DISCOP Zanzibar: It’s Time For Africa

Organizers of the DISCOP markets have announced some of the highlights of their upcoming Zanzibar event slated to take place from 11 to 13 July, at the brand new and 100% green VERDE HOTEL, champion of sustainable development and located 2 kilometers from Stone Town.

With two weeks left before the opening, 235+ delegates are already pre-rgistered for this new ‘micro-market’ including 75+ acquisition and programming executives representing 63 new and upcoming broadcasters and pay-tv operators servicing Eastern Africa like the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (Rwanda), Zanzibar Broadcaster Corporation (Tanzania), NTA (Nigeria), GBC, NET2 TELEVISION and IFN TV (Ghana), Swazi TV (Swaziland), STV SPECTRUM (Cameroon), MUVI TELEVISION (Zambia), DEEN TV (South Africa), LUNTHA TV (Malawi), DRTV (Congo Brazzaville) as well as more established companies from the region such as AZAM TV, ITV, CITIZEN TV, FAMILY TV, KTN, NBS TV.

Streaming platforms with a strong focus on the African marketplace such as IFLIX, SHOWMAX, IROKO and ARCADIA MOBILE will also be attending the 3-day market.

120+ independent film, television, digital and video gaming content producers and distributors will also be present at DISCOP Zanzibar to run parallel to the well established Zanzibar International Film Market.

These young creators and entrepreneurs will be invited to take part in the ‘Next Gen’ knowledge-transfer, development and pitching program. This sidebar program running alongside the market and open to all participants, will address strategic issues regarding the development of a sustainable audivoisual ecosystem meeting the demands and means of Africa, the world’s fastest growing entertainment and media marketplace.

As part of this program, The Africa Channel (TAC), will present ‘It’s Time For Africa | Creating & Producing for a Global Market’, a discussion to be moderated by Brendan GABRIEL, VP Production & Creative Development (TAC) with a special focus on practical tips tailored for producers who want to sell their content globally.

The ‘Next Gen’ program will feature three distinct program tracks respectively focusing on regional coproduction opportunites, the growing importance of video gaming content and the strategic value of original music to better accompany video entertainment content across the world.

Additionally, DISCOP Zanzibar will put the spotlight on Ethiopia with a special panel on The History and Future of Ethiopian Media; a journey through the last 30 years of broadcast media in Ethiopia. Experts look at state monopoly on broadcasting and the birth of new radio and TV stations, censorship of the media space, how the internet has changed access to information, the rise of new radio and TV stations and the type of content they are focusing on.  The discussion will be moderated by Salim Amin, Chairman of Camerapix with panellists including;

  • Zeresenay Berhane, Producer/Director & Co-founder, Kana TV
  • Begna Simesso, Director of Partnerships, Girl Effect Ethiopia
  • Tamara Dawit, Producer, Girl Effect Ethiopia

DISCOP Zanzibar has put a special focus on programs aimed at independent producers, and as part of this focus, the Africa Channel will present a not-to-be-missed panel; It’s Time for Africa – Creating & Producing for a Global Market. Moderated by Brendan Gabriel, VP Production & Creative Development, The Africa Channel, the discussion will focus on advice for producers who want to sell their content into a global market. Sharing their insihts will be experts including:

  • Narendra Reddy, EVP & GM, The Africa Channel
  • Biola Alaibi, CEO, Biola Alaibi Media
  • Katie Cates, Talent Agent, ICM

Women of Influence will also be in the spotlight at DISCOP Zanzibar with a panel discussion in partnership with the Ladima Foundation. The discussion will be an inspiring session on how to achieve influence and share it with the next generation. Panelists will include Nigeria’s Biola Alaibi and Bikiya Graham Douglas, Theresa Smith from STEPS in South Africa, Zanzibar filmmaker Farida Nyamachumbe, and others.

Other important panel discussions and workshops will feature topics such as *The African eSports and Animation Explosion *The Growing Global Recognition of African Music and its Impact on Film, Television, Gaming and Advertising *How to pitch your content as well as *Scriptwriting and Marketing your Script in East Africa just to name a few.

www.discop.com

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb