The Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) has announced the official projects for the Pitch and Finance Forum of the 2025 Durban FilmMart (DFM), Africa’s leading co-production and film finance market. Holding from July 18 to 21, 2025, the 16th edition of DFM, under the banner ‘Bridges Not Borders: Stories that Unite’, will host a dynamic four-day event in Durban, South Africa. This year, 31 compelling projects in development from 15 countries including Nigeria, will participate in the DFM Pitch and Finance Forum, a pivotal platform where filmmakers convene to network with global broadcasters, financiers, streamers, sales agents, festival programmers, and producers. This interaction is crucial for acquiring the necessary support to transition projects from development to production, ultimately bringing diverse African narratives to both regional and international audiences.
Director of the DFMI, Magdalene Reddy, commented on the selection of projects: “This year’s selection continues our proud tradition of championing authentic African narratives and voices from across the continent. The projects selected for DFM 2025 demonstrate exceptional storytelling that bridges cultures while remaining deeply rooted in their unique contexts. Given the remarkable success of our DFM alumni in recent years — with projects premiering at major international festivals and securing global distribution — I’m confident this cohort will follow a similar trajectory of recognition and impact. These stories not only connect different regions of Africa but also reach out to our diaspora and Global South communities, embodying our theme of building bridges through cinema.” The animated fiction features selected include, Aisha Qandicha, produced by Alyssa Harden and directed by Fatima Mahdar (Morocco), and the South Africa/Nigeria animation, Crocodile Dance, produced by Ingrid de Beer and directed by Shofela Coker and Nadia Darries. The selected documentary series include Planet Carnival as directed by Kurt Orderson (South Africa), and Retour à Thiaroye (Return To Thiaroye) as directed by
Emilien Abibou (Tunisia). Bupya (Renewed) produced by Nigeria’s Oge Obasi and directed by Dipo Abdul Osiyemi (Rwanda) and Corruption Is An English Word as directed by Zoe Ramushu (South Africa) are among the projects selected in fiction features category. Beyond the Pitch and Finance Forum, DFM 2025 offers an enriching Industry Programme featuring masterclasses, panel discussions, and roundtables with some of Africa’s foremost filmmaking professionals. More information about DFMI can be sourced at: https://durbanfilmmart.co.za/ and at: [email protected]
