[imagesource:netflix]

The sixth edition of the Joburg Film Festival wrapped up on Sunday.

While some were reflecting on our country’s long journey in the three decades since the end of apartheid, filmmakers and executives taking part in the second JBX content market, were more squarely focused on the future.

As Variety notes, Africa’s streaming wars and an eye toward global dealmaking highlighted how the tide has begun to shift in how the world perceives the continent.

“What a time to be alive in Johannesburg,” said festival founder Timothy Mangwedi at Saturday’s award ceremony. “What a time to be alive in Africa.”

Even though Amazon Prime Video’s abrupt pull-out from the African market in January left many local producers frustrated and confused, there was little doubt this week that competition among rival streaming services is driving the local market.

“The streamer war between Netflix and Showmax is good for us, that’s without a doubt,” said Emmy Award-winning director-producer Dan Jawitz, of fast-growing shingle Known Associates Entertainment.

Both streaming platforms are increasing their investment in indigenous content and securing contracts with leading talents for production and licensing agreements. Breakout successes like Netflix’s Nigerian thriller The Black Book and the South African teen drama Blood & Water (see above) underscore the ability of international platforms to bring African narratives to worldwide audiences.

These streaming wars have no doubt raised the bar for African creators:

“It’s completely changed the options for the independent producing sector,” said Stan Joseph, whose Ochre Moving Pictures has a deal with Netflix to adapt multiple books for the streaming service alongside filmmaker Akin Omotoso (Rise).

“Suddenly, you’re able to do the kinds of things that most people take for granted anywhere else in the world.”

Yet, numerous African filmmakers remain dissatisfied, as the level of investment in the content market—whether from local, regional, or global platforms—barely addresses the substantial demand. Mayenzeke Baza of boutique global sales and distribution company AAA Entertainment, which helps finance content from Africa for global export, said that the buyers dictate the value of what gets created and while the prices paid for African content are “significantly better” than they were just a few years ago, “there’s still not big enough appetite from the buyer to create the content at the speed that we want.”

“In terms of the local market, we feel like we’ve…proven that we can do it and do it well,” added Bradley Joshua of Gambit Films, the Cape Town-based production outfit behind the hit Netflix teen drama “Blood & Water.” “We’re trying to work with bigger budgets that allow us to do the lovely things we want to do.”

The good news is that efforts to ramp up production around the continent are on the rise. Ghana just launched a 20% tax rebate to lure more international productions like the upcoming Idris Elba action-thriller Infernus and the star-studded ensemble comedy Girls Trip 2. At the same time, Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s production company, JuVee Productions, which just completed filming the action-thriller G20 for Amazon Studios and MRC Film in Cape Town, will revisit South Africa to shoot a refugee drama inspired by the true story of a soccer prodigy who found refuge in the US after escaping war in Sierra Leone.

Speaking at the Joburg Film Festival, Diggstown producer Amos Adetuyi, who’s developing a slate of projects in Africa, noted that the conversations have “shifted” in Hollywood.

“The continent is being focused on right now, and I think it’s becoming hip,” he said.

There is also a lot of buzz around MultiChoice announcing that production is underway on the epic historical drama Queen Modjadji, which the company will be launching on its Mzansi Magic pay-TV channel this year.

Produced for MultiChoice by Rhythm World Productions, the series follows on the heels of Shaka iLembe, the company’s big-budget period drama about the iconic African king, which MultiChoice has described as SA’s “biggest ever primetime drama series.”

“‘Shaka’ was a great success for us, and it really moved the needle in storytelling and showed exactly what Africans can do when telling their own stories,” said MultiChoice’s head of scripted content, Tebogo Matlawa.

“MultiChoice has always been committed to being Africa’s most-loved storytellers. Telling a story like ‘Queen Modjadji’ — and we have others in the slate — just cements that legacy and commitment to telling our stories in the best way.”

“A story told about Africans, done by Africans,” he said.

We love to see it.

[source:Variety]