The Durban FilmMart is returning for its 17th edition from October 9 to 12, continuing its status as one of Africa’s most influential cinematic markets. Under the theme “Shifting Worlds, Turning Toward Ourselves,” this year’s festival seeks to empower the African screen industry to develop self-reliant systems amid global disruptions.
Magdalene Reddy, director of the Durban FilmMart Institute, cited the Senegalese pioneer Ousmane Sembène when explaining the curatorial direction: “Why be a sunflower and turn towards the sun? I myself am the sun.” Reddy emphasized that the current climate requires African cinema communities to consolidate and design frameworks that serve their specific needs.
In a structural shift from previous years, the market will not run parallel to the Durban International Film Festival. Instead, it will launch with a screening of “Ben’Imana,” the Cannes Caméra d’Or-winning debut by Rwandan director Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo. The film, which also secured the FIPRESCI prize, was originally developed through the DFM pitching forum two years prior. Reddy noted that showcasing local content in a local context was a primary motivation for the new opening format.
A central component of the event is the Think Tank strand, described by Reddy as a blueprint for industry direction. This year features closed-door sessions addressing critical challenges in film distribution and audience development. Attendees will also examine equitable co-production models, collaborating with the European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs network (EAVE) to tackle systemic imbalances that often disadvantage African producers in international partnerships.
“How can they go in as an equal partner? How can they sit confidently at the table, so they are engaging in a way that will benefit them? Engaging in a way where finances can still come back to Africa?” Reddy asked regarding the focus on financial equity.
Collaboration remains a foundational pillar, with DFM partnering with organizations including the Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers (NEWF), the Cape Town International Animation Festival (CTIAF), Documentary Africa, The StoryBoard Collective, and the Ladima Foundation. The latter will launch a new initiative aimed at improving gender equity across African film festivals.
The event also addresses the turbulent landscape for South Africa’s screen sector, particularly regarding uncertainty surrounding the country’s 25% cash rebate. Policymakers from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, the National Film and Video Foundation, and various film commissions will hold closed sessions with local industry representatives. Reddy described the market as a vital bridge between creators and government officials to foster a supportive ecosystem.
Reflecting on the market’s broader continental mandate, Reddy recalled last year’s theme of “creating bridges,” noting that DFM continues to find ways to connect stakeholders despite the inherent challenges of intra-African collaboration.
Financial equity in co-productions is crucial. Too often African stories fund themselves while profits leave the continent.
I hope these closed-door sessions produce tangible policy changes, not just pleasant conversations among elites.
Exciting that Ben’Imana originates from the pitch forum. This proves the system works when it supports local talent.
Is the 25% cash rebate actually secure? That uncertainty is keeping so many local productions on pause.
Finally, African cinema stops chasing Western validation. It’s about time we became the sun.