The 17th edition of Durban FilmMart will bring some of South Africa’s biggest film industry voices together to unpack the challenges and opportunities facing local creatives.
Durban, South Africa (25 August 2026) – South Africa’s film industry will take centre stage at this year’s Durban FilmMart, with some of the country’s leading guilds, organisations and creative voices coming together to unpack the challenges and opportunities shaping the sector.
The 17th edition of the Durban FilmMart runs from 9 to 12 October 2026 under the theme “Shifting Worlds: Turning Towards Ourselves”. Through its SA in Focus programme, the event will look inward at what needs to change within the local audiovisual industry while also considering how South African filmmakers can strengthen their position internationally.
Durban FilmMart Institute Director Magdalene Reddy says the industry is facing real challenges, making honest conversations and collaboration more important than ever.
The programme will tackle everything from artificial intelligence and streaming to funding, representation, intellectual property and the changing way audiences consume stories.
Animation SA will kick off the SA in Focus stream with a discussion on how animation and gaming can adapt to changing markets, including the impact of streaming, generative AI and new approaches to marketing and distribution.
The Documentary Filmmakers Association will explore how nonfiction storytelling is evolving in a world of endless online content, while the Writers Guild of South Africa will tackle one of the biggest conversations in the creative industries right now with “Writers vs the Machine”.
Editors will also have their say, with the South African Guild of Editors making the case for bringing editors into the creative process much earlier, while the Independent Black Filmmakers Collective will confront funding uncertainty and delayed incentives in a session aptly titled “The System Is Broken. Let’s Fix It.”
The Independent Producers Organisation will unpack the Olsberg SPI Economic Study and what its findings could mean for the sustainability and growth of South Africa’s film and television industry.
Representation and ownership will also feature strongly. The South African Guild of Actors will discuss performers as co-creators and their role in African intellectual property, while Sisters Working in Film and Television (SWIFT) will highlight the importance of women having a stronger voice in industry and policy conversations.
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UP's 2026 Principal's Concert Raises R170,000 to Help Graduates Secure Their DegreesThe 2026 programme will also welcome the South African Audio-Visual Cluster and Pixel Creators (Animation and Gaming Cluster) from the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, marking their first appearance at the Durban FilmMart.
It is also a space to ask some big questions about where the industry is going and how it can get there together.
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