Produire au Sud partners with Durban FilmMart for story lab programme for 2020 Virtual Edition

Produire au Sud of the Festival des 3 Continents, Nantes for the 9th year has partnered with the Durban FilmMart (DFM), in Jumpstart, a story lab programme for African filmmakers in the virtual edition that takes place from 4 to 13 September 2020.

The DFM, Africa’s premier film industry event, has for 10 years built international partnerships in its endeavour to develop cinema on the African Continent. The Jumpstart incubator programme will introduce six South African filmmakers to project packaging for the international market. Three script development consultants will introduce them to important techniques and tools that can be used in scriptwriting and storytelling.

Participating filmmakers are:
Vusiafrica Sindane director of The Killing of A Beast (Johannesburg), produced by Naledi Bogacwi
Sibusiso Buthelezi director of Wrath (Durban/Newcastle), produced by Sibongile Nene
Deidre Jantjies producer of Carisa (Cape Town) directed by Devon Delmar
Camilla Pontiggia director of Missionaries (Durban), produced by Michael James
Dick d’vLz Reubïn director of Whoonga Jeezas (Johannesburg), produced by Layla Swart
Ayanda Halimana producer of One Day in June (Port Shepstone), directed by Reem Morsi.

These projects will be given the opportunity to receive individual insights by script consultants to refine their scripts. Consultants working with them are Mmabatho Kau, a South African script doctor, story consultant, and producer, who has two feature film projects and a drama series due to be released in 2021, and who has worked extensively with emerging filmmakers.

Jérémie Dubois from France, a screenwriter who has written a dozen short stories, two of which were selected at the Cannes Film Festival, four feature-length films as well as working with several programmes to support screenwriters. Guillaume Mainguet who heads up the international training workshop for Produire au Sud in Nantes with six programmes abroad.

As an extension of this partnership, the Produire au Sud workshop 2020 will select one of the 31 film projects from the DFM’s Finance and Pitching forum, providing the producer and director with the opportunity to attend the event in Nantes, along with the others selected international film projects.

‘Durban and Nantes are sister cities, so we welcome this developing partnership once again between our industry events,” says Guillaume Mainguet, of Produire au Sud. “The programme will provide a unique opportunity for individual and group consultations with our script mentors.”

This year’s partnership is supported by the Institut Francais of South Africa, which has been instrumental in finalising the programme and providing financial support for the key experts. The objective is to strengthen the links between France and South Africa in the film industry and create opportunities for professions in both countries.

Jumpstart is one of the many programmes offered to filmmakers during the DFM. The DFM includes 35 webinar sessions with 70 speakers offering interesting industry discussions around the making and distribution of films in Africa as well as extensive opportunities for filmmakers to network, collaborate, and pitch their ideas.

The Durban FilmMart 2020 is produced by the Durban FilmMart Institute with principal funding from the Durban Film Office and Ethekwini Municipality. The DFM 2020 virtual event is supported by the National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, Film and Publications Board, Gauteng Film Commission, IEFTA, Institut Francais – South Africa, Invest SA, Wesgro/Film Cape Town and Namibian Film Commission with the following programme partners – Berlinale Talent, Documentary Filmmakers Association, DOK.fest München, Dok Leipzig, FidaDoc, Hot Docs Blue Ice Fund, Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, Independent Producers Organisation, Miradas Doc, Netflix, Norwegian South Film Fund, Produire au Sud, Rotterdam, Cinemart, Realness Institute, San Francisco Black Film Festival, SASFED, SWIFT, TRT 12 Punto, Writers Guild of South Africa, University of Cape Town’s Screen Incubator programme.