What is ZIFF

ZIFF is East Africa's largest film, music and arts festival, bringing new talents together from all over the world for a Zanzibar Tamasha!

Film
Each year, some of the most captivating and cutting-edge cinema from Africa and beyond is screened in venues across the island. From world-premiers to local shorts, we've got it all, with a long history of showcasing the highest quality film from all over the world. Films are submitted based on a yearly theme - this year is ‘Season of Visions' - and entered into various categories and competitions. The final night is an awards night, where the winning films are recognised and celebrated.

Music
ZIFF also puts on the island's best parties. Live music, dance, DJs and performance across several venues means that carnival fever hits Zanzibar for 2 weeks! We bring musicians together from all over Africa, as well as recognised international acts.

Community
A Zanzibar institution, ZIFF is a truly local festival, with exhibitions, workshops, and cultural tours that take you to the heart of the community. We promote local talent in film and music, showcasing new and old creative achievements. As ZIFF comes to town, so too do opportunities for recognising arts and crafts - the festival is always a hotbed of activity!



SEMBENE OUSMANE PRIZE 2015 - Official Selection
The Zanzibar International Film Festival is proud to announce the 16 films in competition for the Sembene Ousmane Film Prize in 2015. The selected film hail from 11 Countries: USA, Brazil, Senegal, Madagascar, Ghana, Cameroon, Morocco, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia and Tanzania.
"The competition has been designed to reward excellence in short film production and to encourage the production of new short films, including short documentaries,"explains ZIFF Assistant Film Director International, Fabrizio Colombo. "16 films have been nominated to vie for the 3 Prizes" he added, "each of the 3 winning films will be awarded 2,000 USD specifically earmarked to produce a new short film to be ready by ZIFF 2016."
Bernd Multhaup of GIZ, the co-sponsors of the prize explained that "this year the sponsors have decided to award three films to ensure that many more filmmakers are encouraged to make creative films through the Sembene Ousmane Prize. The short film genre is a powerful way to communicate serious issues without sacrificing production quality and aesthetic value."
The three winners will need to submit their scripts and a production within 4 months of the award and funds will then be released. The winning 3 films will be screened at ZIFF 2015, and the new films screened in ZIFF 2016. This on-going process will simultaneously acknowledge and reward filmmakers for their efforts, whilst contributing to the sustainability of the short-film format.

The 16 nominated films are:
Lesley: Victor Okoye Frank, USA / 15 min
O Canto da Iona: Thiago B. Mendonca, Brazil / 25 min
Muruna: Molly Kane, Senegal / 15 min
Aissa's Story: Iquo B Essien, USA / 15 min
Madama Esther: Luck Razanajaona, Madagascar / 15 min
The Traveller: Peter Orgnah, Ghana / 9 min
Damaru: Agbor Obed, Cameroon / 24 min
Houkak: Younes Youfsi, Morocco / 17 min
Kwaku: Anthony Nti, Ghana / 16 min
Samaki Mchangani: Amil Shivji, Tanzania, 30min
Kilimo 2: Neema & Warren Reed, Tanzania / 6 min
Liberte Emprisonnee: Sara Mikayel, Morocco/16min
Soko Sonko: Ekwa Msangi, Kenya / 22 min
Uthando: Tulanana Bohela, South Africa, 20min
Grandma Knows Best: Tamara Dawit, Ethiopia, 16min
Vitrin, Regis Talia, Cameroon, 15min

ZIFF : OFFICIAL SELECTION

LONG FEATURES

Algun lugar/On the Road Somewhere
Guillermo Zouain (70), Dominican Republic

Beautiful Tree, Severed Roots
Kenny Mann (70), Kenya

Diamond Tongues
Brian Robertson and Pavan Moondi, Canada

Eye of the Cyclone
Sékou TRAORE, Burkina Faso

El mal trato/Maltreatment
Daniel E.V. Yudin (68), Chile

Fievres/Fevers
Hicham Ayouch (90), France

Habibie and Ainun
Faozan Rizal (121), Indonesia

Jongo Love
Emma Bodger (98), Kenya

Kutakapokucha
Simon Mwakifwamba (84), Tanzania

Morbayassa
Cheick Fantamady Camara (90)
Guinee Conacry

Mr Kadamanja
Adam Kuambiana (164), Tanzania

Munnariyippu/ The deadline
Venu N (114), India

Nightrunners
Rowan Nielsen (89), Kenya

Pishu
Leah Mwendamseke (83), Tanzania

Price of Love
Hermon Hailay (99), Ethiopia

Pride
Matthew Warchus (119), UK

Selma
Ava DuVernay (128), USA

Single Zero
Timoth Conrad (62)
Tanzania

Strength of a Woman
Gilbert Lukalia (91), Kenya

Sugarcane Shadows
David Constantin (84), Mauritius

Superstition
Paresh Gondaliya & Zziwa A. Alone, Uganda

Timbuktu
Abdrahmanne Sissako (97), France/Mauritania

The Gods of Water
Pablo Caesar (115), Argentina/Ethiopia/France

The Last Drive-in Theater
Iberê Carvalho (98), Brazil

Wazi?FM
Faras Cavallo (62), Kenya


DOCUMENTARIES

21 Icons - A Journey to Democracy
Adrian Steirn (45), South Africa

Abasezi (The Nightdancers)
Aemile Dinneen (78), Ireland/Uganda

Ady Gasy
Nantenaina Lova (81), Madagascar

Bintou
Simone Catharina Gaul (68), Germany

Crocoin a Museum
Floriane Kaneza, Burundi

Daddy's Wedding, Dubai

Dancing With Maria
Ivan Gergolet (75), Italy/Argentina/Slovenia

Grandma Knows Best?
Tamara Dawit (16), Ethiopia

Life In Progress
Irene Loebell (99)
Switzerland

Life is Waiting: Referendum and Resistance in Western Sahara
Iara Lee (60), Western Sahara

Low Season
Madeleine Dallmeyer (41)
Germany

Maramaso
Ashley Beckett (53)
Kenya

Mbwa Mwitu
Farid Uwezo (20), Tanzania

Miners Shot Down,
Rehad Desai 52min, South Africa/Australia,

Moussa Diallo: The Man and the Music
Helle Toft (72) - Denmark

NAPPS- Memoire Of An Invisible Man
Tami Liberman (31), Germany

Obohozi, Kenya

Papa Machete
Jonathan David Kane (11), U.S.A.

Prisoner 467/64: The Untold Legacy of Andrew Mlangeni
Lebogang Rasethaba (53), South Africa

Red Over the Rainbow
Baumont Vincent (27), Vietnam

Shadeism: Digging Deeper
Nayani Thiyagarajah, Canada

Shadow Fighters
Josefine Heimburger, Denmark/Tz

Socotra: The Hidden Land
Carles Cardelús (40min), Spain/USA/Yemen

The Beauty That I Saw
Benjamin Abrams (51), U.S.A

The Broken Heart
Fabian Püschel, Germany

The Hustle
Ashraf Said Mswaki (25)
Turkey

The Rwandan Genocide: Reunited Through Polaroids
Colin Crowley (5), Rwanda

The Springboard
Joseph Ndayisenga (63), Burundi

Twende! Let's go!
Silvana Zancolo (52), Italy

SHORT FILMS

92 Dreamin' (Animation)
EscarlaAbreu (4), United States

A Coeur Ouvert
Ayekoro Kossou (16), France

A Hotel Room Story
Daniel Piera (18)

A Promised Rose Garden
Lisa Violetta Gaß (Gass) (33), Germany

Agi / Elegy
Yousef Kargar, Iran

Amor a Primera vista/ Love at first sight
Mark Playne (14), Spain

Angles of my Face
Manu Maina (22), Kenya

Artificio Conceal
Ayoub Qanir (16), U.S.A.

As I Am
Sihle Hlope (14), South Africa

Bahar in Wonderland
Behrooz Karamizade (16), Germany

Camouflage
Andreas Kessler (8), Germany

Castillo y el Armado (animation)
Pedro Harres (13), Brazil

Detour
Michael Leong-Huat Kam Kam, Singapore

Ella
Kim Münster, Germany

Every Day is a Small Life
Lou-Brice Léonard (27)
France

Faraja
Nasir Al Qassim, Tanzania

Green Gold/ Gruen Gold (animation)
Barbara Marheineke (13), Iran/USA

Harsh
Danilo Baracho (8), Brazil

Intellectual Scum
Njue Kevin (14), Kenya

Islands
Tajinder Hayer (16), United Kingdom

Italian Standoff
Marcel Becker-Neu (12), Germany

Jaya
Puja Maewal (18), India

Kilimo 2 (animation)
Neema Reed (6), USA

Orisha's Journey
Abdul Ndadi (5), USA

King of Guangzhou
Quester Hannah (14), China

Lahza
El Waleed Gamal, Egypt

Lami (Animation)
Christophe Defaye and Olivier Defaye (2), Japan

Mousse
John Helberg (41), Sweden

Prelude to a Torn House
Carlos Esteban Godoy Acosta (29), Colombia

Ram
Miransha Naik (25), India

Red Card
John Rabaud (3), Mauritius

Roughtown
Gabrielle Herbelling (25min), Germany

Routine
P. Sam Kessie (14), South Africa

Samaki Mchangani /Fish of the Land
Amil Shivji (30), Tanzania

September
Mark Wambui (54min), Kenya

Shehnai
Haroon Habib (16), Pakistan

Soko Sonko /The Market King
Ekwa Msangi (22), Kenya

Taweez- The Talisman Writer
Ali Hakin (20), Germany

The Dinner
Aylin Basaran (15), Germany

The Girl
Shashwati Talukdar (8), India

The Last Will
Dustin Loose (21), Germany

The Legacy of Rubies (Animation)
Ebele Okoye (28), Germany

The Road we Travel
Aidan Belizaire (37), Uganda

Tjitji the Himba Girl
Oshosheni Hiveluah (22), Namibia

Uthando
Tulanana Bohela (20), South Africa

With Best Regards
Bernhard Wenger (5), Austria


See website for timetable and ticket prices: http://www.ziff.or.tz/


ZIFF 2015 - OFFICIAL WINNERS

ZIFF 2015 AWARDS

Bi Kidude Award (Chairman's Award) : PRICE OF LOVE - Dir: Hermon Hailay (Ethiopia)
Special Jury Prize : EVERY DAY IS A SMALL LIFE - Dir: Albane Fioretti (France)
Best Documentary : PAPA MACHETE - Dir: Jonathan David Kane (USA)
Best Short/Animation: SOKO SONKO (THE MARKET KING) - Dir: Ekwa Msangi (Usa/Tanzania)
Best East African Film Talent: STRENGTH OF A WOMAN - Dir: Gilbert Lukalia (Kenya)
Silver Dhow Award - Best Feature Film (Runner Up): SIMSHAR -Dir: Rebecca Cremona (Malta)
Golden Dhow Award - Best Feature Film: WAZI ?FM - Dir: Faras Cavallo (Kenya)

Lifetime Achievement Award
BI. FATMA ALLOO
HASSAN MITAWI

SEMBENE OUSMANE AWARDS

Special Mention:
* UTHANDO, Dir: Tulanana Bohela (Tanzania/South Africa)
* LIBERTÉ EMPRISONNÉE', Dir: Sarah Mikayil (Morocco)

Sembene Ousmane Awards (2000 $ each)
HOUKAK - Dir: Younès Yousfi (Morocco)
KWAKU - Dir: Anthony N'ti (Ghana)
SOKO SONKO - Dir: Ekwa Msangi (Tanzania / Kenya)

EUROPEAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL AWARD
Best African Film
WAZI? FM, Dir: Faras Cavallo
(Kenya)

ZUKU AWARDS
1. People's Choice Award - MR. KADAMANJA
2. Best Film in Sound - SAMAKI MCHANGANI
3. Best Cinematography - DADDY'S WEDDING
4. Best Actress - JOKATE MWEGELO in Mikono Salama
5. Best Actor - ADAM KUAMBIANA in Mr.Kadamanja
6. Best Director - STEVEN AANO OLOBO in Daddy's Wedding
7. Best Feature Film - KUTAKAPOKUCHA

SIGNIS AWARDS

East African Talent Award: WAZI? FM, Dir: Faras Cavallo (Kenya)
SIGNIS AWARD: Life is Waiting: Referendum and Resistance in Western Sahara, Dir : Iara Lee, Western Sahara/ Usa

EAFN Award
Best East African Film (Feature)
GOING BONGO - Dir: Dean Matthew Ronalds

Best East African Film (Documentary)
SHADOW FIGHTERS - Dir: Josefine Heimburger

Best East African Film (Short)
ANGLES OF MY FACE - Dir: Manu Maina