Vanessa Obioha
In preparation for the 17th edition of the Durban FilmMart, Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) has opened the call for animation projects in development. In a statement, the institute said that approximately eight official projects will be invited to participate in the Durban FilmMart (DFM) Pitch and Finance Forum where project representatives will have the opportunity to pitch to a panel of film professionals consisting of potential co-producers, broadcasters, film funds, and distributors who will be gathering in Durban, South Africa from 17-20 July 2026.
“Partnerships with and for animation on the continent are imperative to move animation forward,” says Magdalene Reddy, Director of the DFMI. “DFM has fully integrated animation in its programming so that producers can form the necessary collaborations needed to grow the content from Africa. The platform presented by the DFM aims to focus the animation community on the business of making films thereby strengthening the position of animators in the international market.”
As the continent’s leading coproduction and film finance market, DFM has, in the past four years, successfully presented 31 animation projects from 11 African countries to the film professionals and investors at its annual market.
For the upcoming edition, animators with projects in development from across the continent and the diaspora are invited to apply; at least one of the three key creatives (producer, writer, director) should be from Africa or African in the Diaspora (with an African passport). The Pitch and Finance Forum is open to both series and feature-length projects. Applications will close on October 31, 2025.
Successful project participants will be invited to participate in a comprehensive mentorship programme to prepare them for their live pitch and meetings at DFM 2026. The online mentorship programme scheduled for January and February 2026 will include a series of masterclasses with leading African and global industry experts. To present their project at the 17th DFM, one representative from each of the selected projects will be provided with travel and accommodation to attend the live Pitch and Finance Forum in July 2026, in Durban, South Africa.
Leave a comment