Online Reporter
Mbulelo Mpofu, Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
Award-winning Bulawayo creative Chioniso Tsikisayi is set to showcase her experimental short film, Bureau De Change, on an international stage as part of the 16th Annual Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF).
Running from October 9 to 12 at the Historic Hoover Theater in San Jose, California, Western United States, the festival celebrates “Africa through African lenses”, screening around 100 films from over 30 countries.
For Tsikisayi, a poetess, novelist, playwright, and filmmaker, the selection represents a significant milestone, cementing her distinctive artistic voice on a global platform dedicated to authentic African storytelling.
Her film, an experimental fusion of spoken word and visual narrative, reimagines Africa’s search for renewal through the metaphor of a continent seeking a new hairstylist. It explores poetry as a “universal exchange booth”, where perspectives are traded and emotion becomes shared currency.
Representing Bulawayo and Zimbabwe on such a platform is, for her, a vital act of visibility.
“It means I’ve earned my seat at the table. In the context of Bulawayo, it’s like marking a class register; how is the world to know we exist if we don’t show up? So this is me marking the register – I’m present,” she said.
Bureau De Change serves as a companion piece to her earlier poetic short, Queue for a Dream. While both explore themes of identity, exchange, and the African experience, they differ in style and language: “QFAD is performed entirely in Shona and is case-specific to Zimbabwe. Bureau is specific to Africa as a whole, mimicking the multi-currency mindset we live in,” she explained.
The new film uses English, French, and Swahili, reflecting the continent’s rich linguistic diversity.
Tsikisayi says her blend of poetry and film breaks from traditional storytelling, using words, sound, silence, and visuals to create a space for reflection and shared experiences, a truly Pan-African approach.
Zimbabwe has two other entries at SVAFF: Courage Tariro Matanda’s Another Chooseday (Narrative Short) and Eddie Ndhlovu & Jakov Dakovic’s Nyanga (Narrative Feature).
While thrilled by the selection, Tsikisayi acknowledged the challenges faced by many independent African filmmakers.
“There’s a bittersweetness in knowing your work will be shared with new audiences across borders when you cannot physically be there,” she said, citing financial constraints. Her film will also screen simultaneously at the Poetry Africa Film Festival in Durban.
Despite these limitations, she is excited about the dialogues her film may spark.
This recognition adds to Tsikisayi’s impressive portfolio, which includes literary accolades, international festival selections (including the NGO International Film Festival in Australia for Queue for a Dream), and awards like the Bulawayo Arts Awards and Canopus Award for Interstellar Writing.
“I’m a versatile artist, and each skill helps improve the others,” she said, highlighting how poetry, prose, playwriting, and filmmaking complement one another.
Looking ahead, Tsikisayi has ambitious plans for Zimbabwean storytelling, inspired by platforms like Mzansi Magic, Africa Magic, and Zuba.
“I need whoever is paying attention to say ‘Let’s bet on her’ because I’m 100% worth the investment,” she said, viewing her SVAFF selection and growing digital footprint as “infinity stones” for future large-scale projects: feature films, limited series, or even composing scores. – Follow on X @MbuleloMpofu
