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Yeukai Karengezeka Chisepo Arts Correspondent
The annual seven-day film fiesta run by International Images Film Festival for Women (IIFF) will begin with an opening ceremony to be held at Zimbabwe Film International Festival Trust (ZIFFT) offices situated number 2 Canterbury Avenue Kensington this Saturday.

The festival will be running under the theme “The Business of Film” and will use other venues around Harare and with ZIFFT offices being the main venue.

Festival spokesperson Caren Mukwasi said film lovers will have their best treat in town with more than 60 films to be showcased during the festival.

“The film programme consists a total of 65 films including feature, documentary, short and animation films so it caters for people of all age groups,” she said.

The events lined up include workshops facilitated by ZIFF, a Film Forum and documentary filmmaking competition. There will also be a special kids programme called “Reel Kidz” on September 2.

During the festival IIFF will hold a community outreach in its anchor community Mufakose from August 30 to September 1 with the aid of the Mufakose Film Society and ZIFF will hold an outreach in Chitungwiza together with Pamberi Trust.

There will be embassy days at each of the festival days with participating embassies hosting a reception for their films and curtain comes down on September 2 at Canterbury with the Awards Night Ceremony.

Mukwasi added that the festivals is not only meant for the general audience only but also for people that are in the in the film industry.

“The festival is not only for the viewing of films by the local audience but it is also for the local filmmakers, creative industry personnel and activists as the films touch on a range of topics affecting our modern society,” she said. This year’s festival is collaboration between IIFF and ZIFF, a great development in building a sustainable local film industry.

“IIFF and ZIFF have come together to present one cinematic experience for the Zimbabwean audience with the hope that this partnership will bring about unity in a really fragmented sector where local filmmakers need to work together to be taken seriously.

“This is a major stride in building a sustainable local film industry,” she said.