Nigerian Producer Temilola Adebayo among Producers Selected for Creative Producer Indaba

Vanessa Obioha

Toronto-based Nigerian-Canadian filmmaker Temilola Adebayo is among the 15 diverse producers from around the globe who have been selected to participate in the second Creative Producer Indaba (CPI).  It will take place from November 7 this year online for a week, at the Atlas Workshops (Marrakech International Film Festival) November 14 – 17 and at International Film Festival Rotterdam January 25 – February 5, 2023, in person.

With years of collective experience in the screen-based media industry, Adebayo is notable for producing Nigeria’s first live-action animated film, ‘Dognapped’ which screened across cinemas in Nigeria and won Best Animated Film at the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival (TINFF).

She joins other international producers like Bartholomeu Luiz (Brazil), Ellen Havenith (Netherlands), Flavia Zanon (Switzerland), Kesmat El Sayed (Egypt/Germany) and Temilola Adebayo (Nigeria /Canada) who are looking to finance projects in Africa, intending to collaborate on African projects. 

Other participants include African producers Marion Isaacs (South Africa), Matheus Mello (Brazil/Mozambique), Bramwel Iro (Kenya), Sawsan Yusuf (Egypt) and  Zoe Ramushu (Zimbabwe/South Africa) who have active film projects in development and are looking for international producers and co-financiers. There are also film professionals from Africa – Caroline Kganyago-Ralefeta, Lucia Meyer-Marais and Tracey-Lee Rainers (South Africa), Mia Bittar (Sudan) and Pedro Soulé  (Cabo Verde) who have significant stakes in the African film marketplace, with an interest in the development of film projects and co-producing with Africa were selected.

The Indaba aims to bring together a hive-mind of producers who are either in the process of developing a film project or want to collaborate on an African film project, in order to develop their entrepreneurial and leadership expertise, foster their creative skills, and create long-lasting and significant networks.

“We are truly excited about this year’s strong cohort for the Creative Producer Indaba,” said Mehret Mandefro, Director of Development and Partnership, Realness Institute. “These producers represent a diverse range of voices and interests with solid or growing networks from Africa and beyond. Following our highly successful CPI last year we have seen how these intense programmes can provide opportunities for filmmakers to move forward with their ideas and projects.”

CEO at EAVE Kristina Trapp added that “We can no longer work in isolation, or in silos, the world has changed and collaboration is key. The CPI creates a solid and safe space for producers to find solution-driven strategies through sharing skills, ideas and networks. We believe the Indaba will also once again help to connect people in a significant and meaningful way.”

The programme is packed with workshops, discussions, case studies, and one-on-one meetings with mentorship focussed on the development of projects that will take them through the whole scope of skills needed to get a film into production and reach audiences. Group Leaders, Mehret Mandefro and Diana Elbaum, and Story Expert, Mmabatho Kau, will be mentoring these producers, with a host of film industry experts in support.

Creative Producer Indaba is presented by Realness Institute, in partnership with EAVE, International Film Festival Rotterdam’s industry initiative IFFR Pro, and the Marrakech International Film Festival’s Atlas Workshops; with the support of IEFTA, Projeto Paradiso and The StoryBoard Collective.