Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) announces winners

Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) is East Africa’s largest film festival, exhibiting the latest and best films and promoting film talents from across the African continent, the Dhow countries and beyond.

For its 22nd edition it showed over 60 films from across Africa and the Dhow countries. Films were screened in Zanzibar’s ancient Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, including in the open-air amphitheatre of the Old Fort, in Zan Cinema and in the Beach House.  

For each competition, the winner was selected by a jury of high-profile international film industry professionals, including:

Feature film jury: Lizelle Bisschoff (UK), lecturer in film and television studies at the University of Glasgow; Nadia Bulbulia (South Africa), executive Director of the National Association of Broadcasters South Africa; Peter Amina (UK), producer and director; and Mette Hjort (China) Chair Professor of Humanities and Dean of Arts at the Hong Konh Baptist University. 

Documentary film jury: Azza Elhosseiny (Egypt), director of Luxor African Film Festival; Amina Frense (South Africa) journalist, documentary filmmaker and executive producer; Salome Gregory (Tanzania) journalist for The Citizen Newspaper.

Short film jury: Mohamed Ghazala (Egypt) assistant professor of animation and the chair of the department of visual and digital production of Effat University, Saudi Arabia; Munier Parker (South Africa) filmmaker and producer from South Africa; Myriam Mouflih (UK) programmer, writer and filmmaker from Scotland.

Feature film winner:

Golden Dhow - Fatwa, dir. Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud, Tunisia 2018 

‘A poignant and powerful film with superb acting and impressive cinematography. The director succeeds in portraying the devastating effects of radicalisation in a seemingly liberal society. Relationships are layered and textured leaving the audience with a profound sense of despair and a reminder that society ought to nurture moderation if we are to stem extremism.’ – Nadia Bulbulia, jury member.    

Silver Dhow - The Skier, dir. Fereydoun Najafi, Iran 2018

Bronze Dhow - Subira, dir. Sippy Chadha, Kenya 2018 

 

Special mention: 

Expelling, dir. Geng Changqing, China 2018 

Indigo, dir. Selma Bargach, Morocco 2018

Short Film winner: Sega, dir. Idil Ibrahim 2018, Senegal 

Special mention: Nada, dir. Adel Ahmed Yehia, 2017, Egypt 

Documentary winner: Someone to Blame - The Ahmed Timol Inquest, dir. Enver Samuel, 2018, South Africa

Media Contact: For further information, screeners, press tickets, hi-res images and interviews please contact: ziff@ziff.or.tz

Notes:  

For full programme please see ZIFF 2019 website: https://ziff2019.org/wp/  Project.