Mbulelo Mpofu [email protected]
ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) is finding its way into Zimbabwean filmmaking, with AI-produced films featuring among submissions to this year’s Bioskop! Zimbabwe Short Film Competition, highlighting emerging creatives’ willingness to experiment with technology in storytelling.
The European Film Festival Zimbabwe (EuroFilmFestZW) received 80 entries for the 2026 competition, matching last year’s total. But beyond the unchanged numbers, the presence of AI-produced work alongside animation and science fiction points to an evolving creative landscape in which filmmakers are exploring new ways to bring their ideas to the screen.
Bioskop! Short Film Competition 2026 coordinator Tatenda Kanengoni said the variety of submissions reflected an encouraging appetite for experimentation among local filmmakers.
“Submissions for this year’s Bioskop Short Film Competition remained steady at 80 entries, matching last year’s total. While the numbers held firm, we were encouraged by the eclectic mix of films submitted, spanning animation, science fiction and AI-produced films, among other genres and formats,” Kanengoni said.
The inclusion of AI-produced films raises a broader question about how emerging Zimbabwean filmmakers are incorporating new technologies into their creative processes, from developing ideas to shaping how stories are presented.
While organisers did not disclose how many of the 80 submissions were produced using AI, its presence in the competition points to a new dimension in the country’s short-film landscape, where traditional filmmaking approaches are being explored alongside emerging digital techniques.
Kanengoni said the experimentation demonstrated how filmmakers were responding to changing creative possibilities.
“It was particularly exciting to see filmmakers experimenting with emerging technologies and incorporating new media techniques into their storytelling. This reflects the evolving creative
landscape of Zimbabwean short filmmaking and the diverse ways filmmakers are exploring and expressing their ideas,” the coordinator said.
The development comes as AI tools offer filmmakers new ways to experiment with visual storytelling, although their use also raises questions about creative authorship, originality and the role of human skill in film production.
For Zimbabwe’s emerging filmmakers, the Bioskop! submissions provide a glimpse of how the local industry is engaging with these changing possibilities.
The extent of AI’s influence will become clearer as audiences encounter the selected works and the techniques behind their production.
“We look forward to celebrating the creativity, innovation and stories represented in this year’s selection,” Kanengoni said.
The competition forms part of EuroFilmFestZW, which opens in Harare tomorrow, with screenings scheduled at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe on Wednesday, 28 October, the Zimbabwe German Society on Thursday, 29 October, and Alliance Française on Friday, 30 October.
Last year, the festival marked its 10th anniversary by taking screenings into the townships, moving away from its traditional city-centre venues. In Bulawayo, Ster Kinekor in the central business district gave way to Amakhosi Cultural Centre in Makokoba, while in Harare, activities moved from Mount Pleasant to Mbare.
The shift brought the festival closer to township audiences, widening opportunities for communities to engage with international cinema and Zimbabwean filmmaking.
This year’s programme returns to established cultural institutions in Harare, bringing film enthusiasts and creatives together through stories that cross geographical and cultural boundaries.
The festival is supported by several European diplomatic missions and cultural institutions, including the embassies of the Netherlands, Italy, Ireland, Sweden, France, Spain, Greece and Germany. The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and Goethe Zentrum Harare, also known as the Zimbabwe German Society, are among the institutions associated with the event.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwean actress, filmmaker and creative economy practitioner Tendaiishe (Tendai) Chitima has been named among the jurors for the 2026 Bioskop! competition.
Chitima starred in the award-winning Zimbabwean film Cook Off, the first Zimbabwean feature film to stream on Netflix, and recently appeared alongside American actress Viola Davis in Amazon Prime Video’s action thriller G20.
Her experience in front of and behind the camera is expected to contribute to the assessment of performances, storytelling and technical creativity among the submitted films.
Running under the theme “Celebrating the Best of Zimbabwean Short Film”, Bioskop! invites filmmakers from Zimbabwe and the diaspora to showcase their work. Categories include Best
Narrative, Best Documentary, Best Sound Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Actor/Actress and Best Diaspora Narrative.
Winners will receive trophies and cash prizes in recognition of their achievements across different aspects of short-film production.
Although submissions remain at 80, the appearance of AI-produced films gives this year’s competition another story to tell: how Zimbabwean filmmakers are beginning to explore the possibilities
of artificial intelligence as they develop new ways of telling their stories.
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