Durban FilmMart SA

Name

Durban FilmMart SA

Legal name

Durban FilmMart Institute

Website

https://durbanfilmmart.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film industry development and co-production market services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121), Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (512199)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

Development & Packaging (IP Sourcing, Script, Attachments) (MPADAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Live-Action International/Co-Production & Service Production (MPADABAG), Sales Agency Representation & Deal Structuring (MPADAAAK)

Keywords

• Film co-production market
• Film industry development
• Filmmaker training programmes
• African film financing
• Audiovisual pitch forum

Headquarters

HQ city

Durban

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Delegate Registration Fees: Non-African industry professionals pay registration fees to attend the annual Durban FilmMart market as delegates.
2. Institutional Grants and Partnerships: Funding from government bodies (Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Developments), film institutions (DW Akademie, Berlinale), and foundations for program delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DFMI operates Africa's leading film co-production and finance market, connecting African filmmakers with projects in development to international co-producers, sales agents, broadcasters, and film funds through an annual market event and year-round training, mentorship, and online programmes. The Filmmart.Africa online platform extends this into a year-round business hub for film professionals across the continent and diaspora.

Product overview

Durban FilmMart Institute operates a multi-component film industry development platform centered around its annual DFM market event. The portfolio includes the flagship DFM Pitch and Finance Forum for project financing, Talents Durban training programme, Jumpstart incubator, DFMI Business Lab for business skills development, DFM Access for emerging producers, Future Mentors programme, and Filmmart.Africa online hub. Supporting initiatives include the N.E.F.T.I. Competition and Animation@DFM programme. These interconnected programmes serve filmmakers at various career stages from emerging talent development through to market access and international co-production opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Filmmart.Africa: An online platform for film professionals to connect, present new projects, and access resources and support. It serves as the online premier business hub of the African film industries, providing a database of film professionals, project tracking, and industry resources.

Products and services

• DFM Pitch and Finance Forum Annual market event selecting 20-36 official African fiction, documentary, animation, and series projects in development to present to co-producers, sales agents, broadcasters and film funds. Features public pitching, one-on-one meetings with decision makers, and pre-event mentorship. For African production companies and producers seeking financing and co-production partners.
• Talents Durban Training and development programme for rising African film professionals with modules including Storytelling Lab, Doc Lab, Animation Lab, and Talent Press. Part of the Berlin International Film Festival's Berlinale Talents initiative.
• Jumpstart Incubator programme in partnership with Produire au Sud (Nantes), introducing emerging African filmmakers to project writing and packaging for the international market. Supported by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.
• Industry Programme Series of masterclasses, talks, and discussion forums by leading African and international filmmakers covering trends, policy, and challenges in the film industry. Includes DFM Conversations, Durban Does Docs Talks, SA In Focus, Animation@DFM, Coproduction Corner, and Talking Cents streams.
• DFMI Business Lab 18-week digital programme of workshops on financial management, business skills, entertainment law, IP, and distribution strategies for early to mid-career African filmmakers. Presented in partnership with DW Akademie.
• DFM Access 8-week online incubation programme for entry-level producers with existing long-form or episodic independent film projects. Includes one-on-one mentorship, industry expert talks, and project pitch opportunities.
• Future Mentors Capacity-building programme for seasoned African film professionals transitioning into mentorship roles. Includes a Programme Guide available in English, French, and Arabic, developed with DW Akademie and Berlinale Talents.
• Filmmart.Africa Online business hub and database for African film industry professionals and projects. Enables connection, resource sharing, project presentation, and collaboration, with funding opportunities, industry news, and year-round project tracking.
• N.E.F.T.I. Short Film Competition Short film competition celebrating the Art of Guerrilla Filmmaking for emerging African filmmakers. Challenge to create a 6-minute fiction short during DFM with professional equipment and $1,500 production budget support, with a $3,000 grand prize awarded by Panavision.
• Animation@DFM Comprehensive animation support programme including Pitch and Finance Forum projects, Masterclass Series, Talents Durban Animation Lab, and Industry Programme sessions focused on African animation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1000+ delegates attend annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Durban International Film Festival (DIFF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Filmmart.Africa and the Durban FilmMart Institute announced partnership with the 47th Durban International Film Festival (Southern Africa's oldest and most prestigious film festival). DIFF takes place 23 July to 2 August 2026, showcasing nearly 70 films.
• PanavisioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025NEFTi Short Film Competition proudly champions NEFTi's 'Art of Guerrilla Filmmaking,' supported by Panavision. Panavision provides world-class equipment support for emerging African filmmakers.
• DT Film ServicesminorOthers · 1 January 2025NEFTi competition includes sound equipment provided by DT Film Services for the production of short films during the competition.
• Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Talents Durban is an initiative of Berlin International Film Festival and is part of six international initiatives of Berlinale Talents. Founded in 2007 as a partnership between the Durban International Film Festival and Berlinale. Since 2019, Talents Durban has become a project of DFMI while maintaining the Berlinale connection.
• Produire au Sud, NantescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJumpstart is an incubator programme presented by DFMI in partnership with Produire au Sud, Nantes. The partnership focuses on introducing emerging filmmakers to writing and packaging for the international market.
• French InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJumpstart programme is supported by the French Institute, in partnership with IFAS and Alliance française in Durban as part of the strategy for the international export of cultural and creative industries.
• DW AkademiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFMI Business Lab is presented in partnership with DW Akademie. The programme is supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Developments and opened to early career film industry professionals from across the continent.
• DW AkademiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFuture Mentors Programme Guide was crafted in collaboration with DW Akademie and Berlinale Talents as a training tool for the mentorship programme addressing scarcity of mentors from the African continent.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• FESPACO (Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou): Africa's largest film festival held biennially in Burkina Faso, focused on African cinema with a competitive market and industry programming. Direct comparable as a pan-African film industry gathering that combines exhibition, market, and professional development.
• Ventana Sur: Latin America's leading film market held annually in Buenos Aires, organized by the Marché du Film and INCAA. Directly comparable as a regional film market that positions itself as a gateway for emerging-market content into international financing.

Regional players

• Cape Town International Film Market and Festival: South African film festival and market based in Cape Town. Direct peer as another African film market for African content, though smaller in industry programming and focused on a different region of South Africa.
• Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival with Industry Programs: Major South Asian film festival with industry programming connecting filmmakers to international co-production. Comparable as a regional film market for emerging-market content, though focused on South Asian rather than African content.

Broad incumbents

• Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART): Asia's largest film and TV content marketplace, comparable as a regional film market connecting projects with international buyers and financiers. Operates at a much larger scale and with an Asia-Pacific focus.
• American Film Market (AFM): Major film industry market held annually in Las Vegas, focused on distribution deals and sales of independent films. Comparable in B2B film market function but with a North American mainstream and independent distribution focus.
• Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Industry: TIFF Industry programming includes financiers, distributors, and producers in a global co-production and deal-making environment. Comparable in market and industry activity, though TIFF is a much larger, broader festival with extensive industry programming.
• Marché du Film (Cannes Film Market): The world's largest film market, held annually alongside the Cannes Film Festival. Comparable to DFMI as a B2B film finance and co-production marketplace connecting projects with international buyers, sales agents, and financiers, but operating at much greater scale and global scope.
• European Film Market (EFM) Berlin: The film market running alongside the Berlin International Film Festival, of which Berlinale Talents (DFMI's direct partner) is part. Comparable as a film industry marketplace with deal-making, screening, and networking functions; differs in scale and global vs. European focus.

Emerging players

• Film Independent (FIND): U.S.-based nonprofit supporting independent filmmakers through labs, fiscal sponsorship, and industry programs including the Spirit Awards. Comparable as a nonprofit film industry development organization offering year-round programs, mentorship, and project support, though focused on American filmmakers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/durbanfilmmart
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCO4bIdQmRfagOwlBxIiRg-w
• Facebookfacebook.com/Durban.Filmmart.Africa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/durban-filmmart-sa
• Instagraminstagram.com/durbanfilmmart/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@durbanfilmmart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Durban FilmMart SA