Filmmakers who will participate in this year’s edition of the Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF) are set to scoop prizes worth $500.

“In partnership with the German embassy, we will be running the Hi-Five Short Film Competition, which is open to Zimbabwean filmmakers resident in the country. There are a number of prizes up for grabs which include cameras and other equipment,” said ZIFF executive director, Nigel Munyati.

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The deadline for submission for the competition is August 22 and filmmakers can produce content on area that is five minutes long.

This year’s festival will run under the theme, “The Business of Film”.

Munyati expressed joy with the increased number of entries from local filmmakers to have their productions screened at this year’s festival.

“In the past we would celebrate if we get 10 local films to screen at the festival, but this year we have over 30 entries and some filmmakers are still bringing in their films to be considered for screening.

This shows there is a boom in the sector and we are now having a headache regards which films to screen and which not to,” said Munyati.

He added that this increase in productivity will cause the sector to develop into an industry.

“Given the rate at which Zimbabweans are now producing film, the local film sector will soon evolve into an industry and we are now at a critical moment where we can actually see the Zimbabwean film industry taking shape. That is why ZIFF 2017 is focusing much on it this year,” he added.

This year’s festival will run in collaboration with the International Images Film Festival (IIFF) and will open with the film ‘WINNIE’, which speaks on the story of Winnie Madikizela Mandela.

Other films that will be screened include; In My Fathers Village, Lady Macbeth, Hidden Figures and Terra.