Tag Archives: Discop

Discop gets ready for Lagos

Discop plans to follow next year’s market at Abidjan in Ivory Coast, where the first edition of the knowledge-transfer and matchmaking programme Discore will be held, with a launch in Lagos in 2019, reports Abraham Osemwenkhae.

The event’s organisers are looking to focus on the booming industry in Nigeria, the world’s fastest-growing entertainment market over the next five years, as predicted by PricewaterhouseCoopers recently.

Discop Lagos will have its own personality, format and agenda. Cross-cultural bridges will be built between this new market and the ones in Abidjan, Dubai and Johannesburg. Identical research, promotional, meeting organisation and travel planning services will be provided to all delegates ahead of each market.

Patrick Zuchowicki

While recession has hobbled the Nigerian economy for much of the past year, forecasts predict continued growth for Africa’s entertainment marketplace. “Within the next five years, the Sub-Saharan African marketplace is expected to grow by 35% and become the fastest-growing world region for entertainment content business,” said Patrick Zuchowicki, general manager of business event organisers Basic Lead.

That growth will be driven by “original, multi-platform entertainment content produced in Africa, reinforced trade between Sub-Saharan African countries and intra-regional coproduction initiatives. People from Nigeria are not going to go to Sweden to sell their content – they’re going to stay in Africa. That’s where their prime market is,” said Zuchowicki.

Nigeria was the first country to take centre-stage at Johannesburg-based Discop Africa in November 2013. A range of dedicated events, screenings and conference tracks took place to mark the 20th anniversary of Nollywood, which highlighted the rapid growth in the Nigerian movie industry.

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Discop 2022 to take place in Kigali

Pan-African content distribution and coproduction market Discop is slated to hold its 26th edition in Rwanda at the end of November.

Patrick Zuchowicki

The three-day event will run from November 29 to December 1 at the Kigali Convention Centre bring together more than 500 participants from 40-plus countries.

They will comprise representatives of broadcasters, pay TV services, mobile operators, OTT and gaming platforms, app developers, content producers, entertainment and sports rights holders, brands and marketers driving media in sub-Saharan Africa.

The event will reflect Rwanda’s ambition to become a major industry hub, unveil a wide selection of programming from Africa, show the growing relations between Africa and the Middle East and facilitate coproduction opportunities between Anglophone and Francophone Africa, as well as reveal how buyers reflect new business trends across the continent.

There will also be roundtable discussions, hands-on workshops, showcasing of upcoming feature films and TV shows produced in Africa and world premieres. Delegates will have the opportunity to learn more about the talent, expertise, locations and financial assistance they can expect locally.

Patrick Zuchowicki, president and founder of Discop, said: “Big cracks forming in the global distribution and production industries impact countless aspects of markets such as Discop. Identifying leads and planning relevant and more focused meetings is key to our survival.”

According to the organisers, a new educational and networking programme tagged DiscoSport will also premiere in Kigali, focusing on electronic sports and ways to engage video gamers and esports fans through live and on-screen experiences. It will spotlight tactics to create esports esports content and derive new revenues through purpose-driven merchandising.

“We are excited about the prospect of adding to Discop an indispensable ‘one-stop programme’ that will help create memorable esports competitions; produce, package and distribute compelling esports content for multi-screen audiences; and deliver measurable results to sponsors and advertisers,” added Sherri Burnett, sales and marketing executive of event organiser Basic Lead.

To register to be a part of the event, click here.

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Annecy teams with Discomics to target Africa

The Annecy International Animated Film Festival & Market (MIFA) has reunited with the African Animation Network (AAN) and Discop for its pan-African pitching competition.

Nick Wilson

The Annecy/MIFA Pitches Animation du Monde competition will this year expand its reach in Africa by also partnering with Discomics, which will ensure the competition takes place in three markets (Discop Abidjan, Zanzibar and Johannesburg) and three comic conventions.

These events are the ICON Comic & Gaming Convention, Nairobi Comic Convention (NAICCON) and Lagos Comic Convention (LCC). The grand finale will take place at Discomics Johannesburg.

“This expanded footprint is exciting because it allows us to reach unique animation talent from more territories and countries in Africa which ensures greater diversity and representation,” said Geraldine Bache, head of education and projects at MIFA.

“This embodies Animation du Monde’s core mandate of assisting in building talent in developing animation territories.”

Participating animators will be given a chance to pitch their content to media professionals at Discop, Abidjan (May 29-31); ICON CGC, Johannesburg (June 29-July 1); Discop Zanzibar (July 11-13), NAICCON in Nairobi (August 11-12) and LCC in Lagos (September 15).

Entries for the competition will open in Abidjan (April 11-May 11), Johannesburg (May 8-June 8), Zanzibar (May 20-June 20), Nairobi (August 11-12) and Lagos (July 24-August 24).

According to Nick Wilson, head of projects at AAN: “There’s going to be a lot of conversation around African animation at Discop. They’re allowing the African animation industry to market itself to the greater broadcast industry in Africa. That’s a massive spotlight.”

Two projects will be selected from each event to compete at the Grand Finale at Discomics Johannesburg (November 14-17). Participants who make it to the finale will be given an opportunity to compete at the Animation du Monde event in 2019 in France.

“Perhaps the biggest value for entrants who proceed to the Grand Finale is the Annecy/MIFA Animation du Monde Skills Programme, which includes pitching workshops, training sessions and one-on-one meetings with industry experts ahead of the Grand Finale. Last year, we saw a number of talents develop exponentially through this experience,” added Wilson.

The annual Annecy International Animation Film Festival, held in France, is one of the four international animated film festivals sponsored by the International Animated Film Association. This year’s edition will be held from June 11 to June 16.

Last year’s inaugural pan-African pitching competition saw two projects selected to represent Africa at Animation du Monde 2018: Mumue, a short film by Wendy Spinks and Clea Mallison (South Africa) and The Tree of Palimpsest, a TV series from Ingrid Agbo (Togo).

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Discop targets African animation

Market organiser Discop has partnered with a network of animators to set up an initiative designed to support and grow the African animation industry.

Ayodele Elegba

Discomics has been formed by Discop with The African Animation Network, which links various animation professionals and national associations across Africa.

Discomics will debut as an event alongside Discop’s forthcoming markets in Abidjan, Zanzibar, Johannesburg and featuring workshops, panel discussions and masterclasses, said Gert Botes, conference and events director at Discop Markets. Discop is also planning a TV conference and market in Lagos in 2019 as well.

Discop and The African Animation Network have already set up strategic partnerships between Discomics and Lagos Comic Con (LCC), Nairobi Comic Con (NAICCON) and Icon Comics & Games Convention (CGC) to raise awareness around the initiative.

The agreement will see Nigerian animator Ayodele Elegba, founder of LCC and CEO of Lagos-based Spoof Animation, join Discomics as head of comics; Thomas Imboywa, founder of NAICCON, join as head of gaming and eSports; and Les Allen, director of Icon CGC, join as head of business development.

Nick Wilson, head of projects at The African Animation Network, said: “At a top level, Discomics serves as an open network platform, accelerator and bridge.

“But, at its core, Discomics is focused on localisation, engaging with local entrepreneurs, building those entrepreneurs and their industries and creating pan-African platforms for local talent to be empowered and become self-sustaining.”

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Nigerian TV firms bound for Discop

A number of Nigerian television companies are set to attend the Discop event scheduled to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa next month.

Crey Ahanonu

Discop Johannesburg runs between November 14 and 16 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. It will include several events that will bring innovative ideas, fresh talent and industry experts together.

There will be over 1,500 participants including 1,000-plus acquisition, production and distribution executives from 70 countries, according to Discop organiser Basic Lead.

Also in attendance will be about 250 producers of film, television and digital content, adaptation rights and packaged TV channels, including international, regional and local suppliers. There will be a wide display of movies, TV series, documentaries, animated content and dramas by these firms.

Nigerian firms at the event will include Lagos-based Basement Animation, Screen Academy & Films, Black Studios, Dope7 Media and Shutterspeed Projects.

Crey Ahanonu, CEO of Screen Academy & Films (aka SAF Productions), said: “We stand to gain a lot at this event. It will give us the opportunity to meet with content buyers and discuss filmmaking and online TV. We hope to promote our online TV service, MySafTV.”

This Enugu-based company creates an avenue to teach and empower the young and old who wish to be in the movie industry through its film academy. The company also engages in video production, films, TV shows, commercials and documentaries.

Discop Johannesburg will allow for networking opportunities between content buyers, sellers and producers, screenings of upcoming TV, web shows and movies and also sessions for discussion on topics related to innovation, coproduction relations and pitching competitions.

The conference agenda for the event includes a panel on Nigeria’s animation, comic books and video gaming industry on November 16.

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Animation du Monde finalists revealed

The first two projects selected to compete in the African final of the Annecy – MIFA Pitches Animation du Monde have been revealed.

Koka Kitoumbou

Étincelle, represented by Ouassila Kharoune (Burkina Faso), and Koka Kitoumbou, represented by Shikartoon (Congo Brazza), have been selected from the five competitors that were shortlisted at the recent Discop Abidjan market in Ivory Coast.

The Annecy/MIFA Pitches Animation du Monde competition plans to expand its reach in Africa by partnering with Discomics, with further finalists being selected from pitch competitions at forthcoming events the ICON Comic & Gaming Convention (South Africa), the Nairobi Comic Convention (Kenya) and the Lagos Comic Convention (Nigeria).

The pitch competition is a partnership between the Annecy International Animated Film Festival and Market/MIFA (Annecy/MIFA) and the African Animation Network.

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Discop, NFC unveil Abuja conference

TV trade event organiser Discop has inked a memorandum of understanding with the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) to launch an industry summit in Abuja in December 2019.

Chidia Maduekwe

The MoU was signed by Chidia Maduekwe, MD of the NFC, and Discop Markets CEO Patrick Zuchowicki at the Discop event that took place last week in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The new event, titled the Discop Business Summit Nigeria 2019, will take place during the annual NFC-backed Zuma Film Festival in Abuja.

According to the two parties, the partnership is evidence of the global TV industry’s belief in Nigeria, which is Africa’s fastest-growing creative economy.

The event will include a number of players from Nigeria’s banking sector so they can be part of the processes that propels the creative industries forward. These sectors are not limited to production, finance, banks or financial institutions but to other industries, with the focus being on finance and economic relevance of the content and creative industries.

This partnership is intended to aid the growth of the Nigerian economy as well as its film, TV and digital content industries, as identified by the NFC.

Maduekwe said: “The importance of this partnership cannot be lost on the present administration’s focus on diversification of Nigeria’s economy away from fossil dependency towards the creative economy.

Patrick Zuchowicki

“The collaboration of Discop and NFC is a welcome development that marks an important milestone in the policy direction of the Industrial Advisory Council on Technology & Creativity under the chairmanship of His Excellency, the Vice President of Nigeria.”

“It should be recalled that His Excellency led Nigeria’s creativity team in a visit to California earlier in the year. The continuous development of quality productions in the Nigerian motion picture industry will be given fresh impetus following this signed MoU between NFC and Discop.”

Zuchowicki added: “It is time for the banks, financial institutions and investment funds to take the pulse of the opportunities available in the African entertainment and media marketplace.”

He added that the new summit would “help lenders understand how important a role they can play in the development of the world’s fastest-growing marketplace for film, television, digital and musical content.”

Discop Business Summit Nigeria adds to France-based Discop’s network of events in countries including Egypt, South Africa, Zanzibar and Ivory Coast.

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