Durban FilmMart Daily Newspapers Day 2 by Film & Event Media

at the Durban Internationa

l Film Festival 2018

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

JULY 2018

FESTIVAL & MARKET DAILIES DURBAN FILMMA RT – DAILY 2

CELEBRATING

TRANSFORMATION 09h00 - 10h00

Department of Trade and Industry Film Incentives Guidelines Launch (Foreign and CoProduction) Suite 5

n an emotive panel discussion at the Durban FilmMart, six female film experts shared their experiences working in a male-dominated sector. All have faced obstacles on their journeys to success; some were structural and others were personal. The following are key learnings from the session. • As a producer, make it your mandate to work with a crew that is mainly female. Trust in each other and work together to transform the sector. • Have the patience and stamina to see the development phase of your project through to completion. • Take the initiative and apply for funds from specially-created funding opportunities. The majority of applicants for film funding are male. • South African children are unaware that local films exist. More must be done to expose the youth to African cinema. (The Girls Go To Cinema is one such initiative. In partnership with

09h00 - 10h00

National Film and Video Foundation: Sparks Masterclass Suite 3

10h00 - 12h00

•

the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, 1000 girls per day over 10 days were able to watch a film and experience animation training.) Change occurs in the film industry when people do not see representations of themselves on the screen. We must write our stories and work outside of the traditional structure to make sure our stories are told. When negotiating film deals, women can be made to feel that their inherent qualities of ambition, forthrightness and taking a hard-line approach are seen as negative. They are not. Female-led production teams are making great strides in changing the behaviour and mindsets of the “old boys club”. Research shows that it makes economic sense to have women and people of colour on your production. These films do better financially than all-male, all-white productions.

Secrets of TV Serial Stories & How Filmmakers Can Evolve into TV Storytellers with Peter Russell Suite 5

12h00 - 13h00

National Film and Video Foundation Talks Copyright Amendment Bill and Launches a Gender Matters Study Suite 3

14h00 - 15h00

Distribution: Debunking the Myths - Understanding the Exploitation Value Chain: Panel Discussion Suite 5

14h00 - 15h00

The Medium is the Message: Panel Discussion Suite 3

15h00 - 16h00

Taking Local Stories Global Documentary Panel Discussion Suite 4

16h00 -17h00

Documentary Round Tables with Industry Professionals Suite 5

15h00-17h00

Talents Durban Story Junction Pitch Suite 4

09h00-17h00 – DFM Official Projects Finance Forum Meetings

REGISTRATION: 08H30 - 17H30 DAILY

| Suite 2

DFM Programme Sunday, 22 July

DFM

DURBAN

FILM MART

w w w. e a s t e r n c a p e fi l m . c o m

MFD

THE 9

DURBAN FILMMART 2018

GREAT STRIDES TOWARDS

MEANINGFUL TRANSFORMATION

he IDC and the NFVF jointly signed the MOU for the Emerging Black Filmmakers Transformation Fund during the Media and Audio Visual (MAV) Networking lunch at the Maharani hotel yesterday. The IDC gave filmmakers the chance to share their IDC-funding success stories with the audience. These testimonials came from Thabo Molefe, Stephina Zwane, Salamina Mosese, Mayenzeke Baza and Pascal Schmitz, who all urged prospective applicants to be clear, forthright and committed to seeing their projects succeed. They also urged applicants to learn from their mistakes and take advantage of the plethora of experience within the IDC team. Maijang Mpherwane, Head: Media and Motion Pictures at the IDC summed up the spirit of the event succinctly: “The IDC is open for business and we are here to serve the industry. Our team is skilled and passionate about what they do. We want to see industry players owning private

jets! And we are available 24/7 to help you attain those heights. But the onus is on you – if you want to access funding from the IDC, your business case must make sense. We don’t do grant funding – the projects that you bring to us must be economically viable. And we are genreagnostic! “Meaningful transformation is our chief interest. And with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for the Emerging Black Filmmakers Transformation Fund (EBFTF), we are renewing our commitment to transformation. We are looking for truly emerging, young, black filmmakers who want to succeed in this industry.”

WE ARE LOOKING FOR TRULY EMERGING, YOUNG, BLACK FILMMAKERS WHO WANT TO SUCCEED IN THIS INDUSTRY.

Maijang Mpherwane © Enhlecreatives Photography

BHAI’S CAFE

WHERE EVERYONE’S PART OF THE FAMILY

hai’s Cafe is a labour of love for debutante film producer Razia Rawoot and her producer / actor husband Mehboob Bawa. Their maiden film project has recently gone into post production with Maynard Kraak (Vrou Soek Boer, Finders Keepers) holding the directorial reins. Rawoot explains, “the film tells the story of the Patel Family who own a corner cafe in Wynberg. The family comprises Chagan who opened the shop in the 1970’s and his son Magan who now runs it. He and his wife Mary have three children, Arvind, Rashmi and Kabir. Into their life comes Lionel Amanzi, a former Robben Island

exile, who has amassed some wealth in America and returns to Cape Town with his university graduate son, Patrick. Together they are buying property in various Cape Town suburbs to build high-rise apartment complexes. The community in Wynberg, where the cafe is situated, contemplate the offer as times are tough and the money is good. But Magan refuses to sell and becomes a thorn in their side. To “smoke” him out, Lionel decides to start construction and make life difficult for the Patel family and their customers. “Gentrification is a serious issue facing communities in Cape Town, other parts of the country and the world. So we’ve taken this as the core of the film and infused it with really interesting characters who are actually composites of people we know in real life”. Bawa takes up the story, “we’ve introduced a romantic sub plot with a Bollywood-inspired touch leading to heartbreak, emotion and drama. There are Bollywood-styled song sequences with music composed by Rajive Mohan from Durban, arguably one of South Africa’s top musicians. The lyrics were written by Jamal Mukaddam and Yusuf Bassa. Ultimately it’s a feel-good film, so everything is resolved in the end. But

the journey for the characters and the audience is an exciting one filled with lots of humour as well”. The film started life as an idea for a sitcom which the producers still intend to pursue post the release of the film. Director Kraak, with a wealth of experience on the popular television series Generations, as well as films including Knysna, Sonskyn Beperk and the recently completed political thriller, Last Victims, motivated Rawoot and Bawa to pursue the idea of turning their sitcom concept into a feature film. “That was three years ago”, continues Rawoot, “since then it’s been a challenging but amazing experience putting the production together. Maynard introduced us to fantastic writers, Aaron Naidoo and Darron Meyer, who worked on the screenplay separately and delivered, based on our original story, what we feel is a really wonderful script”. Bawa continues, “I get very emotional when I speak about this film. I’m a movie buff and have always wanted to be in this industry. My late, paternal grandfather, Ebrahim Ahmed Bawa, named me Mehboob after the Indian film director, Mehboob Khan. He was the first director from India to have a film nominated in the Best Foreign Film category at the

Oscars. The film was Mother India. It’s no coincidence that I’ve ended up working in entertainment. We’ve faced many challenges in producing this film, but we’ve received blessings in various forms from many quarters. To everyone who is playing a role in ensuring that our film gets made, we are truly indebted to them. I pay a huge tribute to my wife, Razia, who is producing her first film. She has taken on a huge responsibility and with the assistance of Maynard, has lived up to expectations and is doing a fantastic job”. There is a huge focus on women empowerment on this production. It’s a credit to Rawoot that, both in cast and crew, there is a large female contingent across the board, apart from the skills development of young filmmakers. The choreographer, Ahneesh Valodia, is wheelchair bound, but with his talented dance troupe Taare, comprised mainly of female dancers, he has created wonderfully energizing Bollywood dance sequences. Bhai’s Café wrapped on the 7th May and is now in post production with a potential Valentine’s Day release in February 2019, before hitting global screens. It seems set to make audiences part of the family.

DURBAN FILMMART 2018

CO-PRODUCTION TREATIES - TREAT OR TRIFLE?

lively, informative panel discussion featuring some of the industry’s most knowledgeable players taught audience members about coproductions and the challenges that they involve. Expertly chaired by Bridget Pickering, the panel started with a discussion of each panellist’s background in the world of co-productions. Canadian producer Alfons Adetuyi was involved in negotiating South Africa’s first co-production treaty (1997), because he was involved with Molo Fish. On this project, a co-production was a necessity. South Africa’s Michael Auret has worked on both official and unofficial co-productions, as they allow for bigger films that can travel internationally. Todd Brown, of XYZ Films, made the distinction between official and unofficial co-productions clearer. “There’s multiple ways of talking about co-productions, and that word can mean radically

different things,” he said – reminding audience members that co-production treaties exist to compete with Hollywood, so any production with U.S. partners falls into the unofficial category. All of the panellists felt that the world was ready for co-produced, South African stories. Brown, who is wrapping up a project with the streaming giant, revealed that Netflix is actively looking for black-led African TV shows – just not police procedurals! It is not only a matter of targeting the local audiences and the African diaspora, but also looking towards the massive, emerging market of China. Despite myths around Asia’s racism, Chadwick Boseman recently won Entertainer of the Year there. “The story about black-led content not working has been a pervasive lie for decades,” said Brown. Five Fingers for Marseilles, which Brown was involved in, sold best in Japan – proving again

that Asian audiences are ready for diverse content. The conversation got even more interesting as the panellists recounted specific anecdotes. For instance, Auret reminded South African producers to retain both the country and the rest of Africa when selling to distributors – as the failure to do so can result in bigmoney deals falling through. One of his deals with M-Net collapsed due to his failure to retain rights to the continent. “[I had to] pay for a non-existent audience,” he bemoaned. Brown reiterated the importance of weighing up the pros and cons of all coproduction deals, citing Northern Ontario as a case study. While shooting in that region guarantees a large grant, he says the lack of experienced crews, cost of travel, and inconveniences related to the area’s remoteness can make it less appealing when considered holistically. “I shot a movie there,” exclaimed Adetuyi, speaking to the panel’s wealth

SEEN AND HEARD

All images © Enhlecreatives Photography

“RESEARCH SHOWS THAT HAVING WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOUR ON YOUR PRODUCTION TEAM RESULTS IN A MORE PROFITABLE FILM. IT MAKES FINANCIAL SENSE TO HAVE A DIVERSE TEAM!”

of knowledge and experience. Brown also discussed the challenges of blending international crews. Depending on where the crews come from, he said: “The shape of the workday can be different!” Auret believes this extends to producers and directors, and told an anecdote about working on a UKGermany-South Africa co-production. To his surprise, the UK producers distrusted the Germans, and the Germans were endlessly irritated by what they perceived as inefficiency on the part of the British! French producers, said Auret, are influenced by the notion of the “auteur” and work in ways entirely unlike those of their international counterparts. At the end of the day, a major reason to enter a co-production is the extra financing, and the way the funding can be “stacked” to great effect. Any questions about how to pull that off should be directed to these industry giants!

DURBAN FILMMART 2018

MARKETING AND BRANDING YOUR FILM

he NFVF hosted an animated panel discussion offering practical tips on the marketing and branding of feature films. The panel was chaired by Jana Erasmus, of Indigenous Films. Her panellists were Dr Rebekah Smith, of The Film Festival Doctor, Zahira Kharsany of Gorilla Creative Media, and Xolisa Dyeshana of Joe Public. Despite the fact that the panellists came from a range of sectors and industries, they all agreed on certain key strategies to market film. Firstly, they believe it vital to target the correct audience – and to tailor the content released specifically for each audience. According to Kharsany, once you know your audience, they can be taken on a journey. Moreover, there is nothing wrong with changing the marketing material depending on the region or audience sector being targeted. The key is to have marketing content that

resonates with the audience – even if you, personally, don’t think it’s the prettiest or the best. Dyeshana said that if that requires you to “kill your darlings”, then that’s what you must do. Given the importance of audience engagement, the panellists believe the marketing and distribution process must start in the development phase, rather than after the film is made. There needs to be a clear strategy and clear budget in place. Erasmus urged filmmakers to approach professionals early on in the process. “A film brief is an exciting brief,” said Dyeshana, reiterating that agencies love working with other creatives and building ground-breaking campaigns together. Smith and Kharsany gave practical advice for marketing material. In order to get accepted to film festivals, Smith urged getting a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) and a Blu-ray disc. It is also vital get high-

quality stills – Smith believes it necessary to use a still professional photographer involved and not to rely on screenshots – and to convert those stills into good poster art. It will also be necessary to put together a well-presented press kit, which needs to mostly feature visuals from the film. Smith added that a lot of foreign films are also going to need a .srt file, so that the festivals approached can translate it. A high-quality trailer is vital, and Smith urged filmmakers to keep budgets available for printing material when at the festival. Kharsany added that it’s vital to create microcontent and key art to disseminate across the digital space. Erasmus asked Kharsany whether social media engagement translates to financial returns. “Social is one of those few platforms where you can’t get exact ROIs,” replied the digital expert. However, social media can make people more aware about your film and that will get the

material in front of audiences. It is vital to get people interested, and getting content to trend organically long before the movie is released. Dyeshana added that social media content should be adapted for every platform. One of the mistakes he used to make was to simply repost traditional above-the-line campaign online, and he believes that for genuine engagement, each digital platform should be treated individually. The panellists also urged filmmakers to consider creative, unusual campaigns, that include activations and publicity stunts. Marketing requires innovation, and the more innovative a solution, the more people would be engaged. “Keep it short, keep it simple,” was the motto reiterated to close the panel. That is the motto of a good marketing campaign – simple, straightforward content that resonates deeply with the target audience!

INWARD FILM INVESTMENT MISSION TO SOUTH AFRICA A

n international delegation of 17 companies has embarked on a national tour of South Africa’s leading location centres. This mission has been organised by the Department of Trade and Industry’s InvestSA initiative and comprises of 20 prominent producers and directors from Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The delegation will participate on business to business meetings in Cape Town, onto the 39 th Durban International Film Festival, before finishing in Johannesburg. Partners in this inbound mission, include the National Film and Video Foundation, KZN Film Commission, Durban FilmMart, the Gauteng Film Commission and the South African consulate in Toronto. Yunus Hoosen Acting Head of InvestSA at the dti says “Invest SA’s mandate is to attract foreign direct investment into South Africa to stimulate the growth of the economy

and job creation. The film industry has been highlighted as one of our growth sectors, where InvestSA has supported South African producers in efforts of attracting partnerships abroad. This inward mission builds on the work undertaken with other government stakeholders and has been coordinated to assist in bringing television series and film projects to be made in South Africa. This will allow local content creators and servicing companies the opportunity of partnering with international producers from Canada, Germany, UK, Netherlands and the USA and further support the dti in its objectives of attracting foreign direct investment and stimulating job creation. The mission will give the delegation of international producers the opportunity of seeing first hand SA’s world class facilities and locations and allow them to interact with South African talent and world class crews, many of which have already worked on international feature films and television series”.

CONTACT US INVEST SA’S MANDATE IS TO ATTRACT FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT INTO SOUTH AFRICA TO STIMULATE THE GROWTH OF THE ECONOMY AND JOB CREATION. THE FILM INDUSTRY HAS BEEN HIGHLIGHTED AS ONE OF OUR GROWTH SECTORS.

Tel: +27 21 023 0917 Email: investsa@thedti.gov.za or TKwinana@thedti.gov.za

DURBAN FILMMART 2018

BRICS FILM FESTIVAL LINE UP T

he line up has been announced for the 2018 BRICS Film Festival taking place in the Playhouse, from 22 – 27 July as part of Durban’s citywide July focus on film. Each BRICS member state will have a day dedicated to showcase five of their best recent films – in whatever genre. The films will be free and open to the public and will be in the Playhouse Drama: Monday 23 July is South Africa; Tuesday 24 is Russia; Wednesday 25 is India; Thursday 26 is China and Friday 27 is Brazil. Two of the five films to be screened each day will be competition entries – with the best films of the festival, chosen by a panel from experts from each member country, and awarded at a closing event on Friday 27 July. South Africa’s selected films will be Deep End 13h00: Eubulus Timothy’s story of Sunita who defies her father, to become a competitive surfer: a coming of age, surf love story with Greg Kriek; Carishma Basday; Skulls of My People (15h00) a deeply affecting and important documentary about the 1904-1908 genocide in Namibia; The Whale Caller (16h45) based on a novel by Zakes Mda, an enchanting tale of isolation,

Krishka Stoffels

Chief Media Officer, Namibia Film Commission

e’re very excited to be here at DFM and liaise with possible partners. We’re really here to promote and popularise our new fund, the Nǃxau ǂToma Film Fund. It’s an effort of the Namibia Film Commission to have Namibian filmmakers collaborate with other African filmmakers on the continent and in the diaspora. The fund is a maximum of R1 million and we’re very excited to publicise it here!

WE’RE REALLY HERE TO PROMOTE AND POPULARISE OUR NEW FUND.

infatuation and human connection; Beyond the River (competition entry: 18h15) the moving true story of Piers Cruickshanks and Siseko Ntondini’s journey to Gold in the 2014 Dusi Canoe Marathon; Five Fingers for Marseilles (competition entry: 20h00) a disgraced former hero returns to establish a quiet life only to find a new threat. Tuesday 24: Russia Day with a quirky line up of interesting films: Thawed Carp (13h00); a darkly humourous Russian comedy in-which an old woman makes preparations for her own funeral following a fatal diagnosis; The Crew (15h00) a young pilot receives a distress call from a volcanic island and takes a decision to fly a dangerous rescue mission; Arrythmia (17h15) a devoted paramedic slowly descends into a self-destructive cycle that puts his marriage and his patients on the line; How Viktor “the Garlic” Took Alexey “the Stud” to the Nursing Home (competition entry: 18h30) a fast-paced and unconventional roadtrip movie about a former orphan reconnecting with his estranged ex-con father and their journey across rural Russia and The Age of Pioneers (competition entry: 20h15) a Russian

Timothy Owase

Ag. CEO, Kenya Film Commission

FM is critical to us because we are looking at possibilities of collaborations with other African states - and what a better way to do it than here? The NFVF has been our key partner in promoting the African space and we are looking at possibilities of Kenya being able to sign a co-production agreement with South Africa. There is no co-production treaty within the African states, so we are keen to cover that space and see to it that we are able to work in harmony and together as one African continent!

WORK IN HARMONY AND TOGETHER.

historical drama about the Cold Warera space-race and cosmonaut Alexey Leonov, the first human to perform a spacewalk. Wednesday 25 is a day dedicated to Indian films: Sinjar - based on true events - a British insurance agent recruits the help of an ex-Army ranger to help him rescue his sister from ISIS; Bahubali 2 – the Conclusion – a Fantasy action film; Bhayanakam - a Malayalam– language Indian film by Jayaraj; a World War II postman delivers money orders and letters from men in the battlefield, until one day… Newton (competition entry) a 2017 Indian comedy drama about a government clerk trying to run a free and fair election in a conflict area in central India; Village Rockstars (competition entry) a coming-of-age film by Rima Das, about a young village girl who wants to start her own rock band. (Final details and times TBC). Thursday 26 is China’s programme which features Big Fish & Begonia (11h00). A lush animated adventure based on ancient Chinese legends and tells the tale of a spiritual world that exists beneath the ocean floor; Hold Your Hands (13h10) chronicles a former soldier’s efforts to lift his family out of the hardships of rural poverty; Kung Fu Yoga (competition entry: 16h00) Jackie

Chan’s latest hit sees him playing a professor on a wild adventure chasing an ancient Indian treasure stolen by mercenaries; I Belonged to You (competition entry:18h30) three stories of love, loss and devotion intertwine in a romantic drama set against stunning Chinese cityscapes and green country sides. Friday 27 is the final festival day - Brazil Day which starts with Boy and the World (08h00) a multi-award winning animated feature, a visually captivating and inventive cautionary tale of the dangers of globalization; Two Irenes (09h40) a young girl discovers another girl named Irene living in her small town, and soon they uncover a wellkept secret; Elis (11h10) the turbulent and charismatic life and times of Elis Regina, one of Brazil’s greatest and best-loved singers of all time; Araby (competition entry:13h30) a teenage boy finds a sick factory worker’s memoir, transporting him into the story of the man’s travels across south-eastern Brazil in search of work over the last decade and Gabriel and the Mountain (competition entry: 15h30) which follows the true story of Brazilian backpacker Gabriel Buchmann’s travels through Africa before meeting his end on Mount Mulanje in Malawi.

Siyabonga Mngoma

Minenhle Luthuli NFVF Bursary Recipient

Communications Manager, Gauteng Film Commission

e’re looking forward to meeting people who are looking for opportunities in the Gauteng province, we’re looking for people who are looking for any information about Gauteng and shooting in Gauteng. We’ve got various locations, we facilitate the access to those locations, and we are very excited to be here! Come and visit our stand!

WE FACILITATE THE ACCESS TO THOSE LOCATIONS, AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE!

am a bursary beneficiary from the NFVF, and what I’m hoping is to engage more with other filmmakers and learn for the future, when I need to pitch - especially the Durban Talents, because that’s what I’m interested in. Networking with other filmmakers, see opportunities for internships and work when I’m done with school and have fun and learn... Learn, especially!

WHAT I’M HOPING IS TO ENGAGE MORE WITH OTHER FILMMAKERS AND LEARN FOR THE FUTURE.

DURBAN FILMMART 2018

SEEN ON SOCIAL #DFM2018

The Callsheet @TheCallsheetSA Don’t forget to pick up your copy of the @durbanfilmmart daily newspaper! Get in touch if you’d like to feature! #DFM2018 Uhcaitlin @Uhcaitlin1 There are many opportunities available for anyone in this industry. Stay grinding and get connected! #DIFF2018 ThatAdwoa @ThatAdwoa Been a very interesting day so far. The @durbanfilmmart sessions have exceeded expectations. Next session I’m looking forward to is the ‘Aesthetics of Africa Cinema’ panel. #DFM2018

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Goethe-Institut JHB | @goethejoburg Launching at #DIFF2018> How to unlock up to $2 billion of annual box office revenues in Africa: New study #FramingTheShot examines growth potential of the continent’s film industries. Monica Rorvik | @Moni_R

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@swift_safrica #WomenLedFilmFocus panel “Celebrating Transformation in the industry” @DIFFest @ durbanfilmmart @wesgro celebrates women in film great partners @InvestCapeTown @ nfvfsa @TalentsDurban @the_dti @EncountersDoc @WavescapeSA @film_fest @IDC

SOCIAL MEDIA @durbanfilmmart @durbanfilmmart @DIFFest @Durban.Filmmart.Africa @DurbanInternationalFilmFestival

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#DFM2018 | #DIFF2018

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