ZIFF 2024: Steering Towards the Rejuvenation of African Cinema

The 27th Edition of the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) will take place from August 1st to 4th in Stone Town, Zanzibar. Under the theme of “Rejuvenation,” the festival will offer a rich and varied program including film screenings, workshops, showcases, and enriching dialogues.

As the premier cinematic event in the region, ZIFF strives to promote cinema in Africa and the Indian Ocean countries, also known as the Dhow Countries region. This geographical area includes Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Persian Gulf, Iran, Pakistan, India, and the islands of the Indian Ocean.

This year, the festival received about 3000 cinematic works from around the world, with more than 350 coming from East Africa, including Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, and South Africa. After rigorous selection, sixty films have been chosen for competition.

Categories in competition this year include: Best Feature Film, Best Documentary, Emerson Award for Best Zanzibar Film, Best Short Film or Animation, Best East African Film, as well as awards for Best Actor and Best Actress from both East Africa and Tanzania, the ZIFF President’s Award, the Career Achievement Award, and the Public Choice Award for drama series from the East African Community (EAC) countries. Public voting will take place from July 20th to August 3rd, 2024.

Focus on Youth

In an ongoing effort to engage and inspire young people, ZIFF has partnered this year with the International Youth Media Summit (IYMS). This 19th edition of the IYMS, running concurrently with the festival, will be held for the first time on the African continent from July 21st to August 5th. One hundred young filmmakers and activists from diverse backgrounds will gather in Stone Town to participate in film production workshops. They will be organized into seven teams, each focusing on an urgent social issue such as discrimination, environment, health, poverty, violence, women’s rights, and youth empowerment. The films produced, carrying powerful messages on these issues, will be highlighted during the ZIFF awards night, thus celebrating cinema as a tool for social change.

For more information about the festival and voting procedures, visit ZIFF online platforms:

• Instagram: @zanzibarinternationalfilmfest
• YouTube: @zanzibarinternationalfilmf8234
• Website: www.ziff.or.tz

For further details, please refer to the press release. (English version)

Photo credit: © EU Delegation in Tanzania