African Screenwriters Set Genre Shows at Series Mania

4 African screenwriters will pitch tales spanning genres on the fifteenth version of Sequence Mania in Lille, France.

Pitching this yr are Kelly-Eve Koopman (South Africa) with city fantasy “Dealing with the Mountain”; Moreetsi Gabang (Botswana) with crime drama “Outreach”; Tiah Beye (Senegal/Côte d’Ivoire) with comedy-drama “Brouteure” (“The Yahoo Lady”); and Wanjiru Kairu (Kenya) with political satire “Serikali Saidia!”

The exhibits are underneath the aegis of the AuthenticA Sequence Lab, a coaching program for African episodic screenwriters from Realness Institute. The lab, now in its third yr, helps the skilled improvement of creators of serial content material, designed in collaboration and offered in partnership with the StoryBoard Collective with assist of Sequence Mania Discussion board, the French Ministry of Europe and Overseas Affairs and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS).

The tasks offered in 2023 tasted success. “On the 2023 Sequence Mania, all 4 of the AuthenticA Sequence Lab writers’ tales have been taken up by both broadcasters or main manufacturing corporations. We hope for a similar outcome this yr after an intense six months of mentorship and improvement via the lab,” mentioned Mehret Mandefro, director of improvement and partnerships on the Realness Institute.

A delegation of 12 South African producers and stakeholders will take part formally for the primary time at Sequence Mania this yr, sponsored partially by the Nationwide Movie and Video Basis and IFAS. Realness fostering stronger bonds with France is especially vital, provided that the cinematographic and audiovisual co-production settlement between South Africa and France got here into pressure in 2023.

“This distinctive settlement is a worthwhile software for the trade, and nurtures extra worthwhile partnerships and tasks, like AuthenticA, that actively fosters co-productions, uniting French and South African creators, sharing narratives, and driving financial progress and sustainability for each industries,” mentioned David Martinon, ambassador of France to South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi.

In the meantime, Creation Africa, an initiative led by France’s division of international affairs to foster collaboration between France and Africa, has a pavilion at Sequence Mania’s trade occasion Discussion board, the place African delegations may have a devoted house to host their conferences. The pavilion and the AuthenticA Sequence Lab will host an African skills and trade breakfast March 19, which can also be the day the 4 writers will pitch their sequence.

Realness AuthenticA alumnus Chantal Clark can even be in attendance as she has been chosen for a scholarship to its Writers’ Campus, a Sequence Mania Institute initiative supported by the Realness Institute.

Francesco Capurro, director of Sequence Mania Discussion board, mentioned: “Our collaboration with the Realness has proved invaluable in amplifying African voices on the worldwide stage. This yr marks an vital milestone as Africa’s illustration on the Discussion board reaches unprecedented ranges, with a delegation attending for the primary time underneath the Creation Africa Pavilion. We look ahead to facilitating connections between African expertise and worldwide professionals on the Discussion board.”

Director of The StoryBoard Collective, Laure de Peretti de la Rocca, added: “The 4 scriptwriters have spent the final two months in residency on the StoryBoard Home which allowed us to witness the standard of their work and their readiness to captivate the viewers of Sequence Mania with the compelling narratives they’ve meticulously woven.”

Pictured (L-R): Kelly-Eve Koopman (South Africa), Moreetsi Gabang (Botswana), Tiah Beye (Senegal/ Côte d’Ivoire), Wanjiru Kairu (Kenya)