South African supernatural crime series “Acts of Man” took home the biggest cash prize Monday night at the Durban FilmMart award ceremony, while the documentaries “Africa AI” and “We Had the Moon!” were among the projects that took home multiple awards at the close of a spirited week in Durban.
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“Acts of Man” scooped the Known Inner Circle Award, which was handed out by the recently launched venture from South Africa’s Known Associates Group (KAG) and Canada’s Inner City Films (ICF) and Circle Blue Entertainment (CBE). The award included a cash prize of $10,000 for the show’s creators, Sheetal Magan and Sean Drummond.
The series follows two city detectives who are called to investigate a brutal ritualistic killing in a remote mountain town, where the shaken conservative community is convinced the devil is at work. As Variety p r e v i o u s l y announced , the show has already been boarded by Casey Walker of Toronto-based Cave Painting Pictures, veteran Canadian producer Todd Brown (“The Raid,” “Mandy”) and Naysun Alae-Carew at Blazing Griffin in the U.K.
“Africa AI,” from Amilcar Patel and Chris Kets, investigates the hidden costs of artificial intelligence for the African continent, from the extraction of its raw natural resources to its effects on labor rights, privacy, equality and ideas of freedom. The film took home the Red Sea Film Fund Award for documentary in the amount of $5,000, as well as the DOK Leipzig Award with the support of IEFTA.
“We Had the Moon!” took home four awards, including prizes from South Africa’s National Film and Video Foundation, Swiss doc fest Visions du Réel and Movies That Matter. South African-Zambian fiction feature “The Moon Can’t Run,” about a ragtag Zambian effort to join the space race, was another big winner Monday night, as was Babatunde Apalowo’s “Londoner,” a story of flickering hopes and shattered dreams that won the Red Sea Film Fund Award for fiction in the amount of $5,000.
The 15th edition of the Durban FilmMart, which ran July 19 – 22, welcomed 1,460 industry professionals and filmmakers from 58 countries in Africa and beyond. “We are delighted to have hosted such a dynamic array of filmmakers from across the African continent. They entrusted us with their projects and ideas, and generously shared their time, expertise and passion through enriching conversations, creating a truly African event,” said Magdalene Reddy, director of the Durban FilmMart Institute.
“The talent showcased in this year’s program and film projects presented exemplify the strength of African cinema. The memories made, networks expanded and partnerships forged have significantly contributed to DFM’s enduring legacy and impact. We extend our gratitude to our partners for their support in celebrating and elevating African storytellers, producers and content creators.”
Also this weekend in Durban, the NEFTI All-Stars Competition announced its award winners, with Moreetsi Gabang from Botswana winning the $5,000 grand prize for his film “Hill of Lovers.” Gabang also won the audience award of $2,000.
The event was the culmination of all the NEFTI competitions to date, with the winners from each of the previous competitions vying for cash awards. The four filmmakers represented in the NEFTI All-Stars Competition were Minenhle Luthuli (South Africa) with “Make a Wish”; Nahom Abraham (Eritrea) with “Bedtime”; Moreetsi Gabang (Botswana) with “Hill of Lovers”; and Cheyi Okoaye (Nigeria) with “Boxed In.” All four filmmakers were given $3,000 to create a completely new film.
Here’s a full rundown of the Durban FilmMart award winners:
Known Inner Circle Award
Acts of Man (South Africa)
Producer: Sean Drummond
Director: Sheetal Magan
Red Sea Film Fund Award Fiction
Londoner (Nigeria)
Producers: Pamela Drameh and Sarudzayi Marufu
Director: Babatunde Apalowo
Red Sea Film Fund Award Documentary
Africa AI (South Africa)
Producer: Amílcar Patel
Directors: Amílcar Patel and Chris Kets
Game Changer Films Award
The Moon Can’t Run (South Africa, Zambia)
Producer: Shveta Naidoo
Director: Naishe Nyamubaya
Co-producer: Niza Lou Waldburger
CANAL+ Development Grant
Children of Honey (Tanzania, United Kingdom)
Producer: Natalie Humphreys
Director: Jigar Ganatra
TRT Award
Dear Tarkovsky (Tunisia)
Producer: Asma Chiboub
Director: Firas Khoury
MTN Group Digital Award
The Moon Can’t Run (South Africa, Zambia)
Producer: Shveta Naidoo
Director: Naishe Nyamubaya
Co-producer: Niza Lou Waldburger
IDA Supported Artist Award
Children of Honey (Tanzania, United Kingdom)
Producer: Natalie Humphreys
Director: Jigar Ganatra
Sisters in Cinema Sustainability Award
The Conservationist (Zimbabwe)
Producer and director: Rumbi Katedza
Producer: Siza Mukwedini
Best Fiction Grant National Film and Video Foundation
I’m Coming for You (Cameroon)
Producers: Alice Abah and Jean-Marie Gigon
Director: Cyrielle Raingou
Best Non-Fiction Grant National Film and Video Foundation
We Had the Moon!
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Best Animation Grant National Film and Video Foundation
Monster Nanny (South Africa, Zimbabwe)
Producer: Kaya Kuhn
Director: Tafadzwa Hove
Hot Docs-Blue Ice Docs Award
My Father Killed Bourguiba (Tunisia)
Producer: Sarra Ben Hassan
Director: Fatma Riahi
The Whickers Bursary Award
We Had the Moon!
Rotterdam Lab Award
Jua Kali (Kenya)
Producer: Joash Omondi
Director: Yasmin Hassan
The DOK.fest München Award
A Girl and a Gun (South Africa)
Producer: Antoinette Engel
Director: Arya Lalloo
The DOK Leipzig Award
Africa AI (South Africa)
Producer: Amílcar Patel
Directors: Amílcar Patel and Chris Kets
Sørfond Award
Benimana (Ivory Coast)
Producer: Samantha Biffot
Director: Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo
Miradas Doc Award
A Girl and a Gun (South Africa)
Producer: Antoinette Engel
Director: Arya Lalloo
Special GZDOC Invitation
Bitter Seed (Algeria, France)
Producer: Antoine Goldet
Director: Camelia Gadhgadhi
The FIDADOC Award
How Many Nights, How Many Days? (Egypt)
Producer: Kesmat Elsayed
Director: Alaa Dajani
Movies that Matter Award
We Had the Moon!
Visions du Reel Award
We Had the Moon!
Fak’ugesi Residency Award
Oarona (South Africa)
Producers: AJ Pitre and Thandiwe Mlauli
Director: Thandiwe Mlauli
Co-producer: Simangaliso Sibaya
The Hidden Hand Studios presents: The Hidden Talents Award
The Legend of Hyena Man (Tanzania)
Producer: Mathew Valerian
Directors: Elshadye Berhanu and Joshua Faber
OIF-ACP-EU Award
Londoner (Nigeria)
Producers: Pamela Drameh and Sarudzayi Marufu
Director: Babatunde Apalowo
TFL Next Award supported by IEFTA
Numalali (My Voice, My Void) (Guatemala)
Producers: Alberto Rodríguez Collía and Kurt Orderson
Director: Kimeshree Munsamy
Clermont-Ferrand ISFF Award
Nebula (Egypt)
Director: Michel Doss
IEFTA Connect Award
Baptism of Silence (South Africa)
Director: Kanya Viljoen
DFM Talents Durban Award
The Space Maasai (Tanzania)
Director: Priscilla Marealle
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