Emma Naomi is a Rising British Star …

Emma is currently reprising her role of Alice Mondrich, wife of boxer turned Gentleman’s Club owner ‘Will Mondrich’ played by Martins Imhangbe in Season Three of Shonda Rhimes’ Bridgerton.

Emma has also reprised her starring role as ‘DI Lisa Donckers’ in the third season of award-winning crime drama Professor T for ITV. This performance has garnered widespread acclaim, earning her the title of Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series award at the National Film Awards 2022.

Emma has worked extensively on stage, including Dead Don’t Floss at the National Theatre; and Blithe Spirit at the Theatre Royal Bath.

We spoke to Emma about Bridgerton and the success of diverse casting in the series …

Please introduce yourself …

Emma Naomi, Actor born in London with mixed Jamaican/Irish heritage

Describe your life right now in a word or one sentence …

Ten-year-old me would be jumping for joy.

Bridgerton is one of Netflix’s biggest-ever hits and Alice Mondrich was your breakout role. Tell us how you secured the part of Bridgerton’s Alice?

I got the part on a self-tape. The casting was very different at the time, I didn’t think I had a chance.

How does Alice’s character arc develop in Season 3, especially since her family now have social standing in high society and what does it mean for the relationship between her and her husband Will whose relationship we have seen flourish over the past few seasons?

Alice has always wanted to solidify the family’s social standing but never expected it to be handed to them. It’s sudden… it’s strange. I think she and Will wrestle with their sense of identity, there is a lot of anxiety around how they should behave and whether they should leave a part of themselves behind.

There seems to be a mentor/mentee relationship building between Lady Danbury and Alice as she advises Alice on what is expected of her and her husband …

Yes. Lady Danbury has taken us under her wing. We have a mutual connection with Simon (The Duke) and I think she is excited about what the Mondrich’s can bring to the table.
 
Bridgerton’s diverse casting, although successful has been a huge topic of conversation since the first season. Do you think it has changed, or at least expanded the industry’s approach and audiences’ acceptance of black actors in roles outside of the usual stereotypes?

Yes. I mean, look at the queen! I think Shondaland is doing a wonderful job of increasing visibility each season across the board with racial diversity, sexual orientation and those who are differently abled. I’ve read many essays from actors from the generation before us who thought it was impossible to play a lead or love interest in a period/regency piece like this. Look at us now.
Do I think it’s changed the industry completely? No, but I certainly think it’s a shining example of how it can be done, the audience wants it, and how successful it can be, how enriching it is for all of us. I came in for a hair fitting at the top of season three and walked in on a workshop about different hair types, how they react to heat, curl patterns, how to get better definition in 4C curls and how that’s different to 2B. I thought “YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!!”

You have also worked extensively on stage, as an actor, what’s more exposing, walking onto the stage opening night at the National Theatre or onto a big-budget Netflix set for the first time?

Highs, lows, solutions (tell us the high points, any obstacles to getting the project completed and how you resolved the obstacles)…

Big Budget Netflix for sure. I trained in theatre and then did years of it. You have the cushion of weeks or months of having the script beforehand, 4-5 weeks of rehearsals, bonding with the cast, time to mess up, make mistakes, and get to the other side. I don’t think everything rides on the press for theatre either; the performance develops every night. For screen, you have one shot. That can be pretty terrifying.

HIGH: Getting the job.
LOWS: The mental noise of actually trying to do the job. Is it enough? Is it too much? Have I understood the beats correctly? Am I living in this character yet or am I ‘acting’? Am I executing what I think I’m executing? There’s a good chunk of the project where I second-guess everything.
RESOLUTIONS: Solving the above. There’s no way through but to work, one section at a time.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU …

If not this, then what?
Probably a fitness instructor or I’d own my own well-being business.

What are you watching right now?
Baby Reindeer. Finished it in a day.

What are you reading right now?
Paradise Lost by John Milton. I recently finished Tweak by Nic Sheff and The Sellout by Paul Beatty.

What are you listening to right now?
Maverick Sabre, Kendrick Lamar and Jungle are my top listens at the moment. Other than that, many audiobooks.

The last thing you saw on stage?
Red Pitch at Soho Place – Brilliant play

What’s on your bucket list?
I love to travel. See new places. Too many destinations to list but I’ll start with Bali.

Where’s your happy place?
In a good coffee shop or the gym.

Celebrate someone else (who do you rate right now?)
Adjani Salmon is absolutely killing it right now and is an inspiration on how far your own work can take you.

Celebrate yourself … (make us proud of you):
I’m not sure!

What’s Next?
I can’t say yet but it’s a fantastic project

Where can we see your latest work?
We shot season 3 of Professor T on ITV after Bridgerton. You can catch that (and catch up if you missed previous seasons) on ITV player or Britbox

We have some exciting new series coming this week

Candice Carty-Williams’ brand new series Queenie and Star Wars spinoff The Acolyte brings the beautiful Jodie Turner-Smith back onto our screens.

Some of our favourite shows are returning with their final seasons including, Sweet Tooth, Power Book II: Ghost. With other shows like Mayor Of Kingstown returning for a new season.

What will you be watching?

Mayor Of Kingstown – Monday 3rd June | Paramount+

Follows the McLusky family – power brokers in Kingstown, Michigan where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry. With Tobi Bamtefa, Derek Webster, Michael Beach and Nichole Galicia.

This Time Next Year – Monday 3rd June | On Digital Platforms

Flung together at a New Year’s Eve party, Minnie and Quinn quickly realise they share a connection – they were born on New Year’s Day of the same year, in the same London hospital. Minnie grew up convinced that this mysterious Quinn stole all her luck, setting her on a path of misfortune. Horrified at the misunderstanding, Quinn is set on making amends. But is it Quinn or is it fate that is scheming to bring the two together? With Lucien Laviscount, Golda Rosheuvel and Shiloh Coke.

Star Wars: The Acolyte – Tuesday 4th June | Disney+

This brand new Star Wars series is set during the High Republic era and the prime of the Jedi Order, and stars Lee Jung-jae, Amandla Stenberg and Carrie Anne-Moss. It follows a respected Jedi Master, whose investigation into a shocking crime spree forces him to come up against a dangerous warrior from his past. Starring Amandla Stenberg and Jodie Turner-Smith. Writer Jocelyn Bioh.

Queenie -Tuesday 4th @ 10pm & Wednesday 5th June @ 10.35pm | Channel 4

Tells the story of Queenie Jenkins, a 25-year-old Jamaican British woman straddling two cultures who seeks comfort in all the wrong places after a messy breakup from her long-term boyfriend Tom. Starring Dionne Brown, Samuel Adewunmi, Bellah and more.

Sweet Tooth: S3 – Thursday 6th June | Netflix

Gus, Jepperd, Becky and Wendy after defeating General Abbot, embark on a journey to Alaska in search of Gus’s mother, Birdie, who has been working to uncover the mysterious origins of the deadly Sick. Starring Nonso Anozie.

Tell Me Everything: S2 – Thursday 6th June | ITV2 & ITVX

Jonny and his family have moved to Hitchin – a new house, new college, and a fresh start. Jonny is continuing his journey of recovery, and has started to make friends with other students at college – Naisha, Dylan, Ella and Bex. With Ammar Duffus and Dylan Brady.

Power Book II: Ghost: S4 – Friday 7th June | MGM+

Tariq St Patrick and Brayden Weston form new alliances and find their way back into the game. However, when Brayden starts to flirt with a reckless new lifestyle, Tariq starts to question whether there really is room for two at the top. Starring Michael Rainey Jr, Mary J. Blige, Method Man, Caroline Chikezie and more.

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live – Streaming now | NOW TV

On her quest to find Rick, Michonne finds help from an unexpected source and comes face-to-face with the mysterious CRM. Starring Danai Gurira.

Girl In The Video – Streaming now | Paramount+

When an unsuspecting 15-year-old is kidnapped by a depraved online predator, her mother joins forces with a seasoned FBI investigator and local detective to bring her home. Starring Cush Jumbo, Tia May Watts and Amaree Ali.

The Encounters South African International Documentary Festival is returning for its 26th edition this summer, with an extensive lineup of films recently announced.

The festival will screen multiple documentaries and films from within and outside the African continent. It will feature thirty-two feature-length films and fourteen short films. Twenty-seven African films and nineteen international films will be screened. Also, forty-three films will have their South Africa premiere at the festival, thirty-seven films will have their first African premiere, and fourteen films will have their world premiere.

Miki Redelinghuys and Pearlie Joubert’s Mother City has been selected as the festival’s opening film. The feature has been described as a “deeply human and often heart-breaking look at the politics of urbanism” where the filmmakers follow activists of the Reclaim the City movement over six years as they make Cape Town’s abandoned spaces their home, and use it as a base from which to lobby for the needs of the working class.

Explaining the decision to open the festival with Mother City, the festival’s director, Mandisa Zitha, remarked, “It has been selected as our opening film, as it represents the heart of what documentary filmmaking is about. It is dedicated, tenacious, and vociferous in its approach to following a group of activists over a long period, to capture their challenges and frustrations, and indeed their successes. It speaks to the power of film in exposing the arduous journey so many in this world have to embark on to effect change. It is also a universally powerful story of the triumph of the collective.” 

The Encounters South African International Documentary Festival is the country’s formative documentary event, screening contemporary South African and International features and short documentaries since 1999. The festival is supported and funded by: City of Cape Town, Bertha Foundation, National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa,  University of Cape Town and the Centre for Film and Media Studies, Mail and Guardian (Media Partner), Al Jazeera Documentary, Known Associates, Refinery, Goethe-Institut of South Africa, Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Heineken Beverages,  Documentary Filmmakers Association, German Films, South African Guild of Editors, anima, and Pressure Cooker Studio.

This year’s edition of Encounters will take place at venues in Cape Town and Johannesburg from 20 to 30 June 2024. 

Click here to see the festival’s complete lineup of films.

There’s lots to watch this week ….

Including the highly anticipated second season of We Are Lady Parts, and season three of The Outlaws.

Let us know what you’ll be watching!

Clive Myrie’s Caribbean Adventure – Monday 27th May @6:30pm | BBC Two

From the vibrant streets of Cuba to the beautiful beaches of Barbados, Clive explores his family roots – and celebrates the energy, creativity and joy of a place close to paradise.

He begins by heading east towards the wild beauty of Jamaica’s longest mountain range, and catches up with his sister, Judith, who has recently moved from the UK to live on the island.

We Are Lady Parts: S2 – Thursday 30th May @ 10pm | Channel 4

The band returns with a renewed artistic mission after the high of their first UK tour, only to find a rival band threatens their delicate status quo. As the reality of chasing success sets in, Lady Parts embark on recording their first album, juggling personal ambitions and deciding whether ‘making it big’ is really what they wanted. With faith Omole, Kimani Arthur and Bradley Banton.

The Outlaws – Thursday 30th May @ 9pm | BBC One

With crime boss The Dean behind bars, The Outlaws are moving on with their lives – but Rani’s shock return and the discovery of a dead body sends them hurtling back into mortal danger. With Clare Perking, Gamba Cole, Kojo Kamara, Charles Babalola, Brett Curtis and Nadia Violet-Johnson.

Eric – Thursday 30th May | Netflix

Puppeteer Vincent clings to his missing son’s drawings of a blue monster puppet named Eric, convinced that if he can get Eric on TV then his son will come home. With Clarke Peters, McKinley Belcher III and Gloria Obianyo.

Die Hart 2 – Thursday 30th May | Prime Video

In this sequel, Kevin Hart, now the world’s biggest action star, finds himself the victim of an evil revenge plot and must enlist the help of his favourite co-star and his over-eager assistant if he wants to survive. With Nathalie Emmanuel.

Cold Copy – Saturday 1st June | Netflix

Bent on impressing her ruthless professor with a sensational scoop, a journalism student brushes ethics aside to manipulate the son of a famous author. Starring Tracee Ellis-Ross

The Famous Five: The Eye Of The Sunrise – StreamingNow | BBC iPlayer

It’s late August 1939 and George comes across the Great Supremo who is on the run from malevolent pursuers. She manages to convince her cousins that they should protect him and the Five hide him in their den where he tells them about a powerful treasure he guards, the Eye of the Sunrise.

But the Five’s promise proves impossible to keep as Dr Rosamund Graves and her burly assistant Bradley arrive from the local psychiatric institute to take Supremo away. He’s not just a magician, he’s a psychiatric patient. Can the Five trust anything he says? Starring Diaana Babnicova and Ann Akinjirin.

The Journey Of Self – Streaming Now | MYM’s Youtube Channel

Set in one room, spanning over the course of one year, the traumatic inner turmoil of one young woman is exposed through the lens of therapy, as she questions her sense of self and belonging in the world. Starring Zakiyyah Deen.

The 2024 edition of the All African Women Poetry Festival (AAWP Festival) is scheduled to take place in Ghana this week from Thursday 23 to Sunday 26 May, 2024. 

In this four-day thread of events, specifically curated to educate and enhance playfulness, the festival will celebrate the legacy of Ghanaian playwright Efua Theodora Sutherland under the theme “Poetry & Play.” The events will be hosted at the W.E.B Dubois Memorial Centre and the Foundation for Contemporary Art in Accra.

Some of the scheduled guests, panellists and performers at this year’s festival include Moyosola Olowokure, Winnie Madoro, Nyangari Macharia, Claudia Owusu, Deborah Johnson, Effie Nkrumah, Titilope Sonuga, Maryam Bukar Hassan (Alhanislam), Mo’Africa Wa Mokgathi (born Muriel Mokgathi-Mvubu), vangile gantsho, Theresa Ankomah, Agness Panfred and Vivian Boateng, among others.

The noteworthy events in this year’s showcase include an exclusive listening of Sonuga’s latest album SIS (scheduled for Thursday 23 May), the “Writing as an African” panel which features literary experts Prof. Helen Yitah and Prof Anne Adams, and the “Publish Her Inked Realities” panel which features literary experts Ama Dadson, Akoss Ofori-Mensah and Akuvi Agueze. There is also the Voice On Words (VOW) competition, a poetry contest featuring high school students.

 The AAWP Festival seeks to celebrate African literature and literary legends, empower African women, women of African descent and the African Diaspora, educate the youth, and engage with marginalised communities through sustainable events, programming, and projects. The festival hosts poets, spoken word artists and stakeholders in shaping the African narrative from across the continent and the African diaspora, in a bid to foster collaboration, networking, and knowledge sharing. 

One key element of the festival is the annual honouring of one female literary legend. This year, the focus is on Efua Theodora Sutherland (1924-1996), playwright, director, dramatist, children’s author, poet, educationalist, researcher, child advocate, and cultural activist. Sutherland’s works include the plays Foriwa (1962), Edufa (1967) and The Marriage Of Anansewa (1975).

Visit the festival’s official website to learn more about this year’s lineup of events.

We have another Bank Holiday ahead with plenty to keep you occupied …

If you haven’t already found a way to watch (who knows, knows) then get stuck into the universe created by Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson with all new seasons of Power Book II: Raising Kanan and BMF. If a bit of British TV is your thing then join Kiell Smith-Bynoe celebrating the 10th Year of The Great British Sewing Bee.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan: S3 – Monday 20th May | MGM+

Set in South Jamaica, Queens, Kanan and the rest of the Thomas family must confront an existential crisis that challenges their very identity. For those who do, the destination may reveal the most terrifying secret of all. Mekai Curtis, Patina Miller, Hailey Kilgore, Malcolm Mays, London Brown, Joey Bada$$ and more.

BMF:S3 – Monday 20th May 2024 | MGM+

Inspired by the true story of brothers Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, who rose from the decaying streets of southwest Detroit in the late 1980s and gave birth to one of the most influential crime families in the United States. Starring Demetrius Flenory Jr., Russel Hornsby, Da’Vinchi, La La Anthony, Sydney Mitchell, Michele Briana White, Laila Pruitt and more.

The Great British Sewing Bee – Tuesday 21st May @ 9pm | BBC One

Kiell Smith-Bynoe hosts the 10th season of the show, 12 sewers enter the sewing room and are tasked with challenges inspired by the very first set in the show’s first run.

Buying London – Wednesday 22nd May | Netflix

Big price tags, big personalities. At luxury estate agency DDRE Global, the only thing hotter than the super prime properties is the fiery office drama. With Estate Agent Reme Nicole.

Trying: S4 – Wednesday 22nd May | Apple TV+

Fast-forwards six years, finding Nikki and Jason as experienced adopters with a nuclear family and an extraordinary support network. However, they face the ultimate test when their teenage daughter Princess starts to yearn for a connection with her birth mother.

Insomnia – Thursday 23rd May | Paramount+

Follows a career-driven woman who starts to suffer from insomnia, just as her mother did before suffering from a violent psychotic breakdown. And as the past resurfaces, so do haunting doubts and fears.

Phoenix Rise: S3 – Friday 24th May | BBC iPlayer

The coming-of-age drama returns for a third series, following a group of misfits who form an unbreakable bond as they navigate the trials and tribulations of school life in the Midlands. Day one of a new school year and our misfit heroes are in huge trouble before home time. Will they get through it or will newcomers, Caleb, Faith and Matteo, tear the group apart? Meanwhile, inspirational new music teacher Miss Meehan (Fleur East) spurs Rani’s musical ambitions to new heights. Fleur East, Imogen Baker, Lauren Corah and Jayden Hanley

Atlas – Friday | Netflix

A brilliant counterterrorism analyst with a deep distrust of AI discovers it might be her only hope when a mission to capture a renegade robot goes awry. Starring Jennifer Lopez and Sterling K. Brown.

Radio 1’s Big Weekend: RAYE – Saturday 25th May @ 11:10pm | BBC One

The Big Weekend festival comes from Stockwood Park in Luton for three days of live music this year, with RAYE taking the Saturday night headline slot on the Main Stage.

Nigerian-born author Atinuke’s book Brilliant Black British History has clinched the prize for Children’s Non-Fiction Book of the Year at this year’s British Book Awards.

This was revealed at the award ceremony held on 13 May 2024 at Grosvenor House, London.

Illustrated by Kingsley Nebechi, the book saw off stiff competition from the likes of Sathnam Sanghera’s Stolen History, Leon Diop’s Black and Irish, Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara’s King Charles Volume 97 and Adam Kay’s Kay Incredible Inventions.

Celebrating her win, Atinuke stressed the importance of documentation and owning narratives:

“For hundreds of years, people, children, men, women, were sold in Britain on the equivalent of eBay, with the excuse being the colour of their skin, and we have stories of children in London being dragged by their hair through the streets when they tried to escape. Me standing here and winning this award for a Black history of Britain would’ve been beyond the wildest dreams of those enslaved people. One of the things that has made this possible is books. The autobiographies of Prince [Olaudah] Equiano and [Frederick] Douglass changed the minds of the British public about the institution of slavery. So, books are incredibly important, stories are incredibly important and we still don’t live in an equal and fair and safe society. But if we keep writing our books and keep telling our stories then maybe one day we will and all our wildest dreams will come true.”

Born in Ibadan and raised in Lagos, Atinuke is an author of children’s books and an oral storyteller of traditional African folktales. She is an award-winning author of over 20 children’s books based on her life in Nigeria and other African stories. Some of her books include Anna Hibiscus, Baby Goes to Market, Too Small Tola, Catch That Chicken and The No. 1 Car Spotter, among others. She lives in Wales

Brilliant Black British History is an eye-opening story of Britain, focusing on parts of British culture that have mostly been left out of history books. The incredible journey through time is brought to life through Atinuke’s fascinating storytelling and illustrated scenes, detailed maps, and timelines. Through her eyes, readers get to learn that the first Britons were Black and that some of the Roman soldiers who ruled Britain were Black, among other previously suppressed facts.

Covering a range of topics from science and sport to literature and law, Atinuke celebrates the brilliant Black people who have helped build Britain. Children can learn about key historical topics such as the world wars, slavery, the Industrial Revolution, Windrush, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

The British Book Awards, also known as “the Nibbies”, has been the book trade’s leading awards since 1990. These awards celebrate authors and illustrators, and showcase the industry behind the scenes that help bring the books to readers. Judged by leading industry experts, authors, journalists and celebrities, the Nibbies are regarded as “the BAFTAs of the book trade.’’

Click here to see the full list of winners.

Nollywood film Breath of Life pulled off a huge scoop of laurels at the recently-held Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs) …

The film clinched five awards on the night out of eleven nominations:

• Best Movie
• Best Lead Actor – Wale Ojo
• Best Supporting Actor – Demola Adedoyin
• Best Supporting Actress – Genoveva Umeh
• Best Director – BB Sasore

Breath of Life follows Timi, a brilliant multilingual man who becomes the first African clergyman in the Church of England. After marrying and having a daughter, he returns to Nigeria, leading a fulfilling life until his family is wiped out by a local thug. He manages to exact vengeance, but his soul is crushed and he stays reclusive for more than two decades until Elijah, a young boy, becomes his housekeeper and helps him rediscover his purpose. The film is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

C.J. Obasi’s critically acclaimed fantasy thriller Mami Wata, which has enjoyed an amazing festival run since its premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and which received eleven AMVCA nominations, won only one award which came in the Best Makeup category.

Funke Akindele’s blockbuster dramedy A Tribe Called Judah, which made history as the highest-grossing Nigerian film of all time, shockingly ended up with no awards, despite being nominated in five categories.

The AMVCAs is an award show presented by MultiChoice recognising outstanding performances in television, film, entertainment, and digital content creation throughout Nollywood and the entire African continent. It is widely regarded as one of the most hallowed award ceremonies as far as African cinema is concerned.

This year’s edition was held on 10 and 11 May 2024, featuring a series of events, the highlights of which included the Young Filmmakers Day, the Cultural Day Celebration, and the main Awards Night. These events saw the African film and television industry come together to honour outstanding talent and creativity in the industry.  For the awards, nine categories were subject to audience voting, while seventeen categories were determined by the AMVCA Jury.

Commenting on its tenth edition, Dr. Busola Tejumola, Executive Head of Content and Channels, West Africa, MultiChoice, said, “The Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards was created to honour exceptional achievements in television and film across the continent and we are excited to have been able to keep that fire burning through 10 editions. Year after year, we have received numerous entries and can attest to the growth in the quality of submissions with each edition. While this year’s edition is a milestone edition as it is the 10th, it is also a testament to the growth the film industry in Africa has experienced.”

Click here to see the full list of winners.

All Africa Music Awards …

The African Union Commission (AUC) has officially invited the governments of Nigeria and South Africa to take advantage of the hosting rights benefits of the next two editions of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA).

In a letter signed by the AUC’s Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development, Her Excellency, Ambassador Minata Samate Cessouma, the AU said the call aligns with its policies for the strategic transformation of Africa through social integration, as outlined in AU Agenda 2063, the Charter for African Cultural Renaissance, and the AU Plan for Action on Cultural and Creative Industry.

The AU has described AFRIMA as a global platform for celebrating and developing Africa’s diverse musical talents and cultural heritage, highlighting the significant opportunities hosting the prestigious awards presents for the selected host country.

According to organisers, AFRIMAs hosting rights are “usually bestowed on a country that shows capacity and commitment to meet up with the requirements and conditions.” 

AUC’s acting director for social development, culture, and sports, Angela Martins, noted that hosting AFRIMAs offers the host country opportunities for cultural showcasing, music sector development, tourism promotion and economic growth.

“This call to action comes as part of the AU’s commitment to promoting cultural exchange, unity, and economic development across the African continent,” she said. “We urge the governments of Nigeria and South Africa to seize this opportunity to strengthen intra-African collaboration in line with AfCFTA [the African Continental Free Trade Area] within the music industry and enhance their international visibility positively.

“AFRIMAs serve as a premier platform for African artists in Africa and diaspora to showcase their talent, gain international exposure and connect with audiences worldwide.”

The AFRIMAs, first held in 2014, operate based on core pillars encompassing awards, festivals, a creative academy, talent discovery and promotion, a music business hub, advocacy, and advisory and policy debates. It is usually broadcast live to over 84 countries.

Last year’s edition, tagged the “Teranga Edition”, was held in Senegal, and marked the first time that the awards ceremony was held in a Francophone African country. Afrobeats superstar Davido was the biggest winner on the night, clinching four awards: Best Male Artist in African Inspirational Music, Best Artist in African Pop categories, Best African Collaboration and Best Duo Group in African Electro. The Artist of the Year accolade went to Burna Boy, who also bagged Album of the Year.

Learn more about the AFRIMAs by visiting their official website.

South Africa’s Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) has announced the lineup of projects and participants for the 17th edition of Talents Durban …

Taking place during the Durban FilmMart (DFM) in Durban from 19 – 22 July 2024. 

This year’s edition of Talents Durban is distinguished by its inclusion of participants from 15 African countries, who collectively reflect the continent’s diversity of emerging film professionals. The selection process was highly competitive, with a record 499 applications resulting in the choice of 26 distinctive projects and 4 film critics, each bringing a fresh perspective to features, documentaries, shorts, series, animation, and film criticism. 

“The Durban FilmMart Institute is dedicated to the growth of African cinema through strategic collaborations that enhance access to markets and professional networks. Talents Durban, a core component of this commitment, aligns with Berlinale Talents to facilitate a rigorous developmental platform for emerging filmmakers. This partnership, now in its 17th iteration, leverages both our shared vision and the bold stories that Africa offers. We are particularly focused on providing filmmakers, animators and film critics with the tools and opportunities to bring their work to both regional audiences and the international stage, thereby ensuring sustained development of the continent’s film industry”, said DFMI Director, Magdalene Reddy.

As the African satellite programme of the Berlin International Film Festival and Berlinale Talents, Talents Durban holds a significant position within the DFMI’s programming portfolio.

Berlinale Talents is a networking platform organised by the Berlin International Film Festival, offering a space for emerging filmmakers to connect, learn, and collaborate. Talents Durban serves as its African counterpart, providing a similar platform specifically tailored to the continent’s unique filmmaking landscape.

The Heads of Berlinale Talents, Nikola Joetze and Florian Weghorn, also weighed in on the importance of Talents Durban to the African film ecosystem.

“Over the many years of our trusted partnership, Talents Durban has grown into a central hub on the continent, where project development, training and lasting exchange come together in the most sustainable way. We are extremely proud to welcome also this year’s very strong selection of participants to the global Talents community.”

Talents Durban is a training and development programme that brings together Africa’s rising film professionals – screenwriters and directors with fiction, documentary, animation, and hybrid projects in development (this includes all media formats such as film, television series, web series, and content for mobile platforms).

Talents Durban is an initiative of the Berlin International Film Festival and is part of six international initiatives of Berlinale Talents. Talents Durban was founded in 2007 as a partnership between the Durban International Film Festival and Berlinale. Since 2019, Talents Durban has become a project of the Durban FilmMart Institute.

Selected talents for the 2024 programme will participate in a series of project-oriented, hands-on skills development programmes. These include sessions such as Story Junction, where participants present their projects to producers and financiers, alongside masterclasses and one–on–one mentorship opportunities. Mounia Aram, Jihane Bougrine, Hawa Essuman, Yanis Gaye, Karabo Lediga, Carol Kioko, Beverly Mitchell, Kethiwe Ngcobo and Laza Razanajatovo, will serve as this year’s mentors.

Click here to see the full list of participants and feature projects at Talents Durban 2024.