Zanzibar Film Festival Releases Programme

The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)

Paul Owere

20 May 2011

As the world anxiously waits for the 14th edition of the Zanzibar International Film Festival, organisers this week released the programmme lineup for the films and workshops for this year’s extravaganza.

According to the programme 71 short, feature and documentary films from 39 countries will be screened during the 10-day event in June. Apart from that there will also be eight workshops, on diverse artistic fields including documentary film production, song writing and HD camera cinematography.

These will be complimented with be gala nights and an outreach programme The Cinema Mondial Tour that will be projected in 15 different village venues around Zanzibar and Tanzania mainland.

The most exciting item on the list is the Jamaican-American reggae singer and rapper Shaggy’s live show.

“I am really proud of this year’s programme. Hosting the world premiere of opening film “Making The Band” and Shaggy’s visit will stir historical links as we celebrate 2011 as the United Nations Year of Links between Africa and its Diaspora”, said festival director Martin Mhando.

The festival will also be graced with the presence of the controversial and uncompromising Nick Broomfield, director of “Biggie and Tupac (2002)”, of which has been described as, “The most frightening moment in movies this year” (LA Times.) A new biopic on the Zanzibar Vice-President Seif Sharif Hamad, the architect of Zanzibar’s transition to peace and democracy, will also be premiered.

“Other notable visitors this year include actor, Director and Producer Donald Ranvaud (Constant Gardner) and the indefatigable Zimbabwean music maestro Oliver Mutukudzi (Tuku). The incredible Ogopa DJ group from Kenya is another anticipated sell out event this year”, added Mhando.

AllAfrica – All the Time