{"id":10325,"date":"2020-07-20T13:47:08","date_gmt":"2020-07-20T11:47:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=10325"},"modified":"2020-07-20T14:25:35","modified_gmt":"2020-07-20T12:25:35","slug":"creative-producer-indaba-announces-its-inaugural-selection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2020\/07\/20\/creative-producer-indaba-announces-its-inaugural-selection\/","title":{"rendered":"Creative Producer Indaba Announces Its Inaugural Selection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The urgent need for global black stories that center African perspectives could not be more timely as the world reckons with the Black Lives Matter movement. In order for these African diasporic stories to take their rightful place on the global stage there is a critical missing element \u2013 more skillful producers with access to international financing to birth these projects into reality to counterbalance the wealth of untold stories and creatives stemming from the continent. In response Realness Institute is launching its second programmatic offering, Creative Producer Indaba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This year-long professional producorial development programme was created in partnership with EAVE, International Film Festival Rotterdam\u2019s IFFR Pro and Sundance Institute. Through plenary sessions, masterclasses, case studies and one-on-one meetings with assigned mentors, the selected participants will address topics such as project development and planning, project financing, PR and marketing, company strategic planning, leadership and advocacy. \u201cThe media landscape of Africa is swiftly changing and the importance of local producers that have the training to catalyze the growth of their local markets is paramount,\u201d says Indaba African Group Leader and Realness Institute Co-Founder Mehret Mandefro. \u201cIndaba will make sure African talent is well-positioned to capitalize on the opportunities their markets present and insure that the media sector can become an engine for economic growth and development across Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first workshop will take place online from August 28 to September 11, 2020. \u201cIndaba is a game-changer for producers on the continent who are interested in building their skills in international co-productions and financing and playing a role as eco-system builders in their market,\u201d says Head of IFFR Pro Marit van den Elshout. IFFR Pro, hosts CineMart, the premiere co-production market in the world. \u201cWe are excited to work with the Realness Institute in partnership with EAVE and International Film Festival Rotterdam’s IFFR Pro to support emerging African producers. Our participation is a great opportunity to listen and work together with our partners to consider new business practices that have the potential to impact financing and co-production structures between Africa, Europe and North America,\u201d noted Matthew Takata, Senior Manager of the Sundance Institute International Feature Film Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike other professional film training programs,the selection criteria takes into account an individual\u2019s potential to have an impact on their local market. The partners purposefully sought producers who are crafting careers that aim to contribute to the revolution of independent cinema that is brewing in Africa. A key goal of Indaba is to support African producers who will help build financial instruments for co-production where they do not currently exist and forge new models of financing that help usher in a new wave of African cinema. The Initiative’s scope also includes producers from Europe and the US interested in co-producing in Africa to help facilitate connections that deepen the access African producers have to international capital and existing funders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The inaugural cohort of 17 participants is divided into two groups, those with projects and those who are focusing on career development. The 2020 participants with projects are producers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n