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Latwell Nyangu
Aspiring and passionate actors have been given an opportunity to learn the tricks of their trade after the establishment of a film school, Roots Academy.
Actor and filmmaker, Tendai Maduwa is behind the project to try and help local actors.
“This is an academy which is forms 1-6. We are starting with form ones in 2025, which we are enrolling this year.
“Then there is a Film School Programme which is a one-year certificate and it teaches the whole module on film business practically rather than theoretically.
“Students get to learn as they make films from idea conceptualization to distribution of final products,” said Maduwa.
Born and bred in the same village, the theatre actor said, his dreams are to get where his career took longer since opportunities are more available to town folks than villagers himself.
“I have watched talented actors kill their dreams because there were no opportunities available for them.
“I am giving them a reason to dream again. I will be helping them one after another until they get their acting dreams where they should be.
“The other important factor is simply teaching everyone about ownership,” he said.
Maduwa said they have also created employment.
“Opportunities not just for filmmakers but everyone. We have employed six full-time staff members so far including a security officer who has been working since June last year.
“We have employed up to 10 subcontracted workers from the very same community.
“We will have established local, regional, and international filmmakers coming to be special lecturers and give Mutoko credibility.
“We have the city being spoken about and at least be put in the national records for establishing something like Roots Academy.
“Like right now many people not just in Zimbabwe, but globally are reading news about this initiative and they would be interested to learn more about Mutoko.
“It’s not always in major cities, life is happening. There are countless benefits to this.”
To his credit, Maduwa has been doing art practices
“We have 15 students every year on full scholarship (supported by culture fund starting classes).
“We intentionally chose that number because we want to make sure we invest our all in them and everyone should be an established film practitioner with success stories when they finish their programme.
“We will have different lecturers, who are all established, practicing film practitioners.
“We will intentionally focus on recycling 99 percent of local lecturers because we have well-experienced and knowledgeable film practitioners in Zimbabwe.
“The other one percent will be once in a while regional or international lecturers just so that we prepare our students for other markets and cultural exchanges.”
Online Reporter