DFA docSHARE presents: Get your film out there!
An interactive panel discussion about distribution strategy
18 June 2021 at 11:00 – 12:30     REGISTER HERE
DFA invites you to the launch of docSHARE – an interactive learning session where the film teams from I. Mary,  The Colonel’s Stray Dogs and I am Here will share their distribution strategies. Sivu Giba hosts the powerhouse panel which includes Khalid Shamis, Steven Markovitz, Tamsin Ranger, Bridget Pickering, Aliki Saragas-Georgiou, Jordy Sank and Gabriella Blumberg.
docSHARE is supported by the Gauteng Film Commission
Speakers:
KHALID SHAMIS
London born, half-Libyan half-South African. I manage to both direct and edit documentaries, although at vastly different paces. My own films take numerous years to finish whereas I construct and complete several films a year as an editor. This becomes a strange place of guiding first time filmmakers, directing directors, imbibing worlds alien to mine, containing and creating another’s vision, manifesting the dreams of the subjects in the films and being taken by the voice of the material itself. I have worked with some of the leading filmmakers in South Africa and has gathered a few awards along the way.
 
STEVEN MARKOVITZ
Steven Markovitz has 25 years’ experience producing feature films, documentaries and festivals. Steven co-founded Big World Cinema (1994), Encounters (1999) and Electric South (2005). He has produced and co-produced over 50 documentaries, including 2021’s The Colonel’s Stray Dogs (Hot Docs), Winnie (Winner Directing Award, Sundance), Silas (dir. Anjali Nayar & Hawa Essuman, 2017), Beats of the Antonov (dir. hajooj kuka, 2014), Congo in Four Acts (dir. Dieudo Hamadi, Kiripi Katembo, Divita Wa Lusala, 2010),Behind the Rainbow (dir. Jihan el Tahri, 2008) and Project 10 (Berlinale, Sundance, Tribeca, IDFA, 2005). He is a member of Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences.
 
TAMSIN RANGER
Following 6 years’ working in international television production in London, Tamsin joined Big World Cinema in 2011, managing award-winning productions and the distribution of films across Africa in over 20 countries. She is now Head of Production, producing several independent features, documentaries, and television series, which have screened at Sundance, Berlinale, Cannes, Venice, Toronto and IDFA and over 100 other festivals. In documentary, she co-produced Khalid Shamis’ The Colonel’s Stray Dogs, Yoav Shamir’s The Prophet and the Space Aliens and Anjali Nayar & Hawa Essuman’s Silas.
 
JORDY SANK
Jordy Sank is a South African director with a passion for emotive storytelling, with a strong vision of crafting content that evokes truth, and deep meaning. Jordy has worked in South Africa’s advertising industry, being guided and mentored by commercials-directing giants. His short film, ‘The Locket’, was nominated for a SAFTA and screened globally. I Am Here is his feature documentary directorial debut.
 
GABRIELLA BLUMBERG
Gabriella Blumberg is a South African born filmmaker and drama teacher. The short “I, Coolie” (2018) directed by Gabriella won first place student film at the San Francisco Black Film Festival, was screened in Cincinnati and won judge’s choice at Best Global Shorts festival. Gabriella is passionate about telling stories that have impact and cause. She works with non profit organisations in the Breast Health sector. She produced I Am Here – her debut feature documentary, an impactful humanitarian story.
 
ALIKI SARAGAS-GEORGIOU
Aliki is a South African documentary filmmaker and photographer. Her first award winning documentary feature film, Strike a Rock (2017) was in the official selection Sheffield Doc/Fest and IDFA and won multiple awards including the Amnesty International Award for Human Rights (2017), Best Documentary (2017/2018) in multiple juries across the world. Aliki sat on the first board for SWIFT (Sisters Working in Film and Television Organisation). She was selected as one of the 100 Young Mandelas of the future (2018), participated in Good Pitch (2016), Al Jazeera Pitching Forum (2016), IDFA Academy (2017), the Durban Berlinale Talents (2018), Durban FilmMart (2019) and Sheffield Meet Market (2021) . Aliki is the owner of Elafos Productions, a company dedicated to cinematic storytelling that focuses on social justice content. Aliki’s latest TV documentary that she directed, Born Survivor, that explores the intersection of GBV and Albinism, was broadcast on CGTN in September 2020. The feature length version, I Mary, will premiere at Encounters Documentary Festival in 2021.
 
BRIDGET PICKERING
Bridget Pickering has produced some of the highest rated television shows on South African television. In 2004 she was the South African Co producer on the Oscar nominated Hotel Rwanda. A graduate of Syracuse University, her professional experience started as a Casting Assistant for Bonnie Timmerman at Universal Pictures where she worked on films such as Glengarry Glen Ross and Last of the Mohicans.  Bridget started On Land Productions in Namibia, producing and directing films about the changing social, political landscape in Southern Africa.  They include; the award winning, FLAME screened at Cannes in 1996, Sophia’s Homecoming (part of the Africa Dreaming series). In 2003 she started Luna Films renamed as Fireworxmedia, a production company which produced feature documentaries and television drama. Fireworxmedia was one of most awarded production companies during its existence winning all major South African documentary awards for films such as Seapoint Days and My Mother’s House.  She is Co Producer of the feature film TASTE OF RAIN  which was screened at the Durban International Festival (DIFF) and on Mnet.  Bridget was a co producer on the groundbreaking feature documentary, LIYANA which won the Jury prize for the Best Documentary at the LA Film Festival in June 2017 and at DIFF in 2017.  She was the Impact Producer in South Africa for Jennifer Fox’s, The Tale which won two awards at the Durban Film Festival in July 2018.  In 2020, she produced two documentaries; one an internal documentary for Netflix, SA Spotlight and Born Survivor for CGTN (China TV) which was screened in August 2020. She is preparing to produce her feature film The Night Outside in June 2021.
 
Moderator: SIVU GIBA
Sivuyisiwe Giba is a Board Member of the DFA and is the co-founder and director of SivuBuhle Media, a documentary and multimedia production company based in the Eastern Cape. Sivu comes with a variety of film experiences from working as an AD in various feature films e.g. Mad Max and as a Local cast and extra’s co-ordinator for KaalKagat  Karel – to documentary production- Yaya Come Wild With Us as a production developer – and her passion is mostly in documentary filmmaking, where she had her formal film training from Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking specialising in producing, directing and editing. She won Best Documentary Class of 2013 at the Cape Winelands International Film Festival. Her Documentary Film Xoma Aob – Son of The Soil got an official selection at the Gauteng Film Commission  “Woman Online Film Festival 2020.” She is also a Film business developer who is passionate about provincial film development and with her Degree of Entrepreneurship and New Venture creation from WITS Business School, she is able to see business opportunities through film tourism, co-productions and development. Sivu is passionate about indigenous stories and that is what she mainly produces and directs especially authentic rural stories where the heart of the community is.
 
DFA docCHAT with Netflix: Online Distribution
18 June 2021 at 14:00 – 15:00     REGISTER HERE
DFA hosts a docCHAT with the Netflix Africa team, which unpacks the process and opportunities and pitfalls. docCHAT is a bi-monthly webinar, designed to keep the conversation going with our members. During Encounters we open this session to festival-goers.
docCHAT is supported by the Gauteng Film Commission