--
ZIFF 2015 at a glance --
Tue, 28 Jul 2015 11:24
--
SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE: One day after the 2015 edition of the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) wrapped up, Screen Africa caught up with festival director, Professor Martin Mhando, who provided an overview of the festival s major themes and highlights.
The first thing that Prof. Mhando mentions is that future editions of ZIFF would feature fewer films in their programmes. The high number of films programmed this year created several scheduling challenges and made it difficult to fit in repeat screenings of selected films. That said, he feels that, on the whole, people seemed to respond favourably to the programming, from the opening night, which featured Ava DuVernay s historical drama Selma, to the various panel discussions that were taking place alongside the screenings. He pinpointed the following highlights:
Difficult Dialogue: a public forum on pan-Africanism
Feeling that the time was right for a reassessment of the pan-African ideal, in light of ongoing government corruption across the continent, xenophobia in South Africa and refugee migrations across and out of Africa, the ZIFF programmers decided to facilitate a workshop on the subject with a group of young Africans. Led by Tonni Brodber of UN Women, the three-day workshop featured intensive discussions and forums, as well as the collaborative creation of a collage and dance performance that highlighted pan-Africanism. A public forum opened the discussion to all who had an interest in the subject.
Mhando says: The South High Commissioner to Tanzania spoke very powerfully on the historical importance of pan-Africanism. Tonni Brodber stressed the point that pan-Africanism is a journey you can t expect it to stay the same all the time. If, as some people say, pan-Africanism is dead, then we need to go back and see what happened to it so that we can revive it for this era. There was a very strong argument put forward that young people no longer believe in pan-Africanism, they have been let down by their leaders, they have little hope for the future, so they don t really understand the purpose of pan-Africanism anymore. We know that it is important to have a collective voice in Africa, but that collective voice needs a reason, a rallying point. What could that be in the current era? It was very good to have these questions put forward and the discussion was very robust. At the public forum there was an hour and half of conversation around this, which I felt was really one of the highlights of the festival.
Sembene Ousmane competition
ZIFF also ran a short film competition in which 17 films were in the running for a special award named in honour of the great Senegalese filmmaker Sembene Ousmane. The jurors were very happy with the quality of films, says Mhando. To have a selection of African short films with such a wide variety of styles and subject matter was very important to them and they came to me afterwards and said that this is something that needs to be maintained.
Tanzanian film
Mhando has felt for many years that one of the weaknesses of the festival programme is the quality of work coming from the host nation, Tanzania. Much of the work that is produced by the industry, largely based in Dar es Salaam, is inspired by the Nollywood model, made with low budgets and production values and underdeveloped scripts. They have been branded bongo by audience and industry alike. Mhando is heartened to note that the productions are showing signs of improvement.
This year we have included more Tanzanian films than in previous years and three of those won over international films in their categories. That shows that there is some development in the Tanzanian industry. We are now seeing films that are more multilayered, more streamlined.
Zuku hosts a workshop for bongo filmmakers every year and one of the things that came out very strongly from the workshops was, you can t just put on a doctor s coat and call yourself a doctor. You have to study. Why do we think that we can just pick up a camera and call ourselves filmmakers? This is something we say to filmmakers in Africa time and time again. It s time for us to really train our filmmakers and open up the space for them to understand that they can really do so much better than they have been.
Increase in female filmmakers
It is very gratifying to see that more and more women filmmakers are having their work featured at ZIFF. We saw this year that more than 50 per cent of the programmed films were made by women and they were very strong films. You see a major difference in the way subjects are treated and you realise that this is the other half of the story that we have been missing all this time.
Mhando cites the example of Simshar, a Maltese film, directed Rebecca Cremona, which won the overall runner-up award, the Silver Dhow, at the end of the festival. You can see that this is a filmmaker who has thought through the issue of African migration into Europe and brings such deep humanity to the story. She looks into the whole argument about migrants crossing the Mediterranean and cuts through all the politics and diplomatic debate and shows that it is simply about being human. How would you feel if your family was shipwrecked and drowning? What would you do? Treat others as you would have them treat you. That is the message of all religions known to humanity.
This filmmaker manages to say it in such a powerful way. This to me is the strength that women bring to filmmaking. We are increasingly hearing these voices that we haven t heard enough of before, and they are enriching our cinematic culture.
Mhando also remarks that the subject matter of many of the films, whether made by women or not, dealt with problems faced by women, specifically in the east African region. More and more,
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
06/05/2024
It's almost go-time for the Holly Springs Salamanders! The season opener is ...
05/05/2024
A special evening performance by multiplatinum singer Becky G will provide a memorable conclusion to TeievisaUnivision's Casa Cultura upfront event on May 1...
05/05/2024
Giant media buyer Publicis is telling network sales executives that it does not think Nielsen's new panel-plus-big-data currency is ready for this upfront....
05/05/2024
WASHINGTON Glenn Kirschner, legal analyst at NBC News, blasted the media for referring to the New York trial of former President Donald Trump as a hush-money ...
05/05/2024
Catchy Comedy's weekend marathon sees The Beverly Hillbillies on the weekend of May 4-5. The event kicks off Saturday, May 4 at 11 a.m. ET, and runs through...
05/05/2024
NBC Sports has the 150th Kentucky Derby Saturday, May 4. The coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock and the feature race at Churchill Downs in Louis...
04/05/2024
NEW YORK As the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month kicks off in May, Nielsen has released an extensive new report diving into their media habits with data sh...
04/05/2024
PHILADELPHIA As National Military Appreciation Month gets underway, Comcast has announced several new initiatives to help veterans, service members, and their f...
04/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a tentative agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled...
04/05/2024
The Broadband Forum has announced major enhancements to key 5G convergence standards that the group said will help advance next-generation applications, improve...
04/05/2024
Spotify Wrapped Campaign Spot Graded With DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design today announced that Colorist M...
04/05/2024
Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
...
03/05/2024
An innovative learning tool to help media and civil society better understand ho...
03/05/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 21: (L-R) Actors K stutis Cic nas and Greta Grinevi i t , Director Marija Kavtaradze and Producer Marija Razgute attend the 2023 Sunda...
03/05/2024
If you aren't familiar with Danny Ocean's music, it's only a matter ...
03/05/2024
Spotify has an unwavering commitment to supporting emerging artists across all genres, to helping them launch and thrive in their careers, and to connecting the...
03/05/2024
Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansi n en el mundo, la M sica Mexicana va m ...
03/05/2024
As one of the fastest-growing sounds worldwide, M sica Mexicana is more than jus...
03/05/2024
NEW YORK FuboTV reported that it lost 110,000 subs in Q1 2024 but it exceeded its guidance for the quarter with double digit year-over-year increases across key...
03/05/2024
Only 3 Weeks Left To Enter The Creative Industries Most Award
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Creativepool is giving a last call to the creative i...
03/05/2024
WePlay Studios Transforms the Future of Live Event Storytelling with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
By 2032, the esports market is expec...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Shannon Bream, Fox News Sunday anchor and chief legal correspondent, sat for a keynote chat at The Business of TV News, with Tom Umstead, senior co...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Asked how important is local news, Martha Raddatz, who has covered foreign conflicts for decades and moderated presidential debates for ABC News, s...
03/05/2024
Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management have made a $26 billion cash offer fo...
03/05/2024
CBS announced its 2024-2025 primetime schedule, which features the new dramas NCIS: Origins, Matlock and Watson, and new comedies Poppa's House and Georgie ...
03/05/2024
Sports-focused streaming service Fubo said it reduced its red ink in the first quarter, despite losing 110,000 subscribers since the end of the year....
03/05/2024
Walmart is reportedly about to release a new 4K streaming box/smart speaker hybrid device for Google TV that could retail for as low as $50, according to a repo...
03/05/2024
Enhancements to its Delivery Workspace solution provide increased content delivery robustness and security
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: May 3, 2024
Enha...
03/05/2024
According to reports, if the bid is successful, Sony would be the significant majority shareholder of the new private company
By Jenny Priestley
Published: M...
03/05/2024
Located in Manchesters Spinningfields district, the course aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and industry insight for a career in the creative s...
03/05/2024
Lightbridge has created a new Cine Reflect Lighting System kit, dedicated to enabling artistic lighting with consideration of today's productivity practical...
03/05/2024
Broadcast media systems integrator BeckTV and Lawo worked together on a large-scale AES67 build of radio control rooms at KPBS, San Diego's NPR and PBS memb...
03/05/2024
Raleigh, NC, April 12, 2024 SmallHD announces PageOS 6, a powerful software update free for owners of SmallHD monitors, featuring increased functionality, exp...
03/05/2024
SmallHD announces the Quantum 32 a new 31.5 OLED monitor designed to provide reference HDR/SDR images for post-production final color grading, as well as cri...
03/05/2024
By 2032, the esports market is expected to grow to $9.29 billion, bolstered by a global player count and fan following that both continue to climb. The 2023 Lea...
03/05/2024
Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), today announced that the 11th edition of the Amagi Global FAST Rep...
03/05/2024
Riedel Communications today announced that Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) is relying on a media and intercom network based on Riedel technology for the renewal of...
03/05/2024
Broadpeak , a leading provider of content delivery network (CDN) and video streaming solutions for content providers and pay-TV operators worldwide, announced t...
03/05/2024
Media technology innovator Limecraft will exhibit the latest updates to its online platform on stand G79 at the 15-16 May 2024 Media Production & Technology Sho...
03/05/2024
Audio interface specialist Prism Sound is partnering with console manufacturer Solid State Logic, professional monitor manufacturer PMC and acoustic panel and d...
03/05/2024
Intinor, Sweden's leading developer of products and solutions for high-quality video over the internet, is set to join forces with its UK partner Zest Techn...
03/05/2024
NAKIVO Inc., a fast-growing software company dedicated to protecting physical, virtual, cloud, and SaaS environments, announced its Q1 2024 financial results to...
03/05/2024
Hiltron Communications announces an addition to its range of satellite communication products and systems: a field-upgradable motorisation kit specifically desi...
03/05/2024
Visit LiveU at Stand D30
With this year an exceptional one for major sporting events alongside multiple, key elections, the power and flexibility of LiveU'...
03/05/2024
Agile Content, the leader in the development of technology and solutions for the provision of television services over the Internet, announces Koldo Unanue as i...
03/05/2024
Eight co-signers representing streaming services, pay TV operators and public interest groups have sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging their Committee...
03/05/2024
BOSTON Brightcove has announced that it has implemented Amazon Q Business, a new generative AI assistant on Amazon Web Services (AWS)....
-- 
