Projects from Durban FilmMart participants Nadine Salib, Mayenzeke Baza, Riaan Hendricks and Eddie Edwards are among the eight winning projects that were selected to receive grants in the 2nd round of the Hot Docs Blue Ice Group Documentary Fund which is coordinated by the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.

Three categories of funding were granted to the following DFM Projects:

– Hot Docs-Blue Ice Group Documentary Fund Development Grant awarded to Mother of the Unborn (Egypt), director Nadine Salib and co-producers Hala Lotfi and Fawzi Saleh.

– Hot Docs-Blue Ice Group Documentary Production Grant awarded to Ndiyindoda/ I am a Man (South Africa), director and producer Mayenzeke Baza.

– Hot Docs-Blue Ice Group Documentary Completion Grant awarded to two DFM Projects; The Devil’s Lair (South Africa) directed by Riaan Hendricks, and produced by Neil Brandt and Rollaball (South Africa) a DFM 2011 project participant, directed by Eddie Edwards and produced by Steven Markovitz.

The fund will also provide grantees with travel, accommodation and accreditation support to attend the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival and Hot Docs-Blue Ice Group Filmmakers Lab.

Established by Toronto-based Blue Ice Film, the Fund was launched in 2011 as a grant programme providing financial support to African documentary filmmakers for either development or production. In addition to financing, the initiative also offers valuable resources to support production and professional development, and offers filmmakers opportunities to access the international documentary community.

Call for submissions to the 4th Durban FilmMart is now open. Filmmakers are encouraged to submit their film project materials early and be mindful of the submission deadline, which is the 15th of February 2013.

DFM is fast becoming one of the most important meeting places on the African continent for African Filmmakers to connect with the global markets and is set to take place in Durban from 19-22 July 2013, alongside the 34th edition of the Durban International Film Festival (18-28 July 2013). The DFM is an annual co-production and finance market, a joint programme of the Durban Film Office and the Durban International Film Festival with principle funding from the City of Durban.

Visit www.durbanfilmmart.com.