JBX Market Head on How Joburg Event Can Boost Africa as ‘Global Force’ in Film and TV Production

by

The third installment of JBX, known as Joburg Xchange, a gathering for professionals within the industry taking place from March 12 to 14 alongside the Joburg Film Festival, aims to highlight Africa’s influence on determining the future direction of film, television, and digital storytelling.

2019’s event emphasizes narratives “originally crafted in Johannesburg for Africa and beyond,” mirroring the increasing interest in African tales, creative entrepreneurship, and robust film industry frameworks, as stated by Timothy Mangwedi, Joburg Film Festival’s director.

The focal point is the JBX Talks event, bringing together experts in the field from various continents for discussions, workshops, panel debates, and masterclasses aimed at providing professionals with essential skills to adapt in a swiftly changing media world, as stated by Mangwedi.

2021’s event focuses on six primary topics. Initially, it delves into strategies for broadening African narratives across global stages, examining methods for creators to tailor their content for both mainstream and specialized markets. Secondly, the focus shifts towards monetization, digital innovation, and innovative business approaches, investigating income sources via direct-to-consumer channels, branded content, AI-generated storytelling, and sports content monetization.

Another important aspect will center on enhancing collaborative productions and facilitating market entry for underrepresented groups, maximizing the potential of current co-production agreements and acquiring funding through international collaborations. Moreover, JBX will explore how film festivals, marketplaces, and professional alliances can assist African filmmakers in establishing long-term careers and broadening their audience base.

Following that, we’ll delve into a focus on ethical aspects within the industry, including labor standards, employee advocacy, and tackling systemic issues like equitable compensation, moral production methods, and the growing influence of women in this field. The finale will highlight what they refer to as “expert craftsmanship from trailblazing filmmakers,” featuring workshops led by esteemed directors and producers discussing narrative development, historical accounts, and the fusion of cinema with activism.

Distinguished attendees at this industry gathering comprise Jennifer Okafor-Iwuchukwu, who is an apprentice agent as well as an intellectual property facilitator at CAA; Steven Adams, a multiple Peabody Award-winning executive producer and manager, co-founder of Alta Global Media; and Raoul Peck, an Academy Award-nominated director whose latest work, “Ernest Cole: Lost and Found,” will kick off the Joburg Film Festival on March 11. Notably, Mr. Peck will also conduct a masterclass during the event.

Simultaneously, a comprehensive daylong event highlights African women’s impact on their continent’s film and television industries will feature a partnership with the industry group SWIFT (Sisters Working in Film and Television) for a discussion addressing systemic hurdles and the current state of power dynamics. Additionally, another panel will showcase prominent Black female documentarists, such as Eloïse King (“The Shadow Scholars”), Andy Mundy-Castle (“Shoot the People: Protest and Progress”), Sara Chitambo-Hatira (“Black People Don’t Get Depressed”), and Naledi Bogacwi (“Banned”).

In its third year, JBX aims to expand upon its past events by offering opportunities for African filmmakers to access the worldwide success they’ve been struggling to attain.

According to Mangwedi, one of the key lessons from last year’s event was that African content creators encounter a significant hurdle when it comes to monetizing their work, both within their region and on an international scale. Despite the fact that there is clearly a desire for African tales, many producers grapple with issues such as distribution options, financing, and ensuring their projects meet the expectations of potential buyers.

For this year, our strategy is to offer practical solutions to these issues,” he explains further. “We’ve amplified our industry research initiatives, providing more comprehensive information about the countries, digital platforms, and broadcasters actively funding African content. Rather than general discussions, we are now adopting a focused approach, assisting filmmakers in understanding how to interact with particular markets and build lasting partnerships, one country at a time.

One method the event intends to achieve this is by placing emphasis on joint productions and fostering collaboration opportunities with nations that have established formal audiovisual relationships with South Africa, such as Italy, Nigeria, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.

According to Mangwedi, our aim is to rejuvenate these agreements by linking compelling film and television projects with South African co-production partners, studios, broadcasters, streaming platforms, and other crucial players. To keep these collaborations progressing, we’ll offer post-JBX aid to expedite the negotiation process.

Moreover, the JBX team is also extending their connections to international sales firms that haven’t worked with Africa before. Their aim is to act as a bridge, helping these companies find and purchase Africa’s top-notch film projects, thereby linking African filmmakers with global markets.

According to Mangwedi, African narratives are often overlooked in the global spotlight. However, JBX aspires to shift this trend by amplifying Africa’s rich storytelling tradition and linking content creators with international partners who value and can help propagate this growing movement.

JBX is ideally situated to speed up this movement, enabling African filmmakers, production companies, and content providers to drive the narrative of how these stories are distributed globally,” he notes. “By making JBX vital for both creative growth and business transactions, we aim to establish Africa as a dominant player in the global film and television scene.

The JBX content market runs March 12 – 14 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Read More

2025-03-10 23:48