Showmax, JFF call for movie pitches

African video-on-demand service Showmax and the organisers of the Joburg Film Festival have partnered to issue an open call for African movie pitches for a slate of 10 live-action films.

The move is aimed at finding new talent and opening up the African film industry, according to the partners. The search is on for authentic stories in popular genres like romcoms, family dramas and thrillers that resonate with local audiences.

The proposals must have a first-draft screenplay and be set in contemporary Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria or South Africa, with a first-time director attached who is a resident or citizen in one of those countries.

Yolisa Phahle, CEO of Showmax and connected video at parent company MultiChoice, said: “Showmax’s audience prefers local content, with seven of the 10 most-streamed titles in South Africa, eight of the top 10 titles in Kenya and Nigeria and nine of the top 10 in Ghana last year being African.

“Making your first film is a key turning point in any director’s career. So this brief is another way we are trying to empower local filmmakers to tell their own stories for their own communities in their own languages.

According to the streaming service, which is now 30% owned by NBCUniversal, the selected projects will be announced in the second half of 2023 and screened on Showmax in 50 countries across sub-Saharan Africa in 2024.

Entries close on April 1. Click here to submit a proposal.