

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Creatives Focus on Climate at Durban FilmMart

Durban, South Africa: In a major film industry collaborative effort Climate Story Lab South Africa, Doc Society – Climate Story Unit, STEPS, and the Global Impact Producers Alliance (GIPA) presents the Climate Focus at this year’s Durban FilmMart which takes place from 19 to 22 July.

Climate Focus promises stimulating sessions to seek tangible approaches to communicate the climate-crisis through film with panel discussions, hands-on dialogues around potential impact strategies to effect change through film, brainstorming sessions, and networking opportunities for film industry participants creating content for this secto

Emily Wanja, who is Director of African Programmes at Doc Society - Climate Story Unit, says, “This climate focus at DFM is part of Climate Story Unit’s commitment to support transformative storytelling that advances a climate just and biodiverse future by storytellers, impact producers, and movement builders. Collectively we can envision, experiment and share how an abundant world for all could look like. DFM provides an opportunity to strengthen partnerships across the information ecosystem on the continent for this work to thrive.”

Filmmakers and activists, in an invigorating panel titled Don’t Stop Talking About Climate Chaos! discuss the role creatives play in sounding the alarm on the climate crisis, and inspiring effective action, including the building of African climate movements. Nasreen Al Amin (Climate Story Lab Lagos), Kudzayi Ngwerume (UMI Fund), Pete Murimi (BBC Africa Eye), Simeon Letoole  (Human Rights Activist) and Kumi Naidoo on video (Activist and former Director of Greenpeace) feature with moderators Anita Khanna (Human Rights Media Trust/Uhuru Productions) and Emily Wanja (Doc Society - Climate Story Unit).

In the session titled Partnerships and Pathways to Reach Audiences, the need for collective focus and political will to effectively address climate change is unpacked and paralleled with the HIV/AIDS crisis in South Africa, where miscommunication, denialism, and fake news hindered efforts to change behaviour and create impactful solutions. The progress in reducing HIV/AIDS-related deaths was achieved through collective efforts. The panel will address how the climate crisis needs a similar collective effort from all sectors including filmmakers through innovative partnerships with funders, broadcasters, and alternative distribution models, decentralised to unlock impactful audience reach.

Nadine Cloete (NFVF), James Smart (Nation Media Group), Pete Murimi (BBC Africa Eye), Noel Kok (NEWF), Nonto Sibanyoni (Sunshine Cinema), Theresa Hill/Tiny Mungwe (STEPS) and Cindy Makandi (Tunga Afrika) feature here with Miki Redelinghuys (Climate Story Lab ZA) as moderator.

In practical tool-kit styled approach the session Impact Strategy in Action, aims to equip impact producers with the insights necessary to create effective impact strategies. The panel will explore key issues such as identifying target audiences, setting measurable goals, leveraging partnerships, and maximising impact through media and outreach efforts.

Tiny Mungwe (STEPS) moderates this session which features Emily Wanja (Thank You For The Rain Impact Producer), Rumbi Katedza (Transactions Director) and Anita Khanna (Temperature Rising Co-Director).

Well-known impact producers and strategists Liani Maasdorp (Climate Story Lab ZA), Emily Wanja  (Doc Society), Nasreen Al Amin (Climate Story Lab Lagos) and Tiny Mungwe feature on the panel in the Impact Hackathon moderated by Miriam Ayoo (Global Impact Producers Alliance). Here one of the Africa Labs Showcase projects which has been working with mentors during the DFM, will participate in a high-energy, interactive session to unpack the impact potential of the film.

Aspiring impact producers will also have an opportunity to connect with GIPA members at a session at the DFM, to find out more about joining GIPA which nurtures the work of the unique, often overlooked, but powerful community of impact producers.

In a practical session Who’s Watching Our Films?  Alternative Distribution Mapping, Doc Society - Climate Story Unit, CSL ZA, STEPS, DOCA, TUNGA Afrika partner in a session moderated by Cindy Makandi (Tunga Afrika) to ignite an initiative they have started to help film industry professionals to unlock both existing, new and effective distribution pathways to ensure stories reach the people they are meant for. In this session they will map out alternative distribution avenues that extend beyond conventional routes. The goal is to create an open-source model that filmmakers can use to discover viable distribution partners across the continent.

Award-winning impact producer Anita Khanna, (Uhuru Productions), says, “It's shocking how little attention is being given to the biggest threat humanity has ever faced, but we know as activists that this is often because people face many challenges that are more immediate to them. If we can use our artistry and our campaigns to, at the very least, keep people fully informed of what the climate emergency means to them, and at most, get people motivated to organise around climate demands, then we will see some serious movement. It's a thing that artists have done in the past, around vital social matters, we need to be doing it now, on steroids.”

For more information about the Climate Focus at DFM in Durban go to https://climatestorylabza.org/dfm-2024/

For more information on the DFM go to https://durbanfilmmart.co.za/

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Durban FilmMart calls for Animation Projects from African filmmakers

Durban FilmMart calls for Animation Projects from African filmmakers

The Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) has opened the call for animation projects in development for the 2023 Pitch and Finance Forum, together with Cape Town International Animation Film Festival (CTIAF) and Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct (Tshimologong).

The DFMI hopes to select 10 official animation projects in development to present to a panel of international decision-makers consisting of potential co-producers, broadcasters, film funds and distributors in the 14th Durban FilmMart (DFM) taking place in July 2023.

“2022 marked the first time in which DFM formally welcomed animation projects to pitch at the market,” says Magdalene Reddy, DFMI General Manager. “Pitches were well received from industry and filmmakers were eager to share their stories, which we cannot wait to see in the very near future. Together with our partners from CTIAF and Tshimologong, we hope to deepen the programme for animators on the continent offering more pitching opportunities, extended development, and greater engagements with the industry.

The DFM Pitch and Finance Forum consist of public pitching, one on one meetings with decision-makers and 8 weeks of online mentorship prior to the pitch in Durban. This year we are able to offer 5 of the 10 project teams the opportunity to participate in the Road to Annecy at CTIAF in addition to their participation in Durban.

“This has proven to be one of the most successful and impactful partnerships that offer our talent an opportunity to engage with decision-makers” says Lesley Donna William – CEO Tshimologong. “DFMI and CTIAF continue to play a vital role in providing platforms where our talent can gain access to industry experts through the mentorship programme and allow them to pitch to a panel of decision makers in the broadcasting and distribution sector. We are proud to announce that we will be renewing our partnership with DFMI and CTIAF. We look forward to working together in developing and providing market access to the animation industries from different parts of the continent.”

“The best way to perfect a pitch is to practice a pitch. Events like this are integral to getting market ready and I encourage everyone to enter competitions like this to hone their skills,”says Dianne Makings, director of CTIAF.

The Animation Pitch and Finance Forum will form part of the 14th annual Durban FilmMart event which will take place in July 2023 as an in-person event in Durban, South Africa.

The Road to Annecy will be presented at the 2023 Cape Town International Animation Film Festival which will take place April 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa.

Animated Fiction and Documentary projects in development with at least one African citizen in one of the key creative roles (writer, director or producer) will be considered for the programme. Proof of African citizenship or birth must be provided through a certified passport/I.D. or birth certificate. Projects need to have both a director and producer attached. Projects will be selected by an external panel of industry professionals.

Shortlisted projects will be contacted via email in November 2022.

For submission criteria visit: https://durbanfilmmart.co.za/pitch-and-finance-forum-application/

To apply: https://durbanfilmmart.co.za/pitch-and-finance-forum-application/

Deadline for applications: Monday, 31st October 2022 at 23:59 CAT

For further questions: info@durbanfilmmart.com

The call for live action projects will open in December 2022.

The Durban FilmMart Institute receives principal funding from the Durban Film Office and the eThekwini Municipality.

The Durban FilmMart animation programme is supported by the project “Cultural and Creative Industries” which is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut. It improves employment and income opportunities for creative professionals in six partner countries; Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Kenya, Senegal, and South Africa and operates mainly in the music, fashion, design and animation sectors. In addition to promoting the development of entrepreneurial, digital, creative and technical skills through training programmes, the project aims to strengthen the framework conditions and the ecosystem

ENDS

About the Durban FilmMart Institute:

Durban FilmMart Institute is a premier business hub for African film industry professionals and products. Its mission is to provide appropriate and effective programmes and services to promote, support and facilitate investment in the African film industries.

For more information on the Durban FilmMart Institute – the annual market and year round programmes, visit:

https://www.durbanfilmmart.co.za/

Film - Deliver Me - poetic meditation on the migration of a Malawian man for Encounters Film Fest

Deliver Me screening at Encounters Documentary Film Festival

Paper Cranes Collective and Ctrl Alt Shift are proud to announce that their first collaboration, Deliver Me, has been selected to screen at this year’s Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival where it will have its world premiere.  Directed by Jannous Aukema (Until The Silence Comes and The Jaguars Daughter), the film was conceived, filmed, and edited during South Africa’s LockDown level 4. Made for under R20,000 and a four-man crew, the project is a unique take on the documentary storytelling format.  

“We are honoured and very pleased to have our project Deliver Me, screen at such a prestigious festival such as Encounters, a festival that plays such a key role not only in the continental festival calendar but also for documentaries in our local industry,” said Mitchell Harper, Ctrl Alt Shift producer of the film. “The film’s collaborative nature, along with its unusual approach to story-telling and financing will hopefully readjust many to how we approach not only filmmaking but help shift our understanding of what trials many go through in a bid to survive everyday life.” 

Co-produced by companies in Durban and Cape Town, Deliver Me is a 25-minute film, a poetic meditation on the migration of a Malawian man, who has come to South Africa to find a future for himself and his family. We follow Paul Mwasi through the evening streets, restaurants, and suburbs he navigates as an Uber delivery bike rider, during the coronavirus hard lockdown in Cape Town, South Africa. We come to see that he is a man driven by love for his family, whom he remains in contact with through his cellphone, his digital lifeline to those he has left behind. His work and the conditions he toils in are solitary. In many ways, Paulʼs journey as witnessed in the film is a signifier not only of the struggles of isolation in an unknown place but more generally of the lonesome months of a world pandemic.  

The film will be available to view free at Encounters on their digital platform from 10-20 June, and is available on the African continent throughout the festival period as part of their 24/7 section. 

To find out how to watch Deliver Me, go  to Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival, https://encounters.co.za/film/deliver-me/

You can see the teaser of the film through this link: https://vimeo.com/558692412

-ends