A Sneak Peak of Ziff 2021

A feast of film, music & visual arts

“ZIFF 2021 was a true African celebration, with a distinctive East African flavour, that saw some of the region’s best talent recognised and awarded across multiple stages in Stone Town and beyond, across multiple stages in Stone Town and beyond, over 35 films were screened over 5 days.” over 35 films were screened over 5 days.”

The 24th ZIFF Festival of the Dhow Countries came to a thunderous close amidst fanfare of award winners at the glorious Old Fort amphitheatre in Zanzibar. The resplendent location was bathed in bright lights as the evening wound up towards the climax of the festival- the awards to the best and brightest in African and International films at the Zanzibar International Film Festival.

The Guest of honour, the European Union’s Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Manfredo Fanti could not hold his delight as he spoke to the packed audience. “We are now part of the ZIFF family”, he declared, “and we promise to be here with you at the celebration of the 25th anniversary of ZIFF next year”. As the jury members came up to award the winners, nationalist banter came to the fore as Kenya began to grab many of the early honors. However, while Kenya was the top grosser so were winners from diverse nations including Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Singapore and Sudan. The Full list of winners:

• Golden Dhow- For the Best Feature Film- Bint (Tanzania) • The Best Short Film- Al Sit (Sudan) • The Best Documentary- Softie (Kenya) • The Best East African Film - Mission To Rescue (Kenya) • The Best Actor- Melvin Alusa (Kenya)

• The Best Actress- Doreen Mirembe (Uganda) • The three Sembene Ousamane Award Winners with a cash prize of Euro 3000 each were: • Breaking Ground (Ines Girihirwe, Rwanda) • Mozizi (Amil Shivji, Tanzania) • If Objects could talk (Saitabao, Kenya) • The Jury Mentions went to Nyara (Tanzania) and

Adam (Singapore) • The ZIFF Chairman Award went to Al Sit (Sudan)

This year’s theme is “Sharing Our Heritage” with the aims to raise awareness and promote international cinema as art, entertainment and as an industry, promoting dialogue, human rights and freedom. This year’s festival will be remembered for its hybrid programmes because of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as for its well managed screenings in Stonetown as well as in Mpendae Mall, Nungwi, Jambiani and Makunduchi, where thousands of people came out to watch a joint screening of Swahili and European films on the theme of women in film. After the lowering of the dhow, the symbol of the festival to signify its end, the Festival Director, Prof Martin Mhando announced the dates for the next ZIFF as being 18-26th June 2022 and the Theme of the festival will be “Let’s Talk About Film”