ZIFF shows rained out

watered down owing to the current rain spell being experienced in the country.
The film festival – now in its 14th edition – had an open-air venue in the Harare Gardens, which was supposed to stage the main events since the opening day on September 30.

Although the opening ceremony witnessed a brilliant performance by musicians Chiwoniso Maraire and Andy Brown, film buffs, however, were disappointed after the rains forced organisers to suspend some of the screenings and other events.
A film based on the life of renowned South African musician Miriam “Mama Africa” Makeba was on Saturday cancelled halfway through after it started raining.

Transit Crew – the much acclaimed local reggae outfit – did not manage to perform as scheduled owing to the rain that pounded Harare over the past two days leaving show-goers with no option but to leave the open air venue.

Charity Maruta, director of the Zimbabwe Film Fair Trust, said the “acts scheduled for the main stage (Harare Gardens) are to be rescheduled”.
“We have since decided to shift the screenings, performances as well as the workshops to alternative indoor venues that are within the CBD in an effort to keep the festival running.
“However, some of the venues which are not affected by the rain shall adhere to their schedules and film-lovers can still go there,” Maruta said.

She, however, yesterday confirmed that all Harare Gardens acts had been moved to ZIFF premises in Kensington.
It remains to be seen which venues artistes like Victor Kunonga, Real Sounds of Africa, Mic Inity and Edith Katiji and her Utonga outfit will resort to for their shows which were supposed to be held in the Harare Gardens.

This year’s festival had assumed a new-look in the form of new director Charity Maruta who succeeded Nakai Matema, who left the Trust to concentrate on other things.
The festival organisers also decided to decentralise the venues of the film events to make the fete accessible to as diverse an audience as possible.

Some of the venues include Pakare Arts Centre in Norton, The Mannenberg, Young Africa Skills Centre in Chitungwiza, Embassy of Spain, Alliance Française and the Bulawayo National Gallery.
This year, the festival also adopted a more pan-African approach by focusing on the promotion of African films.
Held under the theme “Finding Common Ground”, the films being screened are aimed at addressing concerns and issues affecting the African continent, be they social, cultural, economic or political.