Making Ends Meet, a documentary by Thomas Muziyirwa will make it’s debut at the Zanzibar International Film Festival this July. Based on survival in Zimbabwe under the globally highest rate of unemployment at 95%; the film is said to highlight the struggles of citizens as they battle against law enforcement as informal traders in an attempt to, you guessed it! Make ends meet! The film follows activists and general citizens as they stage protests in pursuit of a better Zimbabwe.
A Zimbabwean Filmmaker and Video Artist, Thomas Muziyirwa is not a stranger to the Arts. Having trained in the field of Design, his practice spans towards documentary filmmaking, animation and video. His work has been shown at numerous international festivals and exhibitions including Zimbabwe International Film Festival (2013), Video Nomad at Dakar Biennale 2014 and the Infect the City festival Cape Town, South Africa (2015) to mention a handful.
The Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) announced the official selection of films in competition for 2018 yesterday via publicity channels. This year saw a record number of entries across all categories with over 4,000 films submitted across the various entry platforms. This year also saw a marked increase in the number of documentaries submitted, with over 800 being entered for consideration.
Entries were also received from all over the world with submissions coming from over 140 countries, with the USA and India leading the number of submissions.
The festival will take place in various venues in and around Stone Town Zanzibar from July 7th – 15th 2018. Here’s the list of current finalists. The official selection for Best Web, TV, and Student films will also be announced shortly.
OFFICIAL SELECTION ZIFF 2018
| FEATURE FILMS | Country | Category | Directors |
| 18 Hours | Kenya | Main Competition | Njue Kevin |
| Bahasha | Tanzania | Main Competition | John Riber/Jordan Riber |
| Balon | Italy/Sierraleone | International | Pasquale Scimeca |
| Days of Night | Tanzania | Swahili Comp | Nilesh Bhatt |
| Fatuma | Tanzania | Hors Competition | Jordan Riber |
| Golnesa | Iran, Islamic Republic of | Dhow Cultures | SATTAR CHAMANI GOL |
| Hakkunde | Nigeria | Main Competition | Asurf oluseyi |
| Kasala | Nigeria | Main Competition | EMA EDOSIO |
| Liyana | Swaziland | Main Competition | Aaron Kopp |
| Love and Shukla | India | Dhow Cultures | JATLA SIDDARTHA |
| Majan | Iran | Dhow Cultures | |
| Safari | Tanzania | Main Competition | Freddy Feruzi |
| Segere | Tanzania | Main Competition | takura maurayi |
| Supa Modo | Kenya | Main Competition | |
| The Cut | Kenya | Main Competition | Peter Wangugi Gitau |
| The Desert Voices | Morocco | Main Competition | Daoud AOULAD-SYAD |
| The Forbidden | Uganda | Main Competition | Kizito Samuel Saviour |
| The Great Muse | Saud Arabia | Dhow Cultures/International | Bentley Brown |
| The Wedding Ring | Niger | Main Competition | Rahmatou Keita |
| When I become a Butterfly | Iran | Dhow Cultures | |
| DOCUMENTARY FILMS | |||
| 3 Stolen Cameras | Western Sahara | Doc International | RåFILM, Equipe Media |
| A Memory In Three Acts | Mozambique | Doc | Inadelso Cossa |
| Afia Attack: Trading Behind Enemy Line | Nigeria | Doc | Ujuaku Akukwe |
| Birds | Algeria | Doc | Berkri Salima Louisa |
| BURKINABÈ RISING: the art of resistance in Burkina Faso | Burkina Faso | Doc International | Iara Lee |
| Children of Drum: The Legacy of Black Journalists in Apartheid-era South Africa | USA/SA/SPAIN | Doc International | Larry Tung |
| Common Threads-Fabrics from India for Africa | India | Dhow Cultures | |
| dancedance/RE♦VOLUTION | South Africa | Doc | |
| Effata Road | Italy | Doc International | |
| Fearless | United States | Doc International | Jasmine Cannon, Branden Hampton, Yingxu Jane Hao |
| Ghana for you | Belgium/Ghana | Doc | Adams Mensah |
| I am Sheriff | Southafrica | Doc | |
| In the name of Your Daughter | Canada/Tanzania | Doc International | Giselle Portenier |
| Kimpa Vita: The Mother of the African Revolution | DRC/Angola | Doc | NE KUNDA NLABA |
| Kinshasa Makambo | DRC | Doc | Dieudo Hamadi |
| Making Ends Meet | Zimbabwe | Doc | Thomas Muziyirwa |
| New Moon | Kenya | Doc | Philippa Ndisi-Herrmann |
| Nice Very Nice | Algeria | Doc | El Kheyer Zidani |
| Owino | Spain/Kenya | Doc International | Javier Marín, Yusuf Razzaque |
| Poetry is My Rifle | Brazil | Doc International | Fernando Salinas, Victor Hugo Liporage |
| SILAS: No more business as usual | Liberia/Kenya/USA | Doc | |
| Sing it Loud – Luthers Heirs in Tanzania | Germany | Doc International | Julia Irene Peters, Co Director: Jutta Feit |
| Skulls | South Africa/Germany/Namibia | Doc | Vincent Moloi |
| The Flesh Business | Kenya | Doc | Denis Wanjohi Maina |
| Vivre Riche | France/Ivory Coast | Doc | Joël Akafou |
| Voodoo | USA | Doc | Djimon Hounsou |
| Wahenga (The Ancestors) | Tanzania | Doc | Amil Issa Shivji, Rebecca Corey |
| Who Am I | Kenya | Doc | Nick Reding, Wanuri Kahiu |
| Your Music Your Voice | Uganda | Doc | Edmond Tamale |
| Zone-III (3) | Central African Republic | Doc International | Pascale SERRA |
| SHORT FILMS | |||
| 15minutes | DRC | Short | Sady |
| Al Sheikh Noel | Iraq | Dhow Culture | saad al-essamy |
| Antananarivo | Madagascar | Short | Haminiaina Ratovoarivony |
| Are You Volleyball?! | Iran | Dhow Culture | Mohammad Bakhshi |
| Armstrong | Nigeria | Short | Omoruyi Irabor |
| Aya | Tunisia | Short | Moufida Fedhila |
| Blind Date | South Africa | Short | Fanyana Hlabangane |
| Boxed | Kenya/USA | Short | Wanjiru Njendu |
| Broken Dream | Tanzania | Short | Francis Nyerere |
| Calling The Stars | Ethiopia | Short | Adanech Admassu |
| Carver | Rwanda | Short | Alexandre Sibomana |
| CLENCH – Life of a Creative | Kenya | Short | Mark Ayabei |
| Figure | United Kingdom | International | Lanre Malaolu |
| Forgive Me, Father | United Kingdom | Short | Doreen Nasimbwa |
| Hatia | Tanzania | Short | Christina Pande |
| Hatua kwa Hatua/Step by step | Tanzania | Short Internatinal | Judith |
| I Know You Don’t | India | Dhow Culture | Vishal Ashok Jaiswal |
| Icyasha | Rwanda | Short | Clementine Dusabejambo |
| Imara | Kenya/Rwanda | Short | Samuel Wanjohi |
| Imfura | Switzerland/Rwanda | Short | Samuel Ishimwe |
| In My Father’s Village | Zimbabwe | Short | Tapiwa Kapuya |
| Kaniama Show | Short | Jacques-Henri | |
| Kuncup | Indonesia | Dhow Culture | M. Myrdal Muda |
| Kyenvu | Uganda | Short | Kemiyondo Coutinho |
| Leah | Tanzania | Short | Esther Mndeme |
| Les Cordes du Destin/Destiny’s Strings | Short | Lamia | |
| Mma Moeketsi | South Africa | Short | RAE MOETI |
| MY CHILDREN | Tanzania | Short | Louis Shoo |
| Mzazi Rafiki | Tanzania | Short | Yaki Bozi |
| Neophobia | Kenya | Short | Mark Maina |
| Njiti | Tanzania | Short | Dorice Mollel |
| Nomfundo | South Africa | Short | Sihle Hlophe |
| Pendo | Kenya | Short | Faith Musembi |
| Raat (Night) | Pakistan | Dhow Culture | Abdullah Waseem |
| Ranim/Escape | Short | Rim | |
| Sacrilège | Switzerland/France | International | Christophe M. Saber |
| sevgi dediğin/what you call love | Short Internatinal | fırat | |
| Still Water Runs Deep | USA/Nigeria | Short | Abbesi Akhamie |
| Sukari | Tanzania | Short | Hatibu Madudu |
| Tamala | Tanzania | Short | Goodhope Elieskia |
| The Bad Mexican | Uganda | Short | Loukman Ali |
| The Deep Place | Ghana | International | Lindsay Branham , Andrew Michael Ellis |
| The Island | Rwanda | Short | Yuhi Amuli |
| The School Bag | India | Dhow Culture | Dheeraj Jindal |
| Until The Silence Comes | South Africa | Short | Puleng Stewart, Jannous Aukema |
| Versnel | Short | Dian | |
| Visions | Nigeria | Short | Abba T. Makama, C.J. Obasi, Michael Gouken Omonua |
| White on Black | Senegal | Short | Samba Diao, Francois Joannon |
| Zawadi | Tanzania | Short Internatinal | Clotilde Bertet |
| Zenith | Short | Elianette Foumbi | |
| AFRICAN ANIMATION FILMS | |||
| “CRUSH” | Nigeria | Stephen | |
| A Kalabanda Ate My Homework | Uganda | Raymond Malinga | |
| Belly Flop | South Africa | ||
| DAWN OF THUNDER | Nigeria | Kolawole | |
| Enjoying Songs | Madagascar | Sitraka | |
| GOT FLOWERS TODAY | Nigeria | JIBRIL | |
| Lullaby from the Crypt | South Africa | Earle | |
| Nguema | Tanzania | ||
| The red butterfly | Tunisia | Omar | |
| Tiraogo | Burkina Faso | André Daniel TAPSOBA | |
| SWAHILI COMPETITION | |||
| Bahasha | Feature | Tanzania | |
| Broken Dream | Short | Tanzania | |
| Days of Night | Feature | Tanzania | |
| Fatuma | Feature | Tanzania | |
| Hatia | Short | Tanzania | |
| Hatua kwa Hatua | Short | Tanzania | |
| Leah | Short | Tanzania | |
| My Children | Short | Tanzania | |
| Mzazi Rafiki | Short | Tanzania | |
| Njiti | Short | Tanzania | |
| Pendo | Short | Kenya | |
| Safari | Feature | Tanzania | |
| Segere | Feature | Tanzania | |
| Sukari | Short | Tanzania | |
| Tamala | Short | Tanzania | |
| The Cut | Feature | Kenya | |
| Zawadi | Short | Tanzania |
