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Lesego Valela Arts Reporter

The International Images Film Festival for Women (IIFF) roars to life as it presents its 19th edition under the theme ‘Women at Crossroads’.

Founded in 2002, IIFF is an annual festival held in Harare that is an exhibition platform for films that portray a woman in at least one major role, thus providing role modelling for African women to observe other women being active and displaying agency and impacting positively on their own lives and communities. The festival is usually hosted by the Institute of Creative Arts for Progress in Africa (ICAPA) Trust.

The director of Alliance Francaise Fanny Gauthier said she was looking forward to this festival as it will support women in showcasing their talents.  The positive discourse of IIFF focuses on doing away with practices that no longer save and empower women and building institutions and platforms that reinforce women’s dignity and self-respect.

IIFF screenings are followed by gender dimensions raised by film at all venues, both urban and rural.

Over the years, IIFF has developed into a hub where women film-makers network.

A press statement made on Tuesday stated that this year’s cinema will start from November 24 to November 27.

The festival venues are Afrotopia, Alliance Francaise and Mungate Hall in Domboshava.

“The community screenings will run from the 24th with the opening ceremony on the same date at the Alliance Francaise and the closing ceremony on 27th which is the last day of the screenings,” said the organisers.

The movies that will be screened include: “Four walls and the roof”, “Rutendo”, “How it feels to be free” and “A stitch in time”.

The festival coordinator,Tafadzwa Chovhuchovhu, said the IIFF sought to stimulate conversations and encourage film enthusiasts to share their thoughts and debate so that the film community can help to contribute to people’s social awareness and development.