The sixth edition of the Joburg Film Festival wraps Sunday, putting a bow on a week that saw many in the host nation reflecting on South Africa’s long journey in the three decades since the end of apartheid. But among the filmmakers and executives taking part in the second Jbx content market the focus was squarely on the future, as Africa’s streaming wars and an eye toward global dealmaking highlighted how the tide has begun to shift in how the world perceives the continent. “What a time to be alive in Johannesburg,” said festival founder Timothy Mangwedi at Saturday’s award ceremony. “What a time to be alive in Africa.”
Here are five takeaways from a busy week in Johannesburg:
Streamers shift strategies but still drive growth
Amazon Prime Video’s abrupt pull-out from the African market in January has left many local producers frustrated and confused. “It...
Here are five takeaways from a busy week in Johannesburg:
Streamers shift strategies but still drive growth
Amazon Prime Video’s abrupt pull-out from the African market in January has left many local producers frustrated and confused. “It...
- 3/3/2024
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions, which recently wrapped the action-thriller “G20” for Amazon Studios and MRC Film in Cape Town, is planning to return to South Africa to film the true story of a young African refugee’s improbable journey to the U.S., the company’s head of film production and development, Melanie Clark, revealed this week at the Joburg Film Festival.
Developing the film with a working title of “The Refugee,” Clark said Davis and Tennon’s production banner is “actively working on [it] with some local partners and are in the process of figuring out how to shoot it” in South Africa, adding that “we do plan to shoot that here.”
The veteran production executive described the project as “the true story of a young Sierra Leonean boy who lost his mother in [the country’s civil war] and found himself alone, because no family would take him in any refugee camp.
Developing the film with a working title of “The Refugee,” Clark said Davis and Tennon’s production banner is “actively working on [it] with some local partners and are in the process of figuring out how to shoot it” in South Africa, adding that “we do plan to shoot that here.”
The veteran production executive described the project as “the true story of a young Sierra Leonean boy who lost his mother in [the country’s civil war] and found himself alone, because no family would take him in any refugee camp.
- 3/2/2024
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
One year after launching with an ambitious aim to become the premier industry confab for dealmakers on the African continent, the Jbx Content Market returns to Johannesburg with an expanded, three-day event that will touch on some of the key trends in the fast-growing African market.
Running parallel to the Joburg Film Festival, whose sixth edition takes place Feb. 27 – March 3, the Jbx will bring together producers, financiers, broadcasters, streaming platforms and other industry professionals to take stock of what many believe to be a pivotal moment in the African screen industries.
“Everyone says Africa is the future. Are we ready for this content demand that the world is looking for?” says Joburg Film Festival executive director Timothy Mangwedi. “Being ready is not just about talent. It’s about talent, it’s about infrastructure, it’s about technology. And it’s also about funding.”
The pressing question of how to pay...
Running parallel to the Joburg Film Festival, whose sixth edition takes place Feb. 27 – March 3, the Jbx will bring together producers, financiers, broadcasters, streaming platforms and other industry professionals to take stock of what many believe to be a pivotal moment in the African screen industries.
“Everyone says Africa is the future. Are we ready for this content demand that the world is looking for?” says Joburg Film Festival executive director Timothy Mangwedi. “Being ready is not just about talent. It’s about talent, it’s about infrastructure, it’s about technology. And it’s also about funding.”
The pressing question of how to pay...
- 2/26/2024
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
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