FILM SUBMISSIONS FOR ZIFF 2016 ARE NOW OPEN

ZIFF is excited to announce that the submission for films for the 2016 edition of ZIFF is now open. Festival Director Prof Martin Mhando has confirmed that despite the fears that the two major festivals of Zanzibar will be cancelled next year, ZIFF 2016 will be holding its 19th edition from July 9th – 17th 2016.

Following the announcement of the cancellation of the Sauti ya Busara music festival for 2016, many had feared ZIFF would follow suit at an attempt to encourage more government...

 Monday was a special day at ZIFF 2015, with a unique and memorable day of film and music in perfect harmony. July 20th saw the screening of the Moussa Diallo biopic, Sound Tracks of Life Moussa Diallo – followed by a live performance from Moussa Diallo himself. The film screening was introduced by Diallo himself, and filmmaker Helle Toft, who elaborated on the personal yet universal themes in the film; reconciliation and forgiveness. Diallo’s story may be unique, having left Mali at age 17...

The Zanzibar International Film festival (ZIFF) has hit a new landmark for African film festivals as it becomes the first festival on the continent to have their film submissions totally online, and for a very low fee.
With the growth of the Internet many film festivals have utilised the new found capacity to receive films online and reduce the time it took to select films. Festival programmers will now begin to watch films before the end of the submission period and give ...

To close out the 17th edition of the Zanzibar International Film Festival, some of Africa’s musical legends will be performing whilst top filmmakers from around the world are awarded for their work.

On Saturday June 21st, ZIFF and our partners will award filmmakers for a range of achievements – these awards include:

The SIGNIS Awards

ZUKU Swahili Awards

ZIFF Awards

East African Talent

Sembene Ousmane Awards

The ZIFF jury awards Golden Dhows for films in the following categories:

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The Zanzibar International Film Festival is proud to announce the 16 films in competition for the Sembene Ousmane Film Prize in 2015. The selected film hail from 11 Countries: USA, Brazil, Senegal, Madagascar, Ghana, Cameroon, Morocco, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia and Tanzania.

“The competition has been designed to reward excellence in short film production and to encourage the production of new short films, including short documentaries,“ explains ZIFF Assistant Film Director...

ZIFF ANNOUNCES THEME AND DATE FOR 2016________________________________________________________________________Zanzibar International Film Festival Director Martin Mhando announced at the ZIFF 2015 closing ceremony the official theme for the 19th version of the festival; This Journey of Ours: Ndiyo hii Safari Yetu.As Mhando explained,“This simple theme is yet complex in its implications.  Any journey is symbolic of life, with its trials and tribulations, its highs and lows and with its...

ZIFF is proud to announce the opening night film  of ZIFF 2015, to be screened at the Old Fort Ampitheatre in Stonetown, Zanzibar on July 18th will be the Golden Globe winning film SELMA.

SELMA is the ideal film to open this year’s ZIFF – as the theme- Waves and Visions of Hope is perfectly reflected in the underlying message of the film. Festival Director, Martin Mhando explains further, “ZIFF prides itself on showcasing films with strong social messages. In 2014 we opened ZIFF with the...