Sunday 17 July 2016

Kenyan Films Win Big At Zanzibar International Film Festival

Under the beautiful Zanzibar skies, ZIFF 2016 awarded some of the best films from across the globe.  ZIFF 2016 has seen over a week of film screenings and special events enjoyed by over 60 visiting filmmakers alongside hundreds of invited guests and thousands of Zanzibaris and visitors.
 
The Old Fort was the backdrop for the exciting Awards Night event that also saw the announcement of the theme and dates for ZIFF 2017, ZIFF's 20th anniversary edition – FINDING JOY, July 8th – 16th 2017.

East African films dominated the awards, with Rwanda's A Place for Myself winning three awards; The Sembene Ousmane Award, The Signis Prize, and the Golden Dhow for Best Short Film.

Kenya's Watatu also was recognized with 3 awards, including the coveted Golden Dhow for Best Feature Film, the Signis Prize and sharing the European African Film Festival Award alongside the Kenyan film Zawadi that also won two awards.

Directed by Nick Reding and, the film, Watatu, made by Kenya's leading arts for social change organization – SAFE Kenya – examines the rise of radicalization amongst young Muslims in Mombasa. Part drama, part documentary, and written in part by the citizens of Mombasa.

Directed by Richard Card – David Kinyanjui, Zawadiis a short film that tells a story in the Kenyan slums of Kibera where a ten-year-old boy hustles to provide for his family, taking him away from his crush on her birthday.

A Place for Myself, from Rwandan filmmaker Clementine Dusabejambo tells the of a five year old albino girl, Elikia. Due to her skin color her classmates make her realize that her being 'different' is more a problem than a special trait. While the neighborhood treats her as a stereotype, her mother encourages her. Together, they fight back and raise their voice to find a place for themselves.

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