The picturesque Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar is set to play host to the 10th edition of the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) from 29 June to 8 July.
As East Africa’s largest cultural event, ZIFF celebrates the unique cultural heritage of Africa and the Dhow countries of the Indian Ocean region and their global diaspora.
A highlight of this edition of the Festival will be the ZIFF-UNESCO special award worth $10 000 for a film that best discusses issues of slavery – both historical and contemporary. This award will be enriched with a one-day event that will include an organised tour of specific slave route sites culminating in a three-hour discussion on issues of slavery and a presentation of one major film shown in the Amphitheatre.
With many sites of memory in Zanzibar and Tanzania in general relating to slavery, the 10th anniversary of the Festival coincides with the 200th commemoration of the abolition of slave trade. ZIFF CEO Dr Martin Mhando says: “The flagship credo of the Festival, ‘Celebration of Water and Dreams’ will be strongly reflected this year. ZIFF will endeavor to initiate stimulating and relevant dialogues between the East African and Western worlds through a series of forums and events reflecting our objectives.
“ZIFF 2007 will again be a celebration of the plurality of world cultures. Our commitment this year will be to further advance inter-cultural understanding, promote respect and facilitate broader interaction between societies through the medium of film.”
Organisers are promising another week of thought-provoking films and exciting industry events for the people of Zanzibar and ZIFF’s honored guests. For more information visit filmdept@ziff.or.tz.
