Test a route from film discovery to community exhibition
WiC, introduced at Durban FilmMart, proposes to connect film discovery, ticket acquisition, venues and audience intelligence for African cinema. It is an announced proposition with a narrower near-term rollout, but it raises a useful question: can interest in a film be carried through to a local paid screening?
Published 12 October 2026
The idea
Test whether interest in a film can be carried through to a complete paid local screening.
Evidence
CallSheet's 9 October 2026 account describes WiC's Durban FilmMart introduction, a pop-up programme and plans to connect discovery, ticket acquisition, venues and audience intelligence. The operator's indexed website gives a narrower rollout: an online film-rental app planned for South Africa in December 2026, with local WiC Cinemas a future development.
Operator takeaway
Evidence limited: an announced proposition and pilot development, not a launched commercial venue network.
Try this
Run a small test with one rights holder, one venue, one audience route and a complete paid transaction.
Measure
Reach to booking conversion, paid attendance, refunds, venue contribution and repeat participation.
Watch out for
Network size, unit economics and paying-audience outcomes are not established. Launch claims are attributed to the sources; CIA does not assert system integration or operational reach.
Operator, market and timing
WiC (Deepixels), South Africa, with wider African ambitions. Introduced at Durban FilmMart; online rental app planned for December 2026 according to the operator's site. Sources checked 12 October 2026.
What the initiative proposes
According to CallSheet, WiC aims to connect discovery, ticket acquisition, venues and audience intelligence, and has run a pop-up programme. The operator's own site describes a narrower first step: an online film-rental app planned for South Africa in December 2026, with local WiC Cinemas as a future development.
What is known and what remains unknown
Known: the public introduction and stated plans. Unknown: whether the venue network launches, its scale, integration, unit economics and paying-audience results.
Why it may matter to an operator (CIA interpretation)
Many films find interest online but never reach a local screen. The proposition highlights the practical gap between discovery and an in-person paid visit.
A practical adaptation or test (CIA suggestion)
Pick one film with clear rights, one venue and one audience route. Track the full path from first contact to a paid ticket and attendance. Keep online rental behaviour separate from in-person attendance when assessing results.
Resources and risks
Rights negotiation, venue costs, marketing and ticketing. Risks: low conversion from interest to paid attendance, and overreliance on an unlaunched platform.
What to measure
Reach to booking conversion, paid attendance, refunds, venue contribution and repeat participation.
Sources
Primary sources
- WiC — WiC (Deepixels) (opens in a new tab)
Reviewed by CIA 12 October 2026
Supporting sources
- Build the audience: WiC aims at African cinema's missing link — audiences — The CallSheet (opens in a new tab)
Source dated 9 October 2026 · Reviewed by CIA 12 October 2026
Explore related topics
- Challenge: Audience growth
- Challenge: Programming and discovery
- Audience: General audience
- Audience: Local communities
- Theme: Community
- Theme: Programming
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- Shared topic: Audience growthA festival does not have to end when the festival ends
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