The Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe (WFOZ) will this year host the 15th edition of the International Images Film Festival (IIFF) which is dedicated to the screening of women-centred films at five venues in Harare.
BY TAWANDA TADERERA
Celebrating the best in women’s film, the IIFF for women will present a broad programme comprising feature films, short films, documentaries and special events.
The festival opens on Friday at Borrowdale Ster Kinekor while the film shows will begin a day later and end on September 2. Entrance is free of charge.
The closing ceremony will be held at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe before an awards ceremony on September 3.
Festival director Laura Ganda said their focus was to showcase women-centred films that present women in a positive light. She said they would like to empower and strengthen women in films to be able to overcome challenges they face in the industry.
“Our films aim at promoting progressive gender relations and tolerances between man and women,” she said.
Ganda said the festival presents an opportunity for women filmmakers to bring their films to international platforms.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“The films that women produce are able to go beyond physical boundaries and be able to compare the quality of their films alongside others from all over the world, and they can learn one or two things to improve their own filmmaking skills,” she said.
Ganda added: “Also women are able to tell and present their own story from their perspective to the world”.
The festival also brings networking opportunities for local filmmakers with other women from across the globe as they always have well-known filmmakers from different parts of the world gracing the festival. Unique workshops ensure a continuos training and education platform for women in film.
The festival campaigns for gender tolerance between women and man striving for equal opportunities.
“Though our focus is on women, we also show films of the ‘new man’ where films have a male protagonist or character that supports the women,” she said.
“The aim is to strive for equal opportunities for women and men and equipping the woman with key resources to be empowered, which is information.”
IIFF is expecting a number of guests within and outside the continent. Three filmmakers from Africa — Onyeka Nwelue who produced the film House of Nwapa, Joyce Chavula of the film Lilongwe and Wilson Rumisha who produced the film Aisha — are expected to grace the festival.
Laura said,“We are also excited to host Hollywood heartthrob Tongayi Chirisa, who features in the movie Happiness Is a Four-letter Word. It’s exciting for us as we will be showing the film for the first time in Zimbabwe. We have judges coming from Ghana, South Africa and Sweden.”
Ganda said 17 awards were up for grabs and they would also host the Sadc awards, which were not held last year.
IIFF is the brain child of the WFOZ which was founded in 2002. WFOZ has been active in women and girl child rights campaigns through short films since 1996. The organisation is registered with the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe.
