Several European films will be screened at universities across Tanzania to promote cultural diversity.
In an initiative titled, ZIFF Goes Mainland 2023, the Delegation of the European Union to Tanzania and the Embassies of Spain, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, France, Poland, Finland, Italy, and Sweden (#TeamEurope) are bringing the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) to mainland Tanzania.
Starting November 3, 2023, award-winning films from ZIFF and select European movies will be screened in Dar es Salaam, Bagamoyo and Morogoro. These screenings will be held in several universities, where students will participate in post-viewing discussions about the films and their filmmaking techniques. The festival opens with the screening of Tanzanian film Eonii.
Notably, the festival will showcase winners from the 26th ZIFF edition, including short films from South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, and Tanzania. ZIFF’s line-up includes films from European countries; this year Russian and Ukrainian films have been included too. The festival will conclude on November 23rd with a night dedicated to Ukraine.
Speaking about the ‘ZIFF Goes Mainland 2023’ initiative, Martin Mhando, outgoing CEO of ZIFF, said: “#TeamEurope – EU, its institutions and member states – has been instrumental in enhancing ZIFF’s offerings. Our collaboration this year is just one of many initiatives, with past engagements including supporting training workshops, sponsoring ZIFF programmes, to presenting co-production opportunities”.
Christine Grau, the EU Head of Delegation to Tanzania added: “Europe has greatly contributed to the growth of the festival beyond screening individual films. Supporting stakeholders involved in culture, and establishing infrastructures that help artists strive and inspire their communities, is one of the European Union’s focus areas in Tanzania.”
The ZIFF program was unveiled on 26 October, 2023 at the Alliance Française in Dar es Salaam, with representatives from the nine contributing embassies in attendance, underscoring the spirit of #TeamEurope and the role of cultural diplomacy in promoting peace both in Europe and Africa.
