Get ready for more local films

22 Apr, 2018 - 00:04 0 Views
Get ready for more local films

The Sunday Mail

Takudzwa Chihambakwe
FOUR months into the year and two movies, namely “Kushata Kwemoyo” and “Overspill”, have already been released.

The figure could have easily been standing at three had Moses Matanda launched the highly anticipated “Chinhoyi 7” as initially planned.

But do not despair, more productions are coming.

Film producers have “conspired” to come up with more than 10 productions this year.

As it stands, Joe Njagu and his partners at Gango Productions are set to release a brand new movie titled “Tete B”.

The production is about four friends (played by Eddie Sandifolo, Munya Chidzonga, Charles Njagu and Doc Vikela), who are spiralled into a test of their friendship after a mysterious text message from a character named Tete B.

The film also features renowned theatre actor, Nyarie Nhongonhema.

“‘Tete B’ will be out in the first week of May. A red carpet premiere is on the cards,” revealed Joe Njagu, director of the film.

“It is going straight to television. The idea is for us to make a TV movie every month. We are targeting to get at least US$20 000 per film.”

The award winning director said they had now resorted to making low budget feature films, just like what is done by DStv’s Mzansi Bioskop.

“The low budget model we are using takes a month to have a film out. Two weeks principal photography, two weeks post production. The films are specifically written with few characters and locations so that they can be executable in two weeks,” added Njagu.

His first attempt at this model was in 2017 when he did “Cook Off”.

“The film ‘Cook off’ has not been released for sale as yet. We are taking it to festivals around the world till July then we put it up for sale. This move adds weight to the production when it is finally sold since it will have all the festival feathers on the poster when it is finally sold,” he explained.

The optimistic producer feels the local film sector will be self-sustaining by the year 2020.

“The growth of the sector has been caused by many factors, among them ease of access to gear. Cameras are now everywhere from your phones to the DSLRs. Shooting has become easy. Gone are the days when gear was an excuse. Anyone with a camera is now a filmmaker,” he said.

Fellow filmmaker, Rumbi Katedza echoed Njagu’s sentiments, saying the boom being witnessed is a result of yesteryear investments.

“What we’re seeing is the acceleration of a trajectory that started a couple of years ago with a boom in short form content — music videos, short films and viral online skits like Bustop TV.

“Many new players in the industry used those productions to improve their skills and capacities.

“This has gone hand-in-hand with the increased affordability of filming equipment. HD cameras are cheaper so you have more filmmakers producing content,” said Katedza.

She added: “However, we need to improve local distribution channels to ensure our films are accessible on the market. Nollywood was able to achieve this effectively through their partnerships with established marketers. People like Joe Njagu and Munya Chidzonga have been pioneers in exploring mass market solutions.”

Katedza also credited the Zimbabwe Film Industry Development Platform (ZFIDP) for the local film growth. ZFIDP is an organisation working on capacity development, advocacy and film promotion, among other things.

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