Technology & Convergence In Brief
* Mobile content sites SuperSport.mobi and m.24.com rapidly increased their popularity among news- and sport-hungry South Africans during the festive season break leading them to claim the country's top two mobile destination spots in January 2010. This is according to Nielsen's Online Ranking Report which was released on 1 February, 2010. Knocking previous mobile leader Soccer Laduma Mobile off the top spot for the second month in a row, SuperSport.mobi, which launched barely two months ago, recorded 355,250 unique browsers in January while m.24.com, ranked third place in December, increased its traction by 12% to secure the second spot with 196,684 unique browsers. The fact that both mobile sites are part of a bigger integrated network - SuperSport.mobi is aligned to its TV and website offering and m.24.com to South Africa's largest digital news destination, News24 - cannot be ignored and is largely responsible for their fast-tracked climb to securing the top two spots in the country.
www.thespacestation.co.za
*Every month 1Africa releases free digital specialist programming for affiliate radio stations on its FTP site for rebroadcast. These focus on various issues such as health, family and community. Please contact us for more information, to get our FTP details or to become an affiliate, contact Tracy: (021) 950 6900.See affiliates page: http://www.1africa.tv/affiliate.php
*More than two million Kenyans are on Facebook, with new research indicating that the popular social networking website is slowly edging out the e-mail as the preferred mode of electronic communication.79 per cent of Internet-savvy Kenyans visit the website, using it as a primary means to talk to friends, relatives and work mates.The research revealed that the emergence of a younger, more Internet-reliant consumer could force traditional media such as television, print and radio to potentially lose out on advertising revenue as Internet penetration increases. “This level of media usage is close to the average time spent on television Facebook also claimed the lion's share of total page views, with 2.64 billion in December, beating Google into second place with 894.3 million page views.Facebook saw the most amount of time spent on its mobile site in December, accounting for 2.16 billion minutes during the month, with Google again second, claiming 395.6 million minutes.
*18th February 2010
African History month co-presentation
venue: NY, USA - Schomburg Center for research in black culture
organised by Africa Film Festival Inc.
http://www.africanfilmny.org/aff_fest.html
*22nd till 28th February 2010
Aluta Film Festival
venue: Kimberley, South Africa.
Call for Entries: The organisers of the Aluta Film Festival, South African premier township cinema event, are calling for entries from South African and International filmmakers for 2010, the 7th edition of the festival.
Deadline: November
Categories: Features; documentaries; animation; short films
Requirements: Preview: DVD PAL. Screening: 16mm, 35mm and video
Awards: Aluta! Revolution Awards
Fees: None
Administrative address: 18985 Guttenburg Pitse Street, John Mampe. Phase One, Galeshewe, Kimberley 8300, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0)76 853 1214
Fax: +27 (0)86 513 7783
motheoseleke@yahoo.com
Festival Administrator: Nandipha Shwababa
*24-26 February 2010
DISCOP AFRICA 3
Venue: Pullman Teranga hotel in Dakar, Senegal.
Film and TV content trade show, one of the most important event for the development of audiovisual content business in sub-saharan Africa fueled by overall growth in disposable income and advertising spending, the ongoing switchover process, strong broadband deployment, a fast-growing home-video marketplace, the construction of multiplex cinemas and the emergence of IPTV.
http://www.discop.com/ci/pages/show/discop_africa_3
* February 2010 (date TBC)
SAFTA 2010
The 4th South African Film and Television Awards. The closing date for entry submission was July 30 2009.
Formats include:
- For the Feature Film, Made for TV Movie, Documentary, Television Non Fiction, Short Film, And Student Sections
- In the Television Fiction section: TV Drama, TV Soap, Mini Series and TV Comedy
http://nfvf.co.za
* 17-27 March 2010
Cape Winelands Film Festival 2010
venue: Cape Town
One of South Africa’s largest film festivals, Cape Winelands Film Festival has announced an official call for entries.
http://films-for-africa.co.za/index.php?option=com_
content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=28
*5-10 April 2010
AMAA Short Film Competition
Venue: Lagos, Nigeria.
The AMAAs are barely half a decade old – but within this relatively short period, they have made a significant impact on the African motion picture industry. They have created vast opportunities for linkages, for networking and for interfacing within and outside the continent. This synergy has diversified and intensified the reservoir of creativity in the industry.
http://www.filmcontact.com/nigeria/events/amaa-short-film-competition-african-universities
*April 7th to 13th, 2010
17th NY Africa Film Festival (first session)
venue: NY, USA - Walter Reade Theatre, Lincoln Center,
The famous Festival organised by African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) celebrates the richness of African and African Diaspora culture.
CELEBRATING: FIFTY YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE FOR 17 AFRICAN NATIONS • NEW AND EMERGING THEMES IN AFRICAN CINEMA • 2010 SOUTH AFRICAN WORLD CUP
http://www.africanfilmny.org/aff_fest.html
*10-15 April 2010
NAB Show 2010
Venue: Las Vegas Convention Center, Nevada, USA.
More than just broadcasting, the NAB Show is the world\rquote s largest digital media industry event attended by leading media, content, entertainment and communications professionals who share a passion for the next generation of video and audio content across multiple platforms \emdash from television, radios and computers to phones, the big screen and beyond.
Over twice the size of any other event of its kind, the annual NAB Show usually attracts more than 23,000 buyers from outside the U.S. who come to do business with more than 1,500 of the leading industry suppliers.
http://www.nabshow.com/2010/index.asp
*10-11 April 2010
MIPDoc 2010
Venue: Cannes, France.
http://www.mipworld.com/en/MIPDOC/
*12-15 April 2010
SatCom Africa 2010
Venue: Sandton Convention Centre - Johannesburg, South Africa
http://www.terrapinn.com/2010/satcomza/
http://www.terrapinn.com/2010/satcomawardsza/
*12-16 April 2010
MIPTV 2010
venue: Cannes, France.
The World's international TV content market event. The conference programme usually presents over 150 of the biggest names in global TV and film entertainment, digital media and advertising.
Exhibitors from Africa and Middle East usually accounts for 3% of total figures.
http://www.mipworld.com/en/MIPTV/Conferences-events/
*13-April 2010
SatCom Star Awards
Venue: Sandton Sun Hotel - Johannesburg, SA.
Africa\rquote s premier satellite event brings you the industry awards for best practice.
http://www.terrapinn.com/2010/satcomawardsza/
*15-25 April 2010
26th PanAfrican International Film Festival
Venue: Montreal, Canada
Festival organized by Vues d’Afrique, open to films from all the continents, depicting African, Caribbean and Diaspora realities through a broad range of subjects.
For the past few years the festival has devoted an entire section to the new generation of African Digital filmmaking. Works who aspire to be "a direct reflection of what happens on the ground" and that enable us to discover video productions that are both very contemporary and urban.
www.festivalpanafrica.com
*19-21 May 2010
Broadcast & Film Africa 2010
venue: Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) Nairobi - Kenya.
http://www.aitecafrica.com/event/view/43
*12-23 May 2010
Festival de Cannes
venue: Palais du Festival, Cannes, South of France.
The Festival de Cannes has celebrated the cinema for more than 60 years.
Over the years, the French Association of the International Film Festival has been able to evolve whilst retaining the essential: the passion for motion pictures, discovery of new talents, and enthusiasm of festival-goers and professionals from around the world, all contributing to the birth and distribution of films.
http://www.festival-cannes.com
*May 28th to 31st, 2010
17th NY Africa Film Festival (second session)
venue: NY, USA - Bamcinémateque and Bam Rose Cinemas
The famous Festival organised by African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) celebrates the richness of African and African Diaspora culture.
CELEBRATING: FIFTY YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE FOR 17 AFRICAN NATIONS • NEW AND EMERGING THEMES IN AFRICAN CINEMA • 2010 SOUTH AFRICAN WORLD CUP
http://www.africanfilmny.org/aff_fest.html
*16-27 June 2010
2010 Edinburgh International Film Festival
Venue: Edinburgh, Scotland.
The Festival is internationally regarded as a focus for discovery, a celebration of cinema, a centre of debate and a catalyst for new films. EIFF is committed to screening high quality new short and feature film and video work in all genres from around the world.
Please note all submitted films should be no more than 12 months old by June 2010 and EIFF requires at least UK premiere status.
http://www.edfilmfest.org.uk/
*June 2010 - date TBA
RWANDA FILM FESTIVAL
venue: Kigali, Rwanda
http://tinyurl.com/yczef4g
*July 2010 - date TBA
ZANZIBAR INTERNATIONAL FILMFESTIVAL (ZIFF)
venue: Tanzania
http://www.ziff.or.tz/
*2-3 August 2010
The Internet Show Africa
Venue: Sandton Convention Centre - Johannesburg, SA.
There are four seminar theatres themed around the following: Digital advertising and marketing, Web 2.0 and social networking, e-commerce and payments, Content management and streaming.
http://www.terrapinn.com/2010/africa/
*FORMER Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) Chairman Ponhele Andrew Mbidi Ya France died in Windhoek on Monday night after a long fight against cancer.Ya France also served as a Swapo Member of Parliament and President of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW).
*A senior reporter with Nigeria’sKapital F.M, Silas Utin, Saturday slumped and died inside his bathroom as he was preparing for work.
* Cameroon’s CRTV television sports reporter Tina Kwo died in Buea after a protracted illness.
2010 International Emmy Awards
Call for entries
ENTRY DEADLINE: Friday, February 5, 2010
The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is now accepting entries for the 2010 International Emmy Awards.
http://www.iemmys.tv/awards_entry.aspx
Eligible submissions must have been created and initially distributed outside of the United States between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009. The deadline for entries is February 5, 2010.
awardsdept@iemmys.tv
7th African Film Festival, Tarifa
The 2nd Spanish-African forum of film co-production Africa Produce and Co-production Incentive Fund has issued a Call for Entries. Africa Produce is a forum between African filmmakers and Spanish producers and Spanish TV commissioning editors and TV managers in charge of co-production. The goal is to introduce
African cinema projects to the Spanish co-production market.
The Centro de Divulgación Cultural del Estrecho Al Tarab (the NGO organizing The African Film Festival of Tarifa and Africa Produce) invites African filmmakers to participate with their feature length and documentary film projects1 in the 2nd Spanish-African forum of film co- production, Africa Produce.
Africa Produce takes place within the African Film Festival of Tarifa (May 21st-29th, 2010) and it is supported by the Spanish Agency for International Development and Co-operation (AECID).
carlos@fcat.es
Vue d'Afrique: Call for entries
26th PanAfrican International Film Festival
15th to 25th April 2010
Montreal, Canada
FILM SUBMISSIONS
Festival organized by Vues d’Afrique
100, Sherbrooke East
Suite 3100
Montreal, (Québec) H2X 1C3
Canada
coordination@vuesdafrique.org
Tel. : +1 514 284 3322 extension 230
www.festivalpanafrica.com
INTERNATIONAL SECTION
Fiction, Feature length and short film Category
Documentary, Feature length and short film Category
Open to films from all the continents, depicting African, Caribbean and Diaspora realities through a broad range of subjects.
Deadline for submission: 31st December 2009
Registration Fees: none
Eligibility:
1) Film finished on or after: 1st January 2008
2) Origin: All countries
3) Screening format: 35 mm, Beta SP, Digital Betacam or DVD
4) Films need to be in French or subtitled in French or English
INTERNATIONAL SECTION
Digital Africa category. TV series, soaps, fiction and short films
For the past few years the festival has devoted an entire section to the new generation of African Digital filmmaking. Works who aspire to be "a direct reflection of what happens on the ground" and that enable us to discover video productions that are both very contemporary and urban.
Deadline for submission: 15th January 2010
Registration Fees: none
Eligibility:
1) Film finished on or after: 1st January 2008
2) Origin: All countries
3) Screening format: Beta SP, Digital Betacam or DVD
4) Film need to be in French or subtitled in French or English