Four Nigerian Filmmakers Make DFMI Alumni Business Lab Participants List
After a record number of applications from across the continent and the diaspora, the Durban FilmMart Institute has announced participants for the 4th edition of the DFMI Business Lab. 30 filmmakers from 13 African countries including, four Nigerian filmmakers Chidinma Garuba, Chinaka Iwunze, Nelson Ikeh and Chioma Paul-Dike (Nigeria) have been invited to participate in the yearly lab, which forms part of the DFMI year-round programme. The DFMI Business Lab is a 14-week online business skills development programme, aimed at nurturing and empowering producers with the necessary skills to effectively engage in a global market. The lab will focus on modules such as financial management, fundraising, co-production, Business management, IP & Entertainment Law and PR & Distribution. The other participants are Angela Mukajanga (Tanzania), Armel Mboumba (Republic of the Congo), Audrey Tanya (Kenya), Chidinma Garuba (Nigeria), Chinaka Iwunze (Nigeria), Chioma Paul-Dike (Nigeria), Eden Getachew (Ethiopia), Esther Beukes (Namibia), Giresse Kassonga (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Hilda Awori (Uganda), Isabelle Rorke (South Africa), Kaya Kuhn (South Africa), Keitumetse Kasonkola (South Africa), Kristina Obame (Gabon), Lilian Sundqvist (Tanzania), Mariam Khodeir (Egypt), Melissa Babil Lemos (Mozambique), Michel Doss (Egypt), Myolisi Lidudumalingani Sikupela (South Africa), Nahusenay Dereje (Ethiopia), Nelson Ikeh (Nigeria), Noella Luka (Kenya), Nondumiso Masache (South Africa), Pamela Keryeko (Uganda), Phumi Morare(South Africa), Priscilla Marealle (Tanzania), Sacha Stokes (South Africa), Shveta Naidoo (South Africa), Tammy Nicol (South Africa), Tricia L. Sello (Botswana). The programme is presented in partnership with DW Akademie and supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The online programme commenced in mid-September 2024 and will run until January 2025.

Berlinale Appoints Tobias Pausinger as New Programme Manager of Berlinale Talents
BERLINALE Talents, the training part of the yearly Berlin International Fim Festival, has a new manager. Effective October 1, Tobias Pausinger will take over the programme management of Berlinale Talents, completing the dual leadership team of the talent development initiative alongside Project Manager Nikola Joetze. Tobias Pausinger takes over the position of Programme Manager from Florian Weghorn, who was appointed Chief of Staff in July 2024. Tobias, a seasoned creative executive, has made a distinct career in a variety of capacities within the international film industry, including creative development and producing, licensing, acquisitions and international sales, public policy, academia, film funding and festivals. A Berlinale Talents alumnus himself, Tobias Pausinger was trained in international film production and financing and holds an MBA from the TU Munich. Tobias has been instrumental for many years in acquiring multi-award-winning films for international sales during his time at Bavaria Film International and The Match Factory. In addition to this, he has continuously provided guidance to film festivals and industry initiatives on content development and strategy. Tobias also co-founded the Art: Film initiative to foster artistic cinema and visual arts. Further, during his time at the BKM, Tobias represented Germany on the Board of Management at Eurimages. He has also been a member of the European Film Academy since 2014.

The Director of Berlinale Pro* Tanja Meissner extends a warm welcome to Tobias as he joins the festival team: “We are thrilled to welcome Tobias to the Berlinale Pro* team! With 20 years of experience across diverse roles, Tobias has built a reputation for driving high-level creative projects, demonstrating strong commitment to nurturing artistic cinema and dedication to fostering talent. We are excited to tap into his great wealth of knowledge and extensive network within the international film industry to provide strategic direction in programme development as we continue to expand Berlinale Talents.” The in-coming manager remarked that as a proud Talents alumnus, he has closely followed and admired the programme’s evolution of the Berlinale over the past twenty years.’’ I am truly impressed by the incredible and inspiring hub that Florian Weghorn, Nikola Joetze, Christine Tröstrum, and their dedicated team have created. In today’s politically turbulent world and within our rapidly changing industry, it is more important than ever for creatives to have a brave and safe space where they can develop their ideas, network, enhance their skills, and inspire one another. I am both humbled and thrilled to join this remarkable team and to collaboratively advance the programme further,” Tobias said.  Over 3,800 film professionals from all over the world and 14 film disciplines submitted applications for the next edition of Berlinale Talents (February 15-20, 2025). The selected participants will be notified in mid-December and announced publicly in January. More information on Berlinale Talents can be found at www.berlinale-talents.de.

Bayesa International Film Festival Set To Hold
OCTOBER 16 to 19 have been announced as dates for the 2024 edition of the Bayelsa International Film Festival. This edition, the third, will hold in Yenegoa, capital of Bayelsa State in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. The festival has from inception, served as a platform for international and local filmmakers to converge, network, and watch the best of films submitted for the festival. This year, the festival organisers hinted that the festival received over 6,000 entries from 126 countries. Like previous edition, this edition will feature film screening, workshops, roundtable discussions and master classes. Additional information on the festival can be sourced at www.bayiff.com.