Selected documentary filmmakers from East Africa will present their projects for the
Documentary Pitching Tree Contest, a key focus at this year’s Zanzibar International
Film Festival (ZIFF), 14th Festival of the Dhow Countries, which runs from 18 to 26
June.
The Documentary Pitching Tree Contest is an extension of ZIFF’s Soko Film Programme
and occurs at a time of growth in the East African (Kenya in particular) film industry.
Festival organisers have secured an international panel of trainers, led by producer
Donald Ranvaud and director Nick Broomfield.
Ranvaud has credits on a number of Oscar nominated films such as The Constant
Gardner, City Of God, Central Station and Farewell My Concubine. He is an ambassador
for Latin American cinema, campaigning for and raising the profile of lesser-known film
industries throughout the region in scores of ventures and projects, from film festivals
to film funds.
Broomfield is regarded as one of the best documentary filmmakers in the UK. He is a
multiple award winner with a string of controversial and exciting documentaries to his
name, including Biggie and Tupac and His Big White Self.
The Documentary Pitching Tree Contest has selected projects in which filmmakers use
innovative techniques to tell their stories. Each filmmaker will be given the opportunity to
showcase their creativity in the pitching session.
Ten entries will be selected for development to be pitched to a panel of commissioning
editors from East Africa. A panel of industry specialists will select the winning
documentary pitch from among the finalists.
Visionary theme
This year’s ZIFF is themed A Season of Visions. “Increasingly we see, hear and read of
effective new discoveries in many fields of endeavour which are a testament to human
creativity and brilliance, something that is paramount to our existence. It is with this in
mind that ZIFF hopes to provide an increasingly vital energetic forum to galvanise our
delegates to achieve greater heights,’ say the festival organisers.
A total of 71 films from around the world have been selected for ZIFF, with 45 of these
in competition.
The Canadian / Ugandan film, Making The Band, will open the festival. It is an
inspirational story about four women who use and motivate each other to increase their
self-worth and attain a full life.
Nineteen African premieres round up this year’s offering including the humorous Bran
Nue Dae, an Aboriginal-Australian story that celebrates diversity and its antics.
