The Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers (NEWF) will bring African-led natural-world storytelling to the 17th Durban FilmMart, taking place in Durban from 9 to 12 October 2026.
NEWF will present a dedicated programme featuring industry panels, an immersive exhibition and a curated selection of films and works-in-progress.
The organisation aims to support African filmmakers and communities in telling their own stories about nature, wildlife and conservation, while challenging the long-standing practice of African natural environments being portrayed primarily by filmmakers from outside the continent.
Bringing Nature Into The Wider Film Industry
The programme is designed not only for wildlife filmmakers, but for filmmakers across the industry who are exploring themes connected to people, culture, climate, conservation and the environment.
Under the Beyond the Wild banner, three sessions will examine different aspects of natural-world storytelling.
Representing Nature and Spirituality on Screen will explore the relationship between nature, culture, ancestry and identity, while Getting the Shot will focus on the technical and creative challenges of wildlife cinematography.
The third session, Expanding Stories About the Natural World, will look at subjects including indigenous foodways, land restitution, conservation, human-elephant coexistence and environmental legacy.
An Immersive Experience
Visitors will also be able to explore The NEWF Room, an interactive exhibition featuring emerging storytelling technologies.
The experience includes a 360° virtual reality journey from Zululand to the coral reefs of Sodwana Bay, an interactive conservation game and a macro photography exhibition highlighting details from the natural world.
NEWF will also present The Wild Side, a curated selection of short films and works-in-progress exploring nature, culture and conservation.
NEWF Executive Director Pragna Parsotam-Kok said the programme aims to create more space for African filmmakers and people who live in the environments being portrayed.
“When African filmmakers bring their own voices and perspectives to the natural world, the stories become richer,” she said.
The programme forms part of Durban FilmMart’s wider industry offering, giving African storytellers an opportunity to explore how natural-world films can be created and shared with global audiences.
Main Image: Supplied
