Project Brief
The Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI), a non-profit supporting trade and investment in African film content, envisioned Filmmart.Africa, an online hub connecting filmmakers, producers, investors, and industry representatives across the continent.
Before launch, the platform faced significant challenges, including incomplete functionality, platform instability, and user experience gaps. DFMI required a trusted technical partner with deep Umbraco CMS expertise to stabilise, optimise, and complete the platform to serve Africa’s film community effectively.
Our Approach
We began with a comprehensive platform audit to assess technical performance, feature completeness, and user experience design.
Our findings led to a structured remediation plan that included:
- Completing and optimising unfinished functionality.
- Refining the user experience to improve navigation and engagement.
- Stabilising the platform architecture and enhancing performance.
- Migrating the solution to Umbraco Cloud for improved scalability, reliability, and security.
Outcome
After implementing our recommendations, Filmmart.Africa was successfully launched to market by the Durban FilmMart Institute.
The platform now offers a seamless digital experience where users can:
- Find People: Connect with film professionals across the continent.
- Find Companies: Access trusted film businesses and service providers.
- Find Projects: Discover and follow new productions across Africa.
- Access Resources: Explore news, funding, and learning materials.
With a solid cloud-based foundation, Filmmart.Africa now provides a sustainable, secure, and user-friendly platform that supports collaboration and growth within the African film ecosystem.
Ongoing Partnership
Bluegrass Digital continues to support Filmmart.Africa under our Business as Usual (BAU) service framework, ensuring continuous platform stability, proactive maintenance, and ongoing improvements through a structured Service Level Agreement (SLA).
Our ongoing partnership with DFMI reflects our commitment to empowering African digital transformation — helping organisations like the Durban FilmMart Institute to harness technology that drives meaningful industry change.
Impact
Filmmart.Africa now stands as a trusted online hub uniting Africa’s creative professionals and helping the continent’s film industry step confidently onto the global stage.
Technology Stack
Platform: Umbraco CMS (Umbraco Cloud)
Hosting: Microsoft Azure
Services: UX/UI enhancements, platform audit, feature development, support and maintenance
