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Durban — With a global debate calling for greater diversity and representation onscreen, and growing demand for documentaries across borders and platforms, the organizers of the 9th Durban FilmMart (Dfm) made a concerted effort this year to add African voices to the conversation.

“For Africa, documentary filmmaking is such an important space, in terms of developing content and really understanding how to tell stories to audiences through cinema,” said Toni Monty, head of the Durban Film Office and the Dfm.

She added: “We really want to increase that focus and create a bigger space for documentaries in Durban. We inched forward on that this year, with the intention of really building that in the future.”

Eight documentaries were among the 16 African projects in development taking part in this year’s finance forum at the Dfm. Before pitching to an audience of leading broadcasters, financiers, funding bodies, and other potential investors, the...

Durban — With world leaders arriving in Johannesburg this week, with an aim toward boosting trade ties and stimulating the economies of the five member states at the annual Brics summit, delegations from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa gathered in Durban to highlight the countries’ cultural output at the 3rd annual Brics Film Festival.

Running parallel to the Durban Film Festival, the Brics festival opened Sunday night with a splashy ceremony featuring live performances and short films from each of the member states. At the Durban FilmMart on Monday, a delegation of filmmakers and cultural representatives from each nation gathered to look at how the festival – still in its infant stages – can set the groundwork for greater collaboration in the years ahead.

“We do have a lot more in common with Brics countries than we have with our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world,” said South African filmmaker Xoliswa Sithole,...

Everything from street hustlers and school teachers to Nobel prize winners and Islamist extremists in a feast of African film

We have selected eight films from five African countries to look out for in 2013 – the year of the 23rd edition of Fespaco – the bi-annual pan-African film and television festival of Ouagadougou.

Burn it up Djassa by Lonesome Solo (Cote d'Ivoire)

Labelled "a film by the people for the people", Burn it up Djassa is about a young street hustler in Abidjan looking for a break. After shooting his first feature, Lonesome Solo escaped the war torn Cote d'Ivoire and has not been seen since.

Half of a Yellow Sun by Biyi Bandele (Nigeria/UK)

The adaptation of Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi-Adiche's Orange Prize-winning and bestselling epic, stars Thandie Newton and Chewitel Ejiofor. Nigerian investors contributed with 80% of the budget to fellow Nigerian director and writer Bandele's feature debut.

Jeppe on a Friday by Shannon Walsh,...

The Good Wife, HBO’s The Pacific, and Justified were among the record 39 recipients of the 70th Annual Peabody Awards, which honor the best in electronic media. “For 70 years the Peabody Award has defined excellence in electronic media,” said Horace Newcomb, director of the Peabody Awards. “This list of Peabody recipients continues the commitment of the University of Georgia and the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, the stewards of the award. With that commitment, we challenge media makers and distributors to reach higher, try harder and be ever mindful of their central role in public life.