FILMAKERS Faith Riyano and Rugare Ponde will represent Zimbabwe at this year’s edition of the DFMI Business Lab, a programme aimed at nurturing and empowering filmmakers to develop sustainable careers.
The DFMI Business Lab is organised by the Durban FilmMart Institute and presented in partnership with DW Akademie and supported by the German Federal Economic Co-operation and Development ministry.
The online programme will commence this month Riyano of Zenith Seed Films and Ponde of Azania Rises made the grade for the forthcoming third edition of the programme alongside 33 other filmmakers from 22 countries across the continent.
The duo is set to undergo a 12-week online business development programme.
According to the programme organisers, the DFMI Business Lab was created to ensure that early to mid-career filmmakers have the necessary skills to effectively engage with a global market.
The programme, presented in English with simultaneous translation in French and Portuguese, seeks to provide the necessary tools for the development of the producer’s business or company.
Riyano yesterday told NewsDay Life & Style that she wants to tell African stories on a global scale whilst fostering social impact.
“I am greatly humbled to be selected to be part of the DFMI Business Lab. It had always been on my bucket list that one day I will be an alumna of the prestigious Durban FilmMart Institute. My biggest drive right now is Africa to the world,” she noted.
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“I am thrilled to have this opportunity to be able to harness my business skills in attracting the global market through the DFMI Business Lab while learning from the industry experts and networking with my fellow participants from all over Africa.”
The filmmaker said she feels very empowered by this programme as it will greatly challenge her to look at filmmaking not just as an art, but also as a serious business, which is a reality often dreaded by passionate artists.
“In order for the African film industry to thrive, I believe that we should realise that film is an international business and locate ourselves on that global map. We must, therefore, seek to tell stories that are authentically African yet relatable and enjoyable not just to Africans, but to anyone in the world,” she noted.
In a statement, Durban FilmMart Institute director Magdalene Reddy said this year’s edition of the programme has received a record number of applications and 35 were selected.
“The Lab is now in its third year. We would like to thank DW Akademie for their continued investment into capacity-building on the African continent,” Reddy said.
“In addition to providing filmmakers with the expertise to expand their film career, the lab has created a sense of community between the producers inviting them into a peer-to-peer support system where they are free to share opportunities and learnings as they engage in the film industry.”
Reddy noted that the Lab will focus on modules such as financial management, business management, Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law, distribution, and co-production.
He said the programme will be led by film and creative industry professionals from Burkina Faso, Canada, France, Kenya, South Africa, and the US.
