Promoting film production in the Global South
From September 14, 2021, filmmakers from Tanzania and Uganda are invited to apply for film development funding and training offered by DW Akademie. The German media development organization DW Akademie is looking for filmmakers from Uganda and Tanzania who have already made one or more films and would like support in developing their next project. Up to five successful candidates from each country will be selected by separate juries in January 2022 and receive a maximum of 10,000 euros and one year of mentorship to help develop their film ideas.
The program will include workshops and skills development by industry professionals mainly from the Global South. These tailor-made trainings will enable the successful candidates to take their projects through the development stage. The program is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Natascha Schwanke, Director of Media Development, DW Akademie: “The DW Akademie Film Development Fund aims to achieve local, regional and/or international visibility for films from Tanzania and Uganda. We want to support filmmakers who may otherwise be struggling to get their voices heard and stories told. The first call in Ethiopia was very successful, now we are looking forward to the new submissions.”
Five filmmakers from Ethiopia, the film fund’s pilot country, are currently receiving financial support and training. Development and preproduction are important production phases for which there are often too few funding opportunities for filmmakers. By launching the fund in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda, DW Akademie is striving to create synergies and networks for filmmakers across the region. Towards this goal, DW Akademie is working with a number of local partners including Film Lab Zanzibar.
Martin Mhando, Film Lab Zanzibar, CEO and festival director, Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF): “This is essentially what development funding is all about: Learning from and working with others to develop a story to a better level than only one person could. Africa has the opportunity to talk to the world with stories that will show how the world have been much the poorer without African stories, African wisdom, African experience.”
DW Akademie’s Film Development Fund is specifically designed to support filmmakers in the development phase of their film projects. The overarching goal of the fund is to strengthen the film industry in countries of the Global South through a strategic combination of financial support and the training of selected filmmakers.
Details on eligibility and further application requirements are available here: akademie.dw.com/filmfund/
Details on the funding program underway in Ethiopia are available here: https://p.dw.com/p/3tP8e
DW Akademie is Deutsche Welle’s center for international media development, journalism training and knowledge transfer. Our projects strengthen the human right to freedom of expression and unhindered access to information. DW Akademie empowers people worldwide to make independent decisions based on reliable facts and constructive dialogue. DW Akademie is a strategic partner of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). We also receive funding from the Federal Foreign Office and the European Union and are active in approximately 60 developing countries and emerging economies.
