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Peter Tanyanyiwa Arts Correspondent
Zimbabwe International Film Festival Trust (ZIFFT) has called for submissions of films for this year’s edition of the Zimbabwe International Film Festival scheduled for October 3 to 10.

The call has been extended to all filmmakers in Zimbabwe and around the world to submit in categories that include feature film, short film, documentary and animation feature and short films.

Running under the theme “Documation”, this year’s opening night will be held in Harare before the festival spreads across the country to Bulawayo, Masvingo, Mutare, Norton and Chitungwiza.

The theme is believed to be a clarion call for Zimbabwean filmmakers to pay attention to documentary and animation film-making. “Documation is a play on the words ‘documentary’ and ‘animation,” said ZIFF co-ordinator Elton Mjanana.

“For ZIFFT, genres are important for the purpose of capturing and archiving the essence of Zimbabwe’s heritage, past and present and as a means for projecting the nation’s trajectory.

“These are the filmmaking genres that we like to promote this year as ‘documentary’ promotes the preservation of our events and key moments as a country and helps to achieve even our trajectory,” he said.

Animation is the use of images and characters even such as animals that talk to bring out issues of preserving our moral values and beliefs.

This genre has been gaining ground with the local populace on social media.

There are some good local short productions and although some are just localisation of international productions through the addition of local voice overs.