Filmmakers from Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda have been selected to receive one year of funding, mentorship and training opportunities.
As part of its Akademie Film Development Fund, German broadcaster DW selected 15 filmmakers from Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda for the 2023 grant programme.
Five grantees per country were selected by three country-specific juries comprised of industry professionals. Each will receive one year of funding, mentorship and training opportunities.
The programme, supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), helps the grantees to work on the development of their films. Grantees will receive €10,000, be matched with an experienced script mentor for the duration of the programme and have access to tailor-made training and networking opportunities. Workshops and skills development trainings will be led by industry professionals.
The programme was made possible through close collaboration with the three lead country experts, Tamara Dawit for Ethiopia, Amil Shivji for Tanzania, and Fibby Kioria for Uganda, who designed the training and mentoring programme for 2023 and will accompany the 15 grantees throughout the funding year.
Speaking about the grant, Abigail Megbar Debebe, a filmmaker from Ethiopia and 2023 grantee, said: “It is so rare that a film project gets funding this early and having an experienced filmmaker’s mentorship is a unique opportunity. I can’t think of a more perfect way to grow my filmmaking career!”
Each successful grantee must have released at least one film and have a ready concept for a feature-length documentary, fiction or hybrid film. The program is designed to support the filmmakers as they work to take their proposed films through the development stage.
Ritha Saxon, another 2023 grantee and a filmmaker from Tanzania, added: “My project is like a small plant and the DW Akademie Film Development Fund offers the light it needs to grow and have a great impact on society.”
Lina Hartwieg, Programme Director, DW Akademie Film Industries, stated: “One of the reasons the Film Fund has been successful is the growing community of film professionals that are involved and collectively contributing to the strength of the programme. This also applies to many talented and motivated mentors who are more than willing to share their deep knowledge of the craft and the industry.”
With the Film Fund, DW Akademie is actively contributing to social change, freedom of expression, and the economic empowerment of local African storytellers. The project was launched in 2021 and, in addition to the 2023 grantees, has already supported 15 filmmakers in developing their films. This is the first year that the fund’s application process ran simultaneously for all three countries.
