12 Africa this year”, said one British content distributor. “But we are just dipping our toes in the water.” Another U.K. participant had this to say: “The organizers are overstating things — we have one person going.” One South African TV operator was even more succinct: “It is unlikely that I will attend.” The issues facing the market are varied. Some TV executives think that one of its major problems has to do with its calendar dates, September 4-6, meaning it’s taking place a few days later than it did last year (August 2426, 2022), although it’s still at the end of the region’s winter season. However, the bottom line has more to do with the amount of business expected to be done there. One Sales executive with vast experience on the African Continent explained to VideoAge that MIP Africa doesn’t attract buyers from outside the region, and that the domestic market is very small for independent distributors, who, our source revealed, “are lucky to get offers for U.S.$200 per hour. And the risk of piracy is high.” The U.S. is a case in point. Even though there are seven channels in the U.S. that are fully programmed with content aimed at attracting African diaspora viewers, they do not acquire programs from Africa. But this is said to be caused by the Africans themselves because they are still not yet capable of adequately promoting their content. Nonetheless, there are some past attendees who are fully committed to the South African market and hope to repeat the positive experience this year. Last year, Chevonne O’Shaughnessy (pictured at her stand at top right), president of the Van Nuys, California-based American Cinema International (ACI), reported: “The market was great for both Billy Dundee of African Entertainment and ACI. Billy and I produced A Royal Surprise, our first movie in South Africa and diversity that is unique to the region’s cinematic artistry. Lyse Nsengiyumva, who’s originally from Rwanda and based in Belgium, steps into the role of the FAME Film Shorts Festival Program director. She is known for curating film programs that take place at art and cultural spaces in various cities across Europe. “The FAME Film Shorts Festival celebrates and elevates African filmmakers and their thought-provoking cinematic creations”, she said. “As an alumnus of the first edition of the Southern Africa-Locarno Industry Academy, I’m honored to be part of this program again, this time around as a program director. I will be working closely with a team of nine women film professionals to curate a balanced program that will captivate and inspire audiences, innovating from the first year, and putting African curators at the forefront of the selection process.” The Locarno Industry Academy, part of the Locarno (Switzerland) Film Festival, is a workshop for young professionals working in international sales, marketing, traditional and online distribution, exhibition, and film programming. Cape Town-based Realness Institute, known for nurturing professional African screen talent, played a vital role in the festival’s selection process. Through its Southern Africa-Locarno Industry Academy 2023, participants and FAME Film Shorts Festival judges, they ensured a process and selection that captures the complex realities faced across the continent. “After eight years of sourcing talent through our labs, with a strong focus on discovery, we believe Realness Institute is well appointed to present this showcase of stories”, commented Elias Ribeiro, Program director and Locarnoappointed Southern Africa manager, “We wanted to spotlight fresh and untapped narratives, with all 31 films coming from Africa and the diaspora, for a Cape Town audience, and could not be more proud of our collaboration with Lyse Nsengiyumva on the program.” last year. We did not [pre-sell it]. We just financed it and we got lucky that the movie sold to the BET network in the U.S. And now BET wants two more movies with the same cast as a continuation of the story. Billy and I saw different production companies [at MIP Africa], as well as talked with the major channels in South Africa to buy some of their content for our U.S. platforms. We were very busy with very good meetings.” As of early August 2023, MIP Africa organizers reported a total of 289 participating companies, of which 59 are buying enterprises, 66 are distribution companies, and 92 are production entities. With some 30 companies, Canada represents the largest group among foreign participants, followed by the U.S. (with 23 companies), the U.K. with 10, and Turkey with seven. Last year, there were four elements that were blamed for the market’s poor showing. This year, some of these issues have been addressed by organizers. First, the market focused too much on Africa-centric exhibitors. Indeed, of the 40 exhibitors at MIP Africa, three content sales companies were from the U.S., and five were from Europe. This time around, the 66 selling companies hail from a variety of countries, including Mexico and the Philippines. Second, the organizers tried to cram too many parallel and sideline events into its FAME Week, which caused the market to lose some of its focus. Unfortunately, this “dilution” still persists this year. Third, the event was too reliant on the presence of executives from streamers, which don’t traditionally sell their content, and usually only exhibit as a promotional tool. This year, there is a better mix of linear and streaming TV outlets that are participating. And finally, there were the dates, August 24-26. This period was a low season for the southern hemisphere and it is therefore not all that appealing for foreign visitors, especially when many would-be participants would rather have taken their summer vacations then. However, this year’s market inches into September, meaning better weather. Then there was the criticism that Cape Town was too expensive a destination for buyers. This year, the lower exchange rate with the local currency (U.S.$10 for 187 Rands, versus 140 in 2022) has solved the issue. Nonetheless, the African filmmaking community is looking forward to the FAME Film Shorts Festival, an addition to FAME Week Africa 2023. The event is also organized by RX Africa, is open to the public, and is dedicated to celebrating the innovation, creativity, and exceptional talent of independent filmmakers from across the continent. The aim is to discover and connect these filmmakers to the international film industry. The FAME Film Shorts Festival takes place from September 7-9. The Labia, Cape Town’s oldest independent art-repertory movie theater in South Africa, will showcase short films from a selection of African filmmakers. The festival will feature 31 films from across Africa and the continent’s diaspora that reflect the creativity MIP Africa Preview (Continued from Cover) September 2023 American Cinema International is among the U.S. exhibitors returning to this year’s market.
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