Talent Campus Durban Calls for Filmmakers and Film Critics

Superimposing an African imagination on filmmaking processes, the 5th Talent Campus Durban (20-24 July) will ignite the creativity of 40 selected filmmakers from Africa in a series of masterclasses, workshops and industry networking opportunities during the Durban International Film Festival.  Talent Campus Durban entices filmmakers to enhance skills, develop collaborations and interface with the dynamic future of the film industry in Africa, and the world.

The five-day programme also includes the 2nd edition of Doc Station, where selected documentary projects submitted by accepted talents will be finessed and packaged for presentation within the DOC Circle at the 3rd Durban FilmMart. Two Doc Station projects won PUMA.Mobility and PUMA.Creative prizes adjudicated by Channel 4 BRITDOC at last year’s Durban FilmMart.

A new addition this year is Talent Press, a mentoring programme for African film critics in collaboration with FIPRESCI and Goethe Institut.  Talent Press will publish reviews and reports on the Talent Campus Durban and the festival films and events in general.

Held in co-operation with the Berlinale Talent Campus, and with support from the German Embassy of South Africa, Goethe Institut of South Africa, and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism. Talent Campus Durban runs from 20 to 24 July. Apart from the main event in Berlin, Talent Campus partnerships also take place at selected festivals in Buenos Aires, Guadalajara, Tokyo and Sarajevo.   Opportunities for participating talents are enhanced through Talent Campus networks and the Berlinale’s global information platform.

Africa is a great source of stories, and an innovative new wave is emerging from the multiple contexts and challenges of Africa, to tell these stories. Under this year’s theme of Africa Superimposed, Talent Campus Durban will add new layers of inspiration, and skills, to give impetus to this process, and with the talents of this vibrant gathering of filmmakers representing countries and cultures from around the continent, it is hoped that Africa will impose an ever-stronger presence on the world of filmmaking.?Application is open to filmmakers and critics who are resident in Africa. Applicants are encouraged to apply well before the deadline of 15 March in order to submit their work samples timeously.

Visit www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or  www.berlinale-talentcampus.de for submission regulations.

The 33rd Durban International Film Festival takes place from 21 to 29 July.The DIFF is organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal) with principal funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund and support from the National Film and Video Foundation, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism, and the City of Durban. Durban FilmMart is a partnership project between the Durban Film Office and the Durban International Film Festival.

For DIFF and Talent Campus Queries contact +27 (0)31 260 1650 / 2506. Email both: Talent.Durban@gmail.com / talent@ukzn.ac.za. Website: www.cca.ukzn.ac.za. Twitter @DIFFest