Ten South African emerging filmmakers will have an opportunity to hone their pitching skills at this year’s Durban FilmMart (DFM) Jumpstart – a compact programme that essentially provides a springboard for filmmakers new to the industry, which takes place in Durban from July 14 to 17 during the Durban International Film Festival.
Supported by DFM partner, Produire au Sud of Festival des 3 Continents, in Nantes, France, the programme aims to introduce emerging filmmakers to the art of project pitching, and will also provide participants with a guide on how to maximize festivals and markets, and expose them to the workings of local and international industry.
This is also a way that they are provided with a professional introduction to the international co-production market,” explains Toni Monty, Head of the DFO. “Often for filmmakers, new to the scene, this is a very daunting task, and if they have never been exposed to how pitches are conducted would find it very intimidating doing so for the first time. So this programme provides a safe and engaging introduction for filmmakers to be exposed to the inner workings of the pitch.”
Jumpstart begins on July 13 with an introduction and overview. The next day, participants will take part in a workshop conducted by Stefano Tealdi, seasoned producer and director who also tutors film development and production at universities and master courses, and film pitching for organisations, such as Biennale Cinema College, Cannes Film Market, Festival des 3 Continents – Produire au Sud, Media Business School, Med Film Factory, Scuola Holden, TFL-Torino Film Lab, ZELIG Film School.
They will also participate in the edgy Restless Talent Pitch workshop and will be eligible to put their names forward for random selection to pitch their project at the Restless Talent Pitch at DFM. The workshop and pitch are hosted by Restless Talent Management, the first global management company to focus on African talent.
The candidates will have opportunities to discuss their projects with mentors, take part in a Virtual Reality workshop, attend a co-production workshop hosted by the NFVF and observe the Talents Durban Story Junction session – activities all aimed to further develop their pitching skills and confidence.
Interested filmmakers are invited to apply for this programme. Submissions are now open and will close at 5pm on June 16, 2017.
The programme is for emerging South Africa Filmmakers only. Applicants must submit their project synopsis and filmmaker profile.
To apply email [email protected] and use Jumpstart Application in the subject line.
For further information about the Durban FilmMart or to register go to www.durbanfilmmart.com.
