Calling all filmmakers to participate in the African Co-Production Workshops MAP-TV, Nairobi, Kenya Zuma Film Festival, Abuja, Nigeria Harare, Zimbabwe
Sithengi Film and Television Market are looking for strong Southern African Feature Film projects, worthy of international financing to be entered into the 2006 African Co-Production Forum (ACF).
2006 marks the first year that Sithengi, the Southern African Film and Television Market introduces the African Co-Production Forum initiative in association with the Hubert Bals Fund (Netherlands) and Gotheborg Film Fund (Gotheborg). The aim of this initiative is to source exceptional feature film projects from 3 territories in Africa - West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa - to pitch at the Feature Film Co-Production Forum (FFCF) at Sithengi, South Africa, in 2006 and then at the co-production market, Cinemart, at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in the Netherlands in 2007.
Phase One
Co-production Workshops
Workshops will be held in each region to introduce interested filmmakers to the following criteria for packaging projects:
- What is a Market;
- What is a co-production forum;
- How to package your project;
- How to write a synopsis and treatment;
- How to draft a budget and finance plan;
- How to pitch and negotiate;
- What the International standard criteria for co-financing are;
- What international financing options are available for African filmmakers.
These workshops will be held at the following events / film festivals:
Map-TV, Nairobi (1- 3 March) - contact Charles Asiba for application details at [email protected]
Zuma Festival, Abuja Nigeria (13 - 15 March) - contact John Oluwagbemiga in Abuja on at [email protected] or Taiwo Taiwo in Lagos on [email protected] for application details at [email protected]
Harare, Zimbabwe (to be confirmed) - contact [email protected] for application details.
The Workshops have a limited number of seats and are open to all filmmakers from each particular region on a first come, first serve basis. Please contact the organisers from each event (email addresses above) to determine the submission requirements to participate in the workshop phase.
Phase Two
Co-Production Pitching Sessions
On submission of applications for feature film projects, which fulfil the criteria listed below, successful applicants will be given the opportunity to pitch their projects to a selection panel at the following film festivals/events:
Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), Zanzibar, (July)
ITPAN, Lagos Nigeria (July)
Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF), Zimbabwe (August)
A call for entries will be released in April 2006 with the details of who will receive the entries at each festival/event and how to apply.
The Criteria For Entry Into The 2006 African Co-Production Forum Pitching Sessions are:
Synopsis and treatment of the film
Production budget and projected finance plan
The project improves where key cast and Director are attached to the project or at least identified.
The project is further improved where there is some form of local distribution planned either through television or through other methods.
Entry Procedure:
Complete the application form (available from each event organiser mentioned above). This form must be signed and faxed to the regional festival office to which you are applying.
Email the following to the regional festival office to which you are applying:
- 1 page synopsis
- 3 page treatment
- 1-page finance plan
- 1-page budget top sheet
- Any letters of intent/commitment from financiers, distributors, broadcasters etc...
- 1/2-page biography of the producer
- 1/2-page page biography of the director and key cast
(Total number of pages of application: 7 (excluding application form and letters of intent/commitment))
NOTE:
The lengths of the above application material must be strictly adhered to. Any incomplete applications or application material that is longer than required will be disqualified and no correspondence will be entered into.
A panel at each festival, including a Sithengi representative, will select the best project/s to then attend Sithengi in November 2006. The successful producer/s will be flown to and accommodated in South Africa for the length of the market. It is here that they will compete with the successful producers from each participating African region. The best project pitched at Sithengi from Africa will be flown to and accommodated in Rotterdam at the 2007 Rotterdam International Film Festival and Cinemart Co-Production Market, where they will be given the opportunity to meet with participating international sales agents, producers and financiers in a series of one-on-one meetings.
We look forward to receiving your applications!
For further information, log-on to sithengi.co.za or
Contact: Yolandi Michaels
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 27 21 430 8303
Posted on Friday 24 Feb 2006
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