Announcing Our New Documentary Funding Award for African Filmmakers
The Whickers are creating a brand new documentary funding award for African filmmakers in partnership with Durban FilmMart Institute.
The Whickers international documentary fund is targeted at emerging documentary makers. It is now extending its a highly successful bursary award, previously limited to India and East Asia, for the development of new projects at the Durban FilmMart. The first scheme, aimed at helping those in regions of the world where access to film development money is limited, has been running at Docedge Kolkata for three years. It has led to award winning films such as Children of The Mist, which won a director’s award for newcomer Diem Ha Le at IDFA.
This new fund, which will be called ‘The Whickers/DFM Emerging Director’s Bursary‘, will be available to all participants in Durban FilmMart from the Talents Durban programme to the main market. This bursary was announced the week after 2020 Whickers’ winner, South Sudanese filmmaker Akuol De Mabior premiered her first feature documentary No Simple Way Home at Berlinale 2022.
Jane Mote, Editorial Consultant for The Whickers said: “The Whickers is so excited to be deepening its relationship with DFM and offering a chance to African filmmakers from across the continent to win some early support to develop their projects. We are looking forward to helping the amazing work DFM does to nurture the next generation of documentary filmmakers.”
Magdalene Reddy, General Manager of the Durban FilmMart Institute added: “The Whickers Bursary is a valuable contribution to the financial support system for filmmaking in Africa, and we are thrilled to welcome this new partnership. The Whickers support will provide crucial momentum at a key stage of the birthing process of an African documentary. Adjudicated by jurists appointed by The Whickers, the £3,000 bursary, will be selected from projects participating in the DFM 2022 programme.”
The award will kick off this year at the 13th Durban FilmMart taking place on the 22nd – 26th July.
Applications for DFM and Talents Durban are currently open. DFM applications close this Friday 25 February and Talents Durban applications close 4 March. For full submission criteria and details visit www.durbanfilmmart.com.
About the Durban FilmMart Institute
Durban FilmMart Institute is the business hub of the African Film industry in a world where African film Industry professionals and products are globally competitive and celebrated. The mission of the Durban FilmMart Institute is to provide appropriate and effective programmes and services to promote, support, and facilitate investment in the African film industries so that African film industry professionals and products are competitive and celebrated globally. For more information on the Durban FilmMart Institute, visit: https://www.durbanfilmmart.co.za/
About the The Whickers
The Whickers were established in 2015 to fund and recognise original and innovative documentary. They seek to use the generous legacy of pioneering broadcaster Alan Whicker, to support emerging film and audio documentary-makers in the funding and production of director led programmes. The Whickers are comprised of two annual awards: the Film & TV Funding Award and the Radio and Audio Funding Award. For more information, visit: https://www.whickerawards.com/
