Durban FilmMart Institute announces headline speakers

Mo Abudu, Mike de Seve, Dana Sims, Tendeka Matatu and Nicola Ofoego will be the headline speakers at this year's Durban FilmMart

Under the theme of Revolution/Evolution - Changing the Narrative, the DFM has invited experts to share their expertise and experiences in the fields of production, development, marketing, distribution, representation and animation.

Through in-depth one-on-one discussions and presentations, delegates will be able to engage with award-winning industry professionals in the DFM Conversations sessions - a highlight of the DFM programme scheduled on the online programme at 5.30pm CAT from 22-26 July.

"The DFM Conversation series serve as the FilmMart's keynote address platform,” said Magdalene Reddy, DFM general manager. “It is an honour for the DFM to host some of the industry’s respected professionals as they unpack their journeys, lessons learned and the culture that drives their work."

The speaker lineup

To commence the programme on Friday 22 July, Mo Abudu, CEO of EbonyLife Group, will provide insights into her multi-faceted work which has garnered her accolade after accolade. Abudu made her mark through various endeavours in the corporate world; she has been described by Forbes as “Africa’s Most Successful Woman”. She has produced several highest-grossing blockbusters in Nigeria, which include Fifty, The Wedding Party, Chief Daddy, The Royal Hibiscus Hotel and Your Excellency. She executive-produced Òlòtūré, a Netflix Original feature film that exposes the shady business of human trafficking in Nigeria.

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The astute experience of Mike de Seve will add valued focus to DFM’s animation 2022 programme. This Emmy-nominated director and screenwriter has worked on feature films such as Madagascar, Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third. He was also a sequence director and writer on the Beavis and Butt-Head feature film, and a director on all seven of the Beavis and Butt-Head series. His global screenwriting company, Baboon Animation, has developed and written animated series for 51 countries around the world, bringing them from concept to globally market-ready properties. De Seve has written and directed for Cartoon Network, Dreamworks Television, NBC, Nick, Disney, The CW, WB and Fox TV including for many major broadcasters globally, from China to Chile and dozens of countries in between.

Netflix’s head of film for sub-Saharan Africa, Tendeka Matatu, is an experienced film producer whose multiple films premiered at major film festivals including Toronto, Berlin, London and Rotterdam. His credits include the multi-award-winning Max & Mona and Abyss Boys; Cold Harbour, Tiger House, Freedom, the South African box office hits Material and Crazy Monkey; and the action-drama epic Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema, which was South Africa's official entry for the Academy Awards in 2009.

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Dana Sims is an MP talent agent at the leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Sims is based in Los Angeles and represents many of the world’s leading musicians and actors, including Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Wesley Snipes, Pearl Thusi, Alyssa Goss and Gabrielle Union among others. Having begun her career at ICM, she brings a wealth of experience to the DFM.

Joining the DFM 2022 programme is European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs (EAVE) member Nicola Ofoego. Ofoego studied economics at university and began trading bonds in investment banking. While navigating the world of finance and sales, she studied at NYU Tisch Film School in her spare time and self-trained in Paris by immersing herself in French cinema culture before finally leaving banking to find her way into the audiovisual industry. Her true passion is working for Maremako, identifying potential remake sources both in and outside of France. She also forms part of the acquisitions team at France TV Distribution, who have distributed films such as Between Two Worlds, A Radiant Girl and the TV show, Call My Agent.

DFM 2022 will be presented as both an online and physical programme during its running. Registrations are open for both online and physical participation at Durban FilmMart. Visit here to review the participation options and to explore the full programme of activities and opportunities on offer.