CROSS CONTINENTAL FORUM ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH SOUTH AFRICAN CULTURAL OBSERVATORY

SACO Joins the Cross Continental Forum’s Expanding International Co-Production Initiative

TORONTO, CANADA / KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA – July 8, 2026

CaribbeanTales Media Group is delighted to announce a new partnership between its Cross Continental Forum (CCF) and the South African Cultural Observatory (SACO), as CCF expands into a year-long international lab connecting Black and Global Majority producers across Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and their global diasporas.

The South African Cultural Observatory is a national research institute launched in 2015 to chart and measure the economic and social impact of South Africa’s cultural and creative industries. Headquartered in Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape, SACO is hosted by Nelson Mandela University in partnership with Rhodes University and the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

About the Partnership

The partnership brings together CCF’s international co-production, professional development and market-access platform with SACO’s expertise in research, policy and the creative economy.

SACO Executive Director Unathi Lutshaba will participate in the South African leg of CCF. SACO will also support the participation of four South African producers, who will join producers, facilitators and industry partners from across the global screen sector.

Unathi Lutshaba, Executive Director, South African Cultural Observatory

“The cultural and creative industries are not peripheral to economic development. They are central to how we understand value, identity, employment and growth. We are pleased to join the Cross Continental Forum in advancing conversations and connections that support African and diasporic creative entrepreneurs, and that help position our sectors for long-term impact.”

CCF lab will launch in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, in October 2026, and culminate at the TIFF Market in Toronto in September 2027. Thrughout the year-long program producers will work to create a sustained pathway for their co-production, build relationships, deepen market knowledge and move toward meaningful international co-production opportunities.

What is CCF?

Founded by CaribbeanTales Media Group, the Cross Continental Forum supports Black and Global Majority producers in building sustainable screen businesses, developing market-ready projects, and forming long-term co-production relationships. The year-long lab will include in-person intensives, online sessions, project development, mentorship, market preparation and international relationship-building through one-to-one pitch and B2B meetings.

Dr Keith Nurse, Chair, CaribbeanTales Media Group

“This partnership with the South African Cultural Observatory is deeply meaningful for us. CCF is about more than bringing producers into a room. It is about building the knowledge, relationships and confidence we need to create lasting creative economies. SACO brings a powerful research and policy lens to that work, and Unathi’s presence will help ground the conversation in the real value and future potential of our cultural industries.”

The South Africa launch will bring selected producers and industry leaders together for project labs, strategic sessions, co-production training and market preparation. CCF’s South Africa expansion is being developed in collaboration with ITC, Durban FilmMart and other screen sector allies committed to strengthening pathways for Black and Global Majority producers.

Frances-Anne Solomon, CCF Founder & CEO, CaribbeanTales Media Group

“Across the Caribbean, Africa and the diaspora, we are facing many of the same questions. How do we build an ecosystem for our international work — one that links producers, creates real pathways, and builds a knowledge database for the work we want to do, both historically and into the future? This is the heart of the Cross Continental Forum. We are not only preparing individual projects for the market. We are building the relationships, intelligence and infrastructure that can support our producers and our stories for years to come.”

CCF Alumni Spotlight

Humanos
“A Caribbean sci-fi universe. Now, a world you can step inside.”

Eunice Levis

joined us as part of the CCF 2025 cohort with Humanos, a multilingual Caribbean science-fiction feature in development. Set in a near-future Caribbean Republic, the film follows a working-class mother navigating a society where technological advancement has become the price of admission. It’s a story about AI, labour, migration, and who gets left behind when the future arrives.

This summer, Eunice launched El Colmado del Futuro, a headset-free XR installation that places visitors inside a Caribbean corner store set within the world of Humanos. Now open through July 26, the installation combines immersive storytelling, sound, video, and public interaction to explore a future shaped by technology, work, identity, and community — and serves as a living proof of concept for the feature film.

Visitors can also catch live environmental performances on select Saturdays from 4:00–6:00 PM — July 11, 18, and 25 — unscripted, non-amplified activities inspired by everyday life around a Caribbean neighborhood corner store.

If you find yourself in Philadelphia this summer, go see it. Take photos, tag the project, and help spread the word. Interested in the project? See the show at Cherry Street Pier 121 N. Columbus Boulevard Philadelphia, PA 19106. Learn more at www.humanostory.com

2026 Program Highlights

1. Hybrid Format

Virtual sessions throughout the year.
Two in-person gatherings, in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa, and in Toronto, at the TIFF Market.

2. Industry Panels, Case Studies and Master-classes

Curated sessions with producers, international broadcasters, streamers, and investors.

3. Creative and Business Labs

Case studies and practical labs on international co-productions, financing, and distribution strategies.
Focus on building equitable, sustainable, decolonial production and business models.

4. Pitch and Networking Events

Designed to showcase projects from Black and Global Majority producers.
Structured environments for forming long-term partnerships and co-production deals.

5. Co-Development Seed Funding Presented in partnership with leading screen industry organizations and cultural agencies from Africa, the Caribbean, and Canada.

Learn more: 👉 www.decolonisingcoproduction.com/