Mo Abudu appointed international advisory member of Durban FilmMart Institute

Nigeria’s Mo Abudu has been appointed a member of the international advisory committee of the Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI).

Abudu, who is CEO of the upscale EbonyLife Group, will join eight other members of the advisory committee as DFMI as stated in a statement to provide new insights, expertise and connection to the Durban FilmMart Institute.

Other members of the committee are founding partner, Alta Global Media Steven Adams (USA), CEO of Docubox Judy Kibanga (Kenya), Head of International Acquisition at XYZ films Todd Brown (Canada) and Head of Drama, Canal + International Cecile Gerardin (France). Also on the committee are the Director of Film for the Sub-Saharan African region, Netflix Tendeka Matatu (UK), Director and Founder of One Story Up Roger Ross Williams (USA), General Manager of Dox Box Jihan El-Tahri (Egypt) and Dana Sims (UK) of Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

In announcing the constitution of the committee, the Chairperson of the DFMI Board of Directors says Jacintha de Nobrega said: “We are privileged to have been afforded access to a diverse group of industry roleplayers, who are committed to taking African content to the global market, thereby, ensuring that DFMI remains a key entry point that connects our industry to the world.

She added, that in selecting the advisory panel, the DFMI purposely considered influential industry leaders that will support the DFMI in increasing its footprint in the global market. This is aligned with our overarching strategy and our mission to consolidate DFMI as the leading film market in Africa and the access point for African content, de Nobrega said.

Born Mosunmola Abudu, but popularly known as Mo Abudu, the media mogul and philanthropist has been described by Forbes as ‘Africa’s Most Successful Woman. She’s also rated as one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Global Television’ by The Hollywood Reporter. I

n 2014, she was honoured with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (Honouris Causa) from Babcock University. The University of Westminster awarded Abudu with an honorary doctorate degree in 2018 for her contributions to the broadcasting industry in Nigeria. The University of Westminster awarded Mo an honorary degree of Doctor of Arts in 2018. THE DFMI is involved in critical work facilitating the local and international investment and trade around African filmmaking.

The flagship event, the Durban FilmMart, has a rich heritage of uplifting promising professionals, providing the platform for networking and helping projects find the funding and distribution channels that they need to share their work. Themed ‘Changing the Narrative’, the Durban FilmMart is scheduled to hold between July 22 and 31.

Lathan’s On The Come Up Secures To Premiere At TIFF
The Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) will showcase director Sanaa Lathan’s directorial debut, On the Come Up, with a world premiere at the 47th edition of the Festival scheduled to begin on September 8, 2022, and holding for 11 days. 

On the Come Up is the story of Bri, a 16-year-old gifted rapper, who attempts to take the rap scene by storm to lift her family and do right so as to uphold the legacy of her father – a local hip hop legend whose career was cut short by gang violence. But when her first hit song goes viral for all the wrong reasons, she finds herself torn between the authenticity that got her this far and the false persona that the industry wants to impose upon her. Based on the NY Times #1 best-selling novel by Angie Thomas.

On the Come Up stars Jamila C. Gray, DaVine Joy Randolph, Lil Yachty, Mike Epps, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, and Justin Martin. The film is produced by George Tillman, Jr., Robert Teitel, Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen, Isaac Klausner, Angie Thomas and Timothy M. Bourne and executive produced by John Fischer.

AFRIFF 2022 Entries Open Till July 30
ENTRIES for the 2022 edition of the Nigerian domiciled Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), are open till July 30. Founder and festival director, Ms Chioma Ude, announced the call for its 11th Edition in November 2022.

According to Ude, general entries will be accepted until July 1, with a late entry deadline set for July 30. However, filmmakers are encouraged to submit entries early with the regular deadline as late entry submissions will be strictly accepted only via waiver code.

Festival selections include fiction and non-fiction films both domestic and international, features and shorts, impact-driven documentaries and Animation with an emphasis on films that have not been premiered on commercial screens. Also, only those films produced after January 1, 2021, are eligible for competition while no films produced before 2021 may be accepted in the programme if their story speaks to the programme theme. The 11th edition of AFRIFF will hold from November 6 to 12, 2022 at the Landmark Centre, Lagos.

AFRIFF is reputed as the ultimate gathering of original storytellers and audiences seeking new voices in Cinema and fresh filmmaking perspectives. It has over the years delivered a rich programme to foster invaluable exchanges of ideas, production connections, and business relationships.