COOL NEWS: Taurai Mtake shines

“The environment in the first year was not con­ducive but with the support of my family I gath­ered momentum.
“I feel very happy and honoured and it is all to do with hard work and passion,” said Taurai.
She said having a positive mind in your work pays.

“The only solution in life to attain what you want is to strive hard and be focused. Last week I was in South Africa for my interviews to advance for my degree and I qualified so I am starting next year in January,” she said.
Taurai was among the six graduates to attain diplomas and other six received advanced certifi­cates. Presenting the diplomas, Professor Saki Mafundikwa, who is also the founder and director of ZIVA, encouraged them to strive  for more.  “As they are going outside to the real world I just want to encourage them not to be satisfied with these diplomas but to strive to attain high,” he said.

Speaking at the ceremony arts, desingner and educator at the London College of Communica­tion at London University Ms Ima Abasi-Okon, who was the guest speaker, said co-operation and diligent makes one to reach greater heights.

“My word is for them to jump out of space they will find people there to encourage them, I urge all stakeholders to support the arts industry,” she said. — CL Reporter.

Zim holds
animation fair

Alliance Française will be hosting the third annual Zimbabwe Festival of African Inspired Animation (Zimfaia) which kicked off yesterday until Sunday next week.
Zimfaia will also screen some of the year’s best animated films for the public under the theme “Eat, Sleep, Animate”. The festival will also feature a gaming tournament and numerous events for the industry’s finest animators and artistes from Harare, Bulawayo and beyond.

World-class animators will also be on hand to facilitate exciting and innovative workshops catering for both adults and children.
“Shows on offer will include a slate of award-winning films presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts as well as a collection of films from the world famous Stuttgart Interna­tional Festival

of Animated Films,” said festi­val director Solomon Maramba.
He said the festival would screen a collection of the best 2012 films from the world’s quintessential animation festival Annecy Off.

Maramba added that the festival had a host of key partners who were this year working hard to make it a memorable one.
“We will also host an advertisers’ conference where professionals from various advertising agencies, animation and digital media and corpo­rate decision-makers will come together to dis­cuss the possibilities and the future of the adver­tising industry,” he said.

Maramba added that a new addition at this year’s festival would be the children’s programme, which was geared towards engaging young ani­mation enthusiasts and animators, also present­ing opportunities to their parents.

He said the children’s programme mirrored the main programme with workshops, screenings and gaming for young participants. — CL Reporter.

Teen suffers burns after phone explodes
An 11-year-old boy Kian McCreath, of Hol­brooks Coventry, suffered painful burns to his legs when a BlackBerry mobile exploded and set fire to his bed.
Kian McCreath woke up screaming with melted plastic stuck to his legs after his brother’s phone burst into flames in their shared bedroom.
The teen’s mother, Sarah (39), doused the burn­ing duvet and mattress and put her son into the bath before he was taken to University Hospital. Kian’s family are now demanding BlackBerry’s popular

Curve 9320 mobile phone be recalled from shops.
The phone, which belonged to Kian’s brother, Mason, was bought from a Vodafone shop in Birmingham as a present for his 13th birthday by his father Pete.

Ms McCreath said she had placed the phone on Kian’s bed after finding it on the landing charging.
“It was about 2.30am and I couldn’t sleep so I came downstairs. As I left my room and noticed Mason’s phone on charge on the landing. I know the phone has an alarm he uses, so I unplugged it and plonked it on Kian’s bed. I thought nothing of it, made a cup of tea then I heard a really loud ‘pop’ sound. Kian started screaming at the top of his voice, shouting ‘My bed’s on fire!’ It was just horrific,” she narrated.
“If Sarah hadn’t acted so quickly that room could have gone up in flames within minutes. It was just lucky she got there so quickly. Kian has burns to his lower legs where it exploded and he was left mentally scarred,” said Mr McCreath.
Mason has been offered a replacement phone by Vodafone, but Mr McCreath said he wants the model recalled because of the risk to his son’s classmates at Cardinal Newman School and chil­dren across the country.
A spokeswoman for Vodaphone said the com­pany was trying to get in touch with the McCreaths so the burned phone can be returned and examined. — Mail Online.