Partner Spotlight: Realness Institute

"The intentionally designed human-scale of the FIFOI Film Market makes it the ideal place to talk about sustainability."

• Mehret Mandefro

SAINT-PAUL, REUNION ISLAND, April 2026 - Réunion Island sits in the Indian Ocean, roughly 700 kilometers east of Madagascar and southwest of Mauritius. A French overseas department, it occupies a unique position at the crossroads of African, Asian, and European influences—making it a fitting home for FIFOI, the Festival International du Film de l'Océan Indien. Now in its third edition, FIFOI spotlights cinematic voices from across the Indian Ocean basin, including Madagascar, Mauritius, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Somalia, India, and Sri Lanka. The festival's mission is straightforward: amplify a region historically underrepresented in global film distribution through competitive showcases of films, alongside a dedicated Film Market for industry professionals.

This year Maison du Cinéma et des Jeux Vidéo (MCJV)—a public administrative institution under the Région Réunion chaired by Ms. Huguette Bello— launches its initiative to support the film and visual media industries through an innovative international partnership with the Creative Producer Indaba (CPI), a program of AFMAC partner the Realness Institute. By becoming a partner of the Creative Producer Indaba project, the Maison du Cinéma et des Jeux Vidéo aims to strengthen opportunities for international cooperation for professionals in Réunion, fostering synergies and the pooling of resources.

From April 12 to 18, 2026, La Maison du Cinéma et des Jeux Vidéo will host 15 creative producers, mostly from the African continent, to participate in the final workshop of Creative Producer Indaba. The five days of in-person workshops and events are designed to expand the producers' international networks and stimulate economic and cultural cooperation in the Indian Ocean region by fostering exchanges with talent from Réunion Island (project holders, co-producers, and distributors). As part of the The Market plenary sessions, AFMAC co-founder Mehret Mandefro will give a masterclass titled "Building a Sustainable Production Company That Sustains You". Aimed at independent producers, the session addresses a problem many filmmakers know too well: the exhausting cycle of starting from scratch with each new project. Mandefro offers a path forward, moving away from one-off productions to a slate-driven, longer horizon approach that attracts serious capital and strategic partners. It's a practical framework for turning creative practice into a durable business.