South Africa’s Cash Rebate Bounces Back, African Verticals Lift Off and AI at a Crossroads: 10 Takeaways From the Durban FilmMart

The Durban FilmMart wrapped its 17th edition on Oct. 12 with a boisterous awards ceremony that offered a fitting exclamation point to a four-day event whose rousing turn-out — with more than 1,100 industry delegates in attendance from 56 countries — cemented its position as the leading lynchpin of the African screen industries.

The mood throughout the week was spirited, hopeful and determined — the biggest takeaway being, perhaps, that for all the disruption roiling the global film and TV business, African creatives see this as a moment of opportunity to unlock the continent’s largely untapped potential.

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What to do about AI, how to elevate women’s voices and when the African market will find a way to monetize the current content boom were among the hot-button topics on the agenda. New funding models were mooted. Festival triumphs were celebrated. And the DFM’s influential co-production forum showcased what happens when a continent of 1.2 billion stands up to be heard. The range of stories and voices was staggering — and a heartening sign for anyone who believes that the future of African cinema is now.

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Of course, challenges abound — even for the DFM itself, whose…