BUSINESS executive Rudo Mudavanhu has described the film industry as vital to economic empowerment and restoration of the identity and dignity of the African people.

She made the remarks at the closing ceremony of the nine-day International Images for Women Festival (IIFF) which ran under the theme Women of the Future at the Harare National Arts Gallery last month.

“I found IIFF as a dynamic platform that fosters creativity, synergistic appointments and cultural exchange. A holistic global platform, providing valuable insights and a snapshot view of the film industry enabling in-depth trend analysis. It is a stage set up for various stakeholders including industry professionals, new talent, critics and general viewers. It discovers raw talent and I have learnt over the years that there has been collusion of artistic prowess, launching of new projects and big deals have emerged from these interactions,” said Mudavanhu, who was the guest of honour.

“The theme Women of the Future is important in expressing that the “mother of nature” has produced various works which reflect diverse cultures or traditions of the world. Emphasising identity and differing perspectives on an array of phenomena. Women filmmakers have played a crucial role in shaping the cinematic landscape, breaking barriers and challenging traditional narratives. Their contributions have been diverse, spanning various genres, styles and cultural contexts.”

The awards ceremony was full of surprises as a greater number of the 60 films screened had the potential to carry an award. The Audience Prize Award for film was Mamifera which was directed by Liliana Torres, the Short Film Award went to Dolapo is Fine (UK) which was directed by Ethoseia Hylton and the Documentary Award was scooped by Beloved (Iran) by Yaser Talebi. The Shimoni film (Kenya) directed by Angela Wamai scooped the World View Award and the New man (Walter Muparutsa Award) went to the Nowhere Special film (UK) directed by Ire Umberto Pasolini. The Amanda Neli Eu film grabbed the Best Script accolade and the Best Cinematography Film Award was taken by Pierre de Viller for his film Good Bye Julia (South Sudan). Shushi Shelati was the Best Director for the film Girls Will be Girls. The Best Actress Award went to Leona Elva ‘Noni’ Hazelhurst (Australia) for starring in the film June Again.

The Best Depiction of Woman went to Babetia Sadjo (US) in the film Our Father the Devil Best and the Best Zimbabwean film was A Place at the Operating Table  which was directed by Mellisa Huerga Malilos, Alicia Dyke and Brando O’ Larey. The IIFF 2024 Most Improved Story Telling Award was given to Olivia Jembere for the film Shungu. Film director JJ Winlove (Australia) collected the Best Film Award for the film June Again.

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In spite of On Becoming a Guinea Fowl not grabbing an award in the main competition category, its shoot-out, narrative, sound tracks and foley sparked a lot of conversations during the short chat and mingle after the long event. On Becoming a Guinea Fowl was written and directed by Rungano Nyoni and produced by ED Guiney, Andrew Lowe and Tim Cole. On Becoming a Guinea Fowl story is about Shula who stumbles upon the body of her uncle on an empty road in the middle of the night.

As funeral proceedings begin, she and her cousins bring to light the buried secrets of their middle-class Zambian family. Award winning actor Elizabeth Chisela, who starred as Nsansa, was present as a guest artist and labelled the acting experience in the film On Becoming a Guinea Fowl an induction into professional acting in the film industry.

What they said about IIFF

Gabriele Sindler, story and script consultant/CEO DFK Films LLC

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate ICAPA Trust and IIFF for organising a very successful festival under these difficult conditions. In the Equal Voices Workshop, 20 participants from 10 African and three European countries analysed screenplays and further developed their own projects.

Eresina Hwede, IIFF director

Everything went according to plan and we are very happy with the activities of the film industry. It was very difficult and time consuming, trying to absorb and contain pressure from several corners. The turnout was overwhelmingly exciting and we are looking forward to a bigger event during the next few years. Woman of the future, set yourselves standards and walked the talk. Do not be inhibited by what people say.

Agnes Kola (Kenya) Award-winning assistant director, Women in Film Awards 2022

I watched several films and each one of them brought some interesting experiences through the messages they carried on women of the future. They were so empowering.

Nakai Matema multi-award winning film producer

I was part of the ICAPA voices Story and Script Analysis Workshop which ran from August 11 to 31. A lot of my time was taken by the workshops and the few films I watched  were a good representation of the true experiences of women from across the world. The IIFF 2024 theme Woman of the Future is perfect because the world is female and they should rise to take up their positions. I have attended several workshops and this one has enlightened us on many things in the film industry. The Story and Script Analysis Workshop helped in building a common understanding for filmmaking in Africa.

Pauline Gundidza, singer performer and anti-drug and substance abuse activist

IIFF has provided us with an opportunity to see how some people achieve great things using their natural abilities and energies. This is a lesson to the youth to stop indulging in toxic habits like drug and substance abuse. If you know that the food or drink you are taking causes laziness, harshness and violence then stop it. We need healthy and peace-loving people.

Adelaide Ganyani up-and-coming filmmaker

I was delighted to win two awards in the IIFF quiz competitions. I promise the audience a more interesting film viewing in the future as I am gathering resources for my forthcoming film on health and well-being. IIFF was a great experience and was so empowering.
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