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Yeukai Karengezeka Arts Correspondent
The International Images Film Festival (IIFF) for women ended on a high note on Saturday night at the Jameson Hotel where several films scooped awards.
The most outstanding film that scooped four awards was “Virgin Margarida”, a Mozambican production.
The feature film was voted the best depiction of the theme ‘Woman Alive: Woman of Heart’ and Sumeia Maculuva’s character in the film was the Best Actress.
It also won US$2 000 for being the best film of the festival and the Best Southern African Development Community film.

The feature film set in 1975 shows as revolution that sweeps through the streets of Mozambique’s capital Maputo when prostitutes are raided and sent to re-education camps to become “new”. Unfortunately, the 16-year-old Margarida is mistakenly taken although she is a virgin and the film is centred on her.

“Half of a Yellow Sun” (UK/Nigeria) by Biyi Bandele won the Best Script Award as well as the  Audience Prize and was also granted US$1 000 for being the Best African film.

The Walter Muparutsa Prize for the best film in the new man category was won by “Under The Same Sun” (United States).
Speaking on behalf of Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services Jonathan Moyo, Doctor Ivanhoe Gurira applauded the organisers of the festival for switching to digitalisation.

“My ministry is working on digitisation and promoting local productions and I would like to take this opportunity to commend IIFF for hosting such a festival where local filmmakers are exposed to narratives from other countries and continents. It is my sincere hope that we will see some of these films on our national broadcaster,” he said.

IIFF director Yvonne Jila described the just ended festival as a success.
“We were pleased that the festival was a success. We are also proud that this year we changed from 35 milimetre celluloid format to digital cinema print and this enabled us to get the latest films.

“We apologise for the technical challenges we encountered on the opening day and failed to screen but we are getting used to the digitalisation now,” she said.