Chronicle Editor
Mbulelo Mpofu
MOVIE fans in Bulawayo are in for a treat today as the Academy of Music will host the premiere of the award-winning film Ngoda.
The premiere of the 90-minute film will be a red-carpet event set to be attended by prominent filmmakers, producers, and actors, as well as celebrities and film fans.
The cast, which includes veteran award-winning actors and directors Eddie Sandifolo (Tindo) and Joe Njagu, Caroline Mashingaidze-Zimbizi (Chenge), Charles Njagu, Taurai Kawara (Gora), and Charmaine Mujeri (Bhuru), was welcomed in Bulawayo on Sunday by award-winning movie producer Daniel Lasker. They engaged film fans and got to distribute free tickets to the premiere.
Some of the places that the crew visited were Bradfield, Mpopoma, and Burnside. They got to link up with television personality Sizwakele “Zwa” Ndlovu as well. Chronicle Showbiz caught up with the ecstatic cast at the Hideout Café, which is housed within the National Gallery of Zimbabwe.
“We are delighted to be in Bulawayo for the premiere of the movie. The enthusiasm that we have been getting from the people that we have given tickets has been amazing. The reception has been marvellous and we’ve been enjoying ourselves here.
“The energy and mood have been encouraging and we’re excited to meet and greet our passionate fans in Bulawayo,” said Charmaine Mujeri who plays a villain in the film.
Eddie Sandifolo said the movie will be premiered even beyond borders.
“We’re certainly going to do more premieres beginning with Mutare and then we travel to Zambia before going to the UK in June. Bulawayo has abundant theatric talent and we’ll be spending more time here to identify talent to work with on projects from this side. I’ve worked with Lasker and other creatives from Bulawayo and that has shown me that collaboration on a national level is key and it will ensure that our film sector will grow to phenomenal levels.
“Since our next project is a television series, we’re trying to incorporate talent from this side,” Sandifolo said.
Ngoda is full of seasoned talent and people who have stood the test of time in the film sector.
The movie which won the Outstanding screen production full-length film award at this year’s National Arts Merit Awards is set in 2006 when the diamond mining rush started in Zimbabwe.
“. . . to claim back their land, the Toropito brothers have to raise enough money to buy it back forcing them into the illegal diamond mining world. They work for a ruthless diamond dealer who rips them off their finds for low payouts. Tindo, the eldest of the brothers, accidentally finds a big diamond and decides to hide it from everyone, including his brothers and wife.
“The diamond is stolen from Tindo and news of the big stone spreads. The hunt for the diamond is on, but how do you find something that has already been stolen? Greed, betrayal and disloyalty lead to fatal consequences in this dramatic thriller,” reads part of the film’s synopsis.
The film was shot in Zimbabwe entirely with popular sites like Dzimbanhete run by Chiko Chazunguza featuring. – @MbuleloMpofu
Online Reporter