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DFMI Call For Talent Durban 2025 Opens
The Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) has invited entries into the 18th edition of Talents Durban, a talent development programme in partnership with the Berlin International Film Festival. Taking place in July 2025 in Durban, South Africa, this year’s Talents Durban will run alongside the Durban FilmMart, Africa’s premier film finance and co-production market. A unique platform tailored to African film professionals, Talents Durban offers emerging talents an opportunity to network, gain expert mentorship, and explore new insights into the craft and business of filmmaking across the continent. Talents Durban invites African screenwriters and directors with fiction, documentary, animation, or hybrid projects in development to apply. The programme accepts submissions across various formats, including feature films, television series, web series, and mobile content. Additionally, Talents Press welcomes applications from emerging film critics and journalists eager to refine their skills and reimagine the landscape of film criticism. A panel of industry experts will select participants to join an immersive programme featuring mentorship labs, workshops, and discussions. These sessions will focus on key disciplines such as directing, scriptwriting, and film criticism, offering participants a comprehensive, hands-on experience. “With 17 years of Talents Durban shaping and inspiring African filmmakers, the Durban FilmMart Institute is pleased to see this programme grow,” says Magdalene Reddy, Director of the Durban FilmMart Institute. “Talent development is the cornerstone of a thriving film industry, and Talents Durban plays a critical role in empowering the next generation of African storytellers. This programme is a testament to the incredible diversity and transformative potential within African cinema.” This year’s edition combines an online and physical programme. Participants will engage in an eight-week online mentorship, culminating in a four-day in-person summit in Durban. Talents Durban is open to African citizens aged 18 or older by July 1, 2025. The submission window opens on December 10, 2024 and closes on February 9, 2025. More Information can be sourced at www.durbanfilmmart.com

MultiChoice Throws Up Three Multichoice Talent Factory Cohorts
THREE MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) academies across the African continent have graduated yet another talented group of film and TV professionals. The APO Group on behalf of Multichoice disclosed in a widely circulated media report that the cohort of young graduates joins hundreds of recent MTF alumni making a massive impact on the industry.  MultiChoice Africa, CEO Fhulu Badugela, highlighted the effect that the MTF is having on the creative sector, as she congratulated the graduates on successfully completing their year-long courses. “MTF graduates are consistently winning awards at film festivals all over the continent,” said Badugela. “They are also snapped up to work in leading productions the minute they emerge from our academies, and many of them start their own businesses. It’s clear that MTF alumni are helping to shape the direction of our industry. Well done to them!” There are three MTF Academies in Africa, Zambia, Nigeria and Kenya. The MTF Programme offers fully funded 12-month immersion experience combining theory and hands-on training in all aspects of film production. Each year, 60 students from across Africa are selected to learn from top industry experts. MTF operates across three platforms: the MTF Portal, MTF Industry Masterclasses and the MTF Academies. The MTF programme forms educational partnerships with leading local universities – Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos, Kenyatta University in Nairobi, and the University of Zambia in Lusaka. In addition to the academic partnerships, the MTF academies have built relationships with international partners that provide training, course content and internship opportunities. These long-standing partners are the New York Film Academy (NYFA) and Indian satellite TV platform Zee Entertainment Africa which owns and operates Zee World. This year, MTF students and alumni made remarkable impact on the industry. One of the standout achievements is ‘Poached’ directed by alumnus Adeola Andrea Peregrino, this short film won first prize at the LEAP Africa USAID Film Contest, second prize at the IOM Film Contest, and was selected for the Africa International Film Festival. It was also a finalist at the Edo International Film Festival.

African Indigenous Language Film Festival Ends Today In Asaba
THE 2024 edition of the African Indigenous Language Film Festival (AILFF) opened in the expansive film village in Asaba, Delta State on Thursday. The festival will close on Saturday December 14, 2024. Held under the theme, Showcasing Africa’s Rich Cultural and Tourism Riches Through Filmmaking, the festival, according to the founder, Osezua Stephen-Imobhio, aims to highlight the significance of indigenous languages in film, promote cultural diversity, and support local filmmakers. Already, filmmakers, scholars, cultural advocates, and students from across Africa and beyond have converged on Asaba to foster vibrant dialogue on the influence of indigenous languages in filmmaking. Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Africa in Toru Orua, Bayelsa State, Prof. Barclays Ayakoroma, delivered the keynote at the opening ceremony while Head of the Mass Communication Department at Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Prof. Joyce Ogho Ogwezi, took her turn on Friday to speak on Cultural Politics in Pixel: The Interplay Between Social Media and Film Representation. Prof. Ogwezi interrogated the intricate dynamics between social media discussions and the representation of cultural narratives in film. The festival will close on Saturday with an award ceremony.