Media Release
February 2010
FINALCALL/dfm

DATE FOR PROJECT SUBMISSIONS FOR DURBAN FILMMART EXTENDED

Plans for Durban’s inaugural FilmMart, jointly hosted by the Durban Film Office (DFO) and Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), go up a gear as the closing date for the submission of entries approaches.
“We are heartened by the submissions we are receiving from entrants throughout Africa,” says Toni Monty, acting CEO of the Durban Film Office. “In addition, we received significant interest from organisations and individual producers on our recent trip to the International Film Festival Rotterdam, where we launched the Durban FilmMart to the international community of producers and also established a partnership with the world-renowned Cinemart. The support for a well-structured forum giving the rest of the world access to African content and projects, is really encouraging.”
“We urge potential entrants to get their submissions in by the closing date of 29 March,” says Peter Rorvik, director of the Durban International Film Festival, “as the Durban FilmMart provides a perfect entry point for African film-makers to pitch film projects to leading financiers and network with international directors and producers.”
Projects with an African citizen attached to any one of the three creative roles of writer, director or producer are eligible to participate in the Durban FilmMart. These include fiction features, animation features and documentaries suitable for international co-production and distribution.

The Durban FilmMart is a joint project of the DFO and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) and will take place during the 31st Durban International Film Festival which runs from 22 July to 1 August. For more information on the Durban FilmMart and project submission visit www.durbanfilmoffice.com or contact Musonda Chimba at the DFO on +27 31 3114248 or by e-mail on chimbam@durban.gov.za

ends
PREPARED FOR: The Durban Film Office
FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

DFO - Joanne Hayes, Tumbleweed Communications
cell: +2783 627 7249 e-mail: weeds@iafrica.com

DIFF – Sharlene Versfeld, Sharlene Versfeld & Associates
Cell : +2783 326 3235 e-mail : Sharlene@Versfeld.co.za

NOTES :
The Durban Film Office (DFO) is the film-industry development
arm of the Ethekwini Municipality, mandated to position Durban as a world-class film production destination and facilitator for the development of the local film industry. The DFO drives activity and development in the sector in order to boost tourism, job creation and the development of core skills and SMME’s in the region. The organization is also actively seeking and creating opportunities for setting the benchmark as the leading authority in the field in South Africa.

The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) is a flagship project of the Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN). The CCA facilitates creative platforms and economic opportunities for artists and related industries, intercultural exchange and network development, training, audience development and strategic Pan-African and international cooperation in the cultural sectors. The CCA also produces three other major annual festivals - Time of the Writer, Jomba! Contemporary Dance Experience and Poetry Africa.

CALL FOR PROJECT SUBMISSIONS FOR INAUGURAL DURBAN FILMMART

"This first African co-production market has the potential to act as a key driver in raising the visibility of film content from Africa," says Toni Monty, acting CEO of the DFO. "We envisage that it will provide African film-makers with the opportunity to pitch film projects to leading financiers and meet and network with internationally reputed directors and producers in order to form alliances for future collaborations"

Projects with an African citizen attached to one of the three creative roles of writer, director or producer are eligible to participate in the inaugural Durban FilmMart. These include fiction features, animation features and documentaries suitable for international co-production and distribution

"We expect the FilmMart to be a place for film financiers to locate fundable African projects and encourage project collaboration between African film-makers from different African countries and through this forum redress the current scarcity of film production on this continent. In fact, it is hoped that the Durban FilmMart will become a valuable feeder stage for established co-production markets across the globe," says Peter Rorvik, director of the Centre for Creative Arts/DIFF.

The Durban FilmMart promises to be a further catalyst for growth in the region by becoming one of the key events of the South African and African film industry and a focal point to interface with global parties and stimulate interest and activity in the city and the province.

The Durban FilmMart will be a joint project of the DFO and the DIFF and will take place in July 2010 during the Durban Internatioanla Film Festival (22 July - 1 August 2010). For more information on the Durban FilmMart and project submissions visit the website on www.durbanfilmoffice.com or contact Musonda Chimba.

Musonda Chimba
Durban Film Office :  +27 31 3114248
E-mail:  chimbam@durban.gov.za

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES

DFO - Joanne Hayes, Tumbleweed Communications
Cell: + 27 83 627 7249    E-mail : weeds@iafrica.com

DIFF - Sharlene Versfeld, Sharlene Versfeld & Associates
Cell : + 27 83 326 3235    E-mail : Sharlene@Versfeld.co.za

NOTES

The Durban Film Office (DFO) is the film-industry development arm of the Ethekwini Municipality, mandated to position Durban as a world-class film production destination and facilitator for the development of the local film industry. The DFO drives activity and development in the sector in order to boost tourism, job creation and the development of core skills and SMME's in the region. The organization is also actively seeking and creating opportunities for setting the benchmark as the leading authority in the field in South Africa.

The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) is a flagship project of the Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN). The CCA facilitates creative platforms and economic opportunities for artists and related industries, intercultural exchange and network development, training, audience development and strategic Pan-African and international cooperation in the cultural sectors. The CCA also produces three other major annual festivals - Time of the Writer, Jomba! Contemporary Dance Experience and Poetry Africa