After failing to host the annual Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF) for two consecutive years, organisers of the event say they are ready to resume the festival this December.
“Following a two-year hiatus due to funding constraints in 2019, and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the Zimbabwe International Film Festival is making a return to the cultural event calendar this year, picking up where it left off with the theme Owning Our Story,” read a statement from the Zimbabwe International Film and Festival Trust.
ZIFFT says it is determined to rise from the ashes and make a memorable comeback in a four-day series of hybrid (in-person and online) events from the 8th to the 11th of December 2021, with focus on the ‘Narratives from Zimbabwe’ project.
“Narratives from Zimbabwe is a project initiated by ZIFFT in 2019, that has so far travelled around many parts of the country, documenting Zimbabwe’s rich history and heritage. The interviews, footage and photographs captured during this first phase of the project will be used to create a multi-media digital archive and interactive website that filmmakers and other creative content producers will be able to draw from as a reservoir of indigenous knowledge and inspiration,” further read the statement.
ZIFFT director Nigel Munyati added that a major highlight of the festival will be the workshops which will see virtuosos from the creative and cultural sector sharing ideas.
“Discussions and workshops to be hosted during the 21st edition of the Zimbabwe International Film Festival will be a convergence of artists, academics and the public, deliberating on how best to move forward with the Narratives from Zimbabwe project, through which our historical and cultural legacy will take its rightful place on the global arena, into the digital domain and beyond,” said Nigel Munyati, the Founder and Executive Director of ZIFFT.
The Hi5 and Smartphone Short Film competitions will both be returning but taking a different format.
“The Hi5 Competition invites filmmakers to produce and submit original documentary or drama films under five minutes in length. The Smartphone Short Film Competition, on the other hand, is focused on Zimbabwe’s youth, giving them a platform to freely express their inner voice, and contribute to an all-important national discourse.
“Participants must be ages 14 – 34 years and must be Zimbabwean residents or Diasporas who have at least one Zimbabwean-born parent. Films must also be under 5 minutes long, in any format, as long as they are created using a mobile phone.”
Entries for the competitions are now being accepted. Visit the festival website to find out the competition rules and how to submit your short film.
 for two consecutive years, organisers of the event say they are ready to resume the festival this December. “Following a two-year hiatus due to funding constraints in 2019, and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the Zimbabwe International Film Festival is making a return to...Read More){kind=link}