VIDEOAGE September 2024 MIP Africa 14 (Continued from Cover) sales companies are 30 (see list below). However, including all other sectors (like producers, associations, and service companies) that will have a presence on opening day, September 2, 2024, over 340 entities will converge at the Cape Town International Convention Center 2 for the third annual three-day market to be held on September 2-4, 2024. This is an increase over the 289 companies that participated in the event last year. Among the actual sales distribution companies are All3Media, ACI, A&E, ATV, GMA, Inter Medya, Global Agency, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Television, Impact(ed) International (formerly, Discovery Learning Alliance), and Entertainment Studios. “This year marks [ACI’s] third exploration of MIP Africa as we continue to strengthen relationships with African producers and broadcasters,” said Chevonne O’Shaughnessy, CEO of the Los Angelesbased ACI. She also added: “We’ve already collaborated on several films with our South African partner, AED, and together have licensed South African TV content. The positive response from our international markets on this content has been both encouraging and validating.” Under the banner of “Your Africa, Your Story,” RX Africa, the organizers of FAME Week Africa, have promised to whisk participants away to a world of inspiration from September 1-7, 2024, right in the heart of Cape Town. The first four days, September 1-4, will be the MIP Africa marketplace, and will feature enlightening content sessions from Cape Town International Animation Festival (CTIAF), Muziki Africa, and MIP Africa, as well as networking opportunities and pitching sessions. Then, from September 5-7, there will be the spectacle known as FAME After Dark, and the FAME Shorts Film Festival, a celebration of African cinema. Hollywood is also responding to MIP Africa’s call. American television host, comedian, and producer Steve Harvey will be in attendance at FAME Week Africa 2024. Harvey will deliver a keynote address on Monday, September 2, at MIP Africa, one of the key events of FAME. In his keynote, Harvey will share his journey from a young comedian to a prominent global television figure. He will also detail his commitment to the Botswana Ignite! initiative, emphasizing its potential benefits for Botswana and the entire continent of Africa. Harvey will then participate in a fireside chat with Duncan Irvine, the Botswana Ignite Project director, and a member of the Botswana government. They will discuss the Botswana TV Academy, the Botswana Wildlife Film School, and the newly planned Film Commission and rebate scheme, outlining how these elements aim to benefit Africa’s creative industries. Harvey will also engage in networking opportunities, representing Botswana’s growing creative sector and his foundation’s dedication to expanding the local film and television industry. Key Participating Distribution Companies • A+E Networks, U.K. • AAA Entertainment, South Africa • All3Media, U.K. • America Cinema International, USA • ATV, Turkey • Deutsche Welle, Germany • DIFFA, Cote d’Ivoire • Entertainment Studios, USA • FCCE, Netherlands • FilmOne Entertainment, Nigeria • Fremantle, UAE • Global Agency, Turkey • GMA Worldwide, Philippines • Go-Quest Media, India • Impact(ed) International, USA • IMPS (The Smurfs), Belgium • Indigo Entertainment, U.K. • Inter Medya, Turkey • Moonbug, U.K. • NBCUniversal, USA • Rapid Blue, South Africa • Red Arrow, Germany • Redemption TV, Nigeria • Safe Media, Lebanon • Sony Pictures, U.K. • SPI International, Italy • The Media Hub TV, India • The Walt Disney Company, India • Wordsword Creations, India • ZDF Studios, Germany The Less Glamorous Business Side of the Venice Film Fest The 81st Venice International Film Festival is not just art, red carpets, celebrities, and controversies (such as those for onscreen sex scenes from films like Queer and Diva Futura), but also business dealings, as indicated by the Venice Production Bridge, which includes the Venice Gap-Financing Market, the Book Adaptation Rights Market, and the Venice Immersive Market. The Festival is organized by La Biennale di Venezia and will be held at Palazzo del Cinema and Palazzo del Casino on the island of Lido di Venezia from August 28 to September 7, 2024. The longstanding event is officially recognized by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Association). On the other hand, the 11th edition of the business section of the Festival runs from August 29 to September 3, 2024, and is held at the Excelsior Hotel, also located at the Venice Lido, and at the nearby Lazzaretto Vecchio island, where the countries’ pavilions (including ones from France, Luxembourg & WallonieBrussels, Japan, and Baltic Films, among others), will be located. The Venice Gap-Financing Market is a platform for selected projects that aims to support European and international producers to secure financing for their projects through one-to-one meetings with potential international partners. This year, the Book Adaptation Rights Market focuses on crime-thrillers and features a panel about “The Future of Audiovisual Rights.” The third annual Venice Immersive Market will be held at Lazzaretto Vecchio and includes the presentation of immersive content, which basically relies on two technologies: Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). As for this year’s official poster, Italian illustrator and artist Lorenzo Mattotti is, for the seventh consecutive year, the creative designer of the poster’s image, which depicts an elephant in the lagoon (pictured).
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