Film Festival roars to life

The International Images Film Festival roared to life over the weekend at Ster Kinekor Eastgate with the screening of a film titled "Imbabazi The Pardon". The festival, that is running under the theme - "Women Alive: Women of Heart" - kick-started with some music and poetry from local artistes.

Award-winning spoken word poet Batsirai Chigama and Moreblessing Size gave a mouth watering performance about the challenges that most women face every day.

Afro jazz singer Selmor Mtukudzi thrilled the audience with her hit song "Nguva Yangu" and "Shungu" that discourages parents and guardians from forcing children into early marriages.

"Imbabazi The Pardon" by Joel Kerekezi revisits the Rwandan Genocide of 1994.
A sombre atmosphere filled the cinema as people watched scenes of civil war and the permanent effects it left to the citizens.

It was about the mass slaughter of the Tutsi tribe, who were seen as cockroaches by the majority of Hutu people.
About one million people perished and many women were raped during that period.
 

IIFF Public Relations Officer Charmaine Mujeri said they were pleased with turnout.
Mujeri said during the festival they will present the script adaptation workshop by Nigerian award-winning playwright and screenwriter Ade Solanke, which is meant to educate script writers on how to write good scripts.

"The five-day workshop that is starting tomorrow (today) is aimed at equipping filmmakers with a set of skills that will allow them to approach adaptation with confidence and expertise as they move forward in their careers hence the need to have a script adaptation workshop," she said.
Mujeri also said this year's festival will be expanding to Kenya, Malawi and Somalia.

"We have realised the need to share with other countries so we will be expanding the festival to other three African countries Malawi, Somalia and Kenya in November," she said.

The festival's restructured programme will also see the inclusion of the late Walter Muparutsa Award in the New Man category.
Mujeri said the films screened this year will celebrate daring women who, despite daily challenges, always emerge stronger than before.

Meanwhile, Mujeri has apologised for the technical problem which resulted in them substuting the film "Half of a Yellow Sun", which was supposed to be the opening production.

She said the film will be screened tomorrow at the same venue.