Written by: Shanice Pillay and Preleen Pillay

The 8^th Durban FilmMart (DFM) got off to a great start at the Elangeni Hotel on Friday 14 July.

The annual event joined forces with film industry programme of the eThekwini Municipality’s Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DFF).

African Filmmakers, screenplay novelists and aspiring script writers from across the globe joined in on master class’s, seminars and built business networks during the four days.

One of the master classes at the event included Screenwriter and Director of the South African movie ‘Happiness is a four letter World’, Busisiwe Ntintili and Zimbabwean Writer and Filmmaker Tsitsi Dangaremba.

The class covered details of how to transform novels to script. They touched on topics of how to bring characters to life and creating the setting to catch the viewer’s attention.

Dr Gcina Mhlophe a poet, playwright, director, storyteller, actress and author was the facilitator of the session. She said that she hoped young writers would tell more stories.

“We were talking about adapting from a novel to a screen play and that is extremely important to work with those that have ready material. Sometimes you don’t know how to write a script from scratch, but there are materials out which we are able to make into films. I’m hoping young writers were listening and do something with their work,” said Hlophe.

Third year Marketing and Drama student, Quwezi Bhekka from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UZKN), said that the session was a blessing to her.

“When you (are) doing drama you’re obviously interested in theatre and film. Script writing is very interesting to me as I am a writer myself in theatre and film. Having the opportunity to listen to Tsitsi Dangaremba and Busisiwe is such a blessing and inspiration because her novel is a person’s story rather than speaking to the world out there,” said Bhekka.

Ntintili concluded by saying that the session was a success and that young people are passionate about telling their story. She is hoping they (young people) will gain the tools to start building their own stories.

*Caption: From left to right – Tsitsi Dangaremba, Dr Gcina Mhlophe and Busisiwe Ntintili.