DEADLINE EXTENDED!! FEATURE FILM CO-PRODUCTION FORUM (FFCF) The first submission date for Feature Film projects to be submitted to the Sithengi Feature Film Co-production Forum has been extended to;

FRIDAY 21 MAY 2004
Get your applications in now!

CALL FOR ENTRIES: Sithengi Feature Film Co-production Forum (FFCF) - Matching African Feature Film Projects with International Partners

Sithengi Film and Television Market is looking for strong African Feature Film projects, worthy of international financing to be entered into the 2004 Feature Film Co-Production Forum (FFCF).

Following the success of the 2003 edition, this year’s Sithengi Feature Film Co-Production Forum (FFCF) will follow the same process as before, modeled on Cinemart, the Rotterdam Co-Production market. This year, however, we have included a project development strand; leading up to our final call for projects prior to Sithengi 2004.

Project Development Strand

After an initial selection process, the selected projects will be sent to an international industry expert. This expert, who will be announced shortly, will be brought out to South Africa in June for a series of training and development one-on-one consultations with each successful applicant. These sessions will take place in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, during the Durban International Film Festival.

Those who are selected for the consultations will qualify to be flown to Johannesburg in July for a local pitching session with South African corporate financing bodies and government funding agencies.

A final call will then be announced for all projects to be entered into the 2004 FFCF - this will be open to producers who have gone through the development strand and those who haven’t, but who have projects that fulfill the necessary criteria.

Feature Film Co-Production Forum (FFCF)

The final selection of projects will be forwarded to invited international co-producers, financiers and distributors, prior to Sithengi 2004. These international industry leaders will then select the projects and producers they would like to meet with and the Sithengi team will set up one-on-one meetings with the interested co-producers and financiers.

The objective of the FFCF is to ensure that you will be ‘matched’ with the correct people – those who are genuinely interested in your project with the capacity to come on board with either financing or as a co-producer.

In addition, all projects selected for the 2004 FFCF, with the necessary criteria, will be packaged and entered into the following international co-production markets on behalf of the producers:

• Mannheim Co-Production Market, Germany
  www.mannheim-filmfestival.com
  Contact: Michiel Berkel, [email protected]
  
• Cinemart, Rotterdam
  www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com
  Contact: Ido Abram, [email protected]
  
• Berlin Co-Production Forum
  www.berlinale.de
  Contact: Sonja Mörkens, [email protected]
  
• No Borders International Co-Production Market, IFP New York
  www.ifp.org
  Contact: Colin Stanfield, [email protected]

NOTE:
If you are selected for the initial consultations and local pitching sessions and/or for the Feature Film Co-Production Forum (FFCF) at Sithengi 2004, you have to be a registered and fully paid-up member. For more information on registration, please visit sithengi.co.za.

THE CRITERIA FOR ENTRY INTO THE 2004 FFCF ARE:

• At least 20% of your proposed budget has to be secured and/or
• A pre-sale or distribution deal needs to be in place.
• The Feature Film Co-Production Forum is only open to producers or projects with producers attached.

NB!! For the initial 10 May deadline, projects needn’t have 20% of their budget secured or a pre-sale/distribution deal in place, but must submit all of the required entry forms and information.

ENTRY PROCEDURE:

• Log-on to sithengi.co.za and register under ‘Project Market’
• Complete the online application form.
• Email the following to Taryn da Canha at [email protected]:
  - ½ - 1 page synopsis
  - 3 page treatment
  - 1-page finance plan
  - 1-page budget top sheet
  - Any letters of intent/commitment from financiers, distributors, broadcasters etc…
  - 1/2-page company profile
  - 1/2-page biography of the producer and/or ½ page biography of the director.

(Total number of pages of application: 8 (including online page and excluding letters of intent/commitment))

NOTE:
The lengths of the above application material must be strictly adhered to. Any incomplete applications or application material that is longer than required will be disqualified and no correspondence will be entered into.

We look forward to receiving your applications and ‘Matching African Feature Film Projects with International Partners!’

To register, please complete the application form under “Project Market” and email required attachments to [email protected]

Register for the 2004 Feature Film Co-production Forum (FFCF)