TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA – Award-winning actor CCH Pounder is spearheading the expansion of the Cross Continental Forum (CCF), an international co-production platform, to KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, in 2026. The move aims to bolster collaboration between African filmmakers and the global diaspora.
Pounder, a member of the CCF Steering Group, emphasized the power of creative connection, stating, “Creation, to me, is our most powerful act of connection. Expanding the Cross Continental Forum to South Africa allows us to turn shared heritage into shared enterprise — creatively, economically and strategically.”
The expansion is a partnership between the CCF, UMEDA – the economic development agency for the Pietermaritzburg Midlands – and South African production company Pambili Media. Michael Newton, CEO of UMEDA, highlighted the economic benefits for KwaZulu-Natal, saying, “KwaZulu-Natal is ready to engage the global screen economy in new ways. Partnering with the Cross Continental Forum connects our region’s creative industries with international producers, while positioning the Midlands as a gateway for collaboration between Africa and the global marketplace.”
The 2026 CCF program, themed “Bridging Markets, Building Futures,” will focus on strengthening Black authorship and Global South leadership in international co-productions. The initiative seeks to ensure that producers from these regions are originating partners with full creative control and intellectual property rights over their projects.
Sydney Masina, a partner at Pambili Media, explained the company’s role in fostering meaningful collaboration. “For us at Pambili Media, this partnership is about creating the conditions for meaningful collaboration — where projects can be developed locally while building the international relationships they necessitate to travel globally,” he said.
Steven Adams, a partner at Pambili Media based in the United States, underscored the potential for economic growth. “Creating strong business connections between Africa and the Diaspora will be the great success story of the 21st Century, one that will be increasingly rewarding and profitable as we move forward,” he stated.
Launched in 2024 by CaribbeanTales Media Group, the CCF connects film and television producers from Africa, the Caribbean, Canada, Europe, and the Americas. The 2026 program will begin with an in-person gathering in the Pietermaritzburg Midlands, KwaZulu-Natal, from July 20–26. This will be followed by participation in the Toronto International Film Festival Market (September 8–13) and four weeks of virtual labs and business-to-business matchmaking sessions.
The expansion comes at a time of increasing regional collaboration in the African film industry, spurred by the recent co-production agreement between South Africa and Nigeria and the growth of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Dr. Keith Nurse, Cultural Industries Specialist and Chair of CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution, noted, “We’re witnessing the potential of the AfCFTA to arrive to life through creative industry partnerships. South Africa’s dynamic screen industry, combined with its co-production infrastructure, positions it as a strategic gateway for South–South collaboration and creative entrepreneurship.”
Frances-Anne Solomon, Founder and CEO of CaribbeanTales Media Group, emphasized the long-term vision of the CCF. “The Cross Continental Forum was designed from the outset to move between locations across the Global South. It is part of a long-term effort to build sustainable co-production pipelines linking African, Caribbean, and diaspora producers to the global screen marketplace.”
Applications are currently open to Black producers and producers of Global Majority descent from Canada, the Caribbean, Africa, the U.K., Europe, and South/Latin America. The application deadline is April 15, 2026, with a limited number of bursaries available. Interested applicants can find more information at www.decolonisingcoproduction.com/apply/.
Leave a Reply