The Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF) is committed to positively impacting the global landscape through stories and perspectives of Africans using film. It is a 100% Pan-African festival which showcases films from Africa, Afro-Descendants, Africans in the diaspora and the host nation Zimbabwe. The 2023 edition of ZIFF will be held from 13 to 18 November 2023 under the theme "ASPIRATION5”, the first in The Africa We Want Season of festivals the organization plans to run. The theme is inspired by Aspiration 5 of African Union’s AGENDA 2063: The Africa We Want, which calls for an Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, shared values, and ethics.

The festival will include a conference to unpack Aspiration 5 of the Agenda 2063. The conference will feature a number of speakers, including filmmakers, academics, policymakers, and youth. Focus will be the role of film in promoting African culture, the challenges facing the African film industry, and the future of African cinema.
The festival itself will be a showcase of films from Africa and the diaspora, including Afro-descendants from Latin America and the Caribbean.

ZIFF 2023 is now open and filmmakers from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and the African Diaspora are encouraged to submit their films, particularly films that relate to and explore the theme. We encourage the strong participation of quality entries that define the African zeitgeist.

Awards & Prizes

Awards will be given to the winning ‘In Competition’ films (shown during the festival only) according to the following categories
1. Best Original Screenplay
2. Best Costume Design
3. Best Makeup and Hairstyling
4. Best Original Score
5. Best Production Design
6. Best Sound Editing
7. Best Visual Effects
8. Best Cinematography
9. Best lighting design
10. Best Soundtrack
11. Best Animated (Feature)
12. Best Animated (Short Film)
13. Best Documentary Feature
14. Best Documentary – Short Feature
15. Best Short Film
16. Best Actor in a Leading Role (Feature Film)
17. Best Actress in a Leading Role (Feature Film)
18. Best Supporting Actor (Feature Film)
19. Best Supporting Actress (Feature Film)
20. Best Director
21. Best Production

Rules & Terms

Only those films that meet the following conditions may be considered for selection:
• Films must have been produced within the past 2 years preceding the Festival
• It is necessary that films have not been publicly presented in Zimbabwe
• Films that have neither been presented in television nor on the Internet/VOD without geoblocking.
• Films length:
Feature film - exceeding 60 minutes in length; Short film - up to 60 minutes in length;

3 Reviews
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  • VISUAL FIGHT FILMS None

    A great opportunity for Filmmakers, Amazing

    December 2023
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  • Mazen Lotfy

    I was excited to participate into ZIFF but then first after we got the notification and laurel we are officially selected the next day we got another one we are not which was a disaster after we spread the great news so we tried to communicate with them then to found out we are definitely selected and in the program
    We were told we will got a copy for the program with the exact date and time for the screening
    We even tried again to ask about it and we got no reply to this day after the festival is over

    This was a horrible experience as a filmmaker that a film festival have no respect to the films were selected

    November 2023
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  • Boudra Ali

    Thank you very much for selecting our film, "BoushAib," as part of the official competition of the festival. I also extend my gratitude to all members of the judging committee and everyone who contributed to the success of this cinematic event.

    November 2023
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