MAISHA LAB IN ZANZIBAR: ZIFF TO SUPPORT ZANZIBARI APPLICANTS

The Maisha Lab has announced its next Screenwriting laboratory to be held in Zanzibar during ZIFF 2015 18-25^th July. Applications for the competitive laboratory are now open and the deadline is 13^th June.

The laboratory has been one of the most influential film training grounds inspiring hundreds of East African filmmakers with over 1000 participants said to have already been through the training.

The Program Director of the Kampala base film lab, Fibby Kioria said that they expect to award 60 scholarships in total each year for the next three years to participants from Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya.  This has been made possible with funding from Stichting Doen.

 “In 8 days, the 60 selected participants  (15 in each country) will work with internationally renowned mentors to refine their work and broaden their horizons on the film business and the art of filmmaking” she commented adding, “The winning script will receive an award of $ 5,000 to produce their short film”.

This is a seventh lab to be held in Zanzibar and ZIFF is the local partner utilizing the festival event to  encapsulate the spirit of the training by offering a valuable platform where screenwriters can watch a wide diversity of films and engage in discussions with other local and international filmmakers attending the festival.

However the Festival Director Prof Martin Mhando has been quick to plead that Zanzibari screenwriters need to take advantage of the lab being held in Zanzibar.

“In the past labs participation by Zanzibari based screenwriters has been very low, and yet we know that the need is great. More important these are fully funded and competitive laboratories which add to the participant’s skills, knowledge as well as allow developing networks in the film industry”.

One of the biggest criticisms of the Bongo movies industry is the weak scriptwriting skills. Linear stories and underdeveloped plots and characters are the bane of the film industry in Tanzania and it is labs like these that develop this capacity.

ZIFF will be ready to support Zanzibari filmmakers intending to apply with their scripts to ensure they present them in the right format and the improve their chances of being selected. We offer explanations in Kiswahili. Intending Zanzibari participants are asked to contact the ZIFF office by emailing ziff@ziff.or.tz and the Maisha lab’s Call for Screenwriters at www.maishafilmlab.org  . Fully completed applications are to be emailed to please submit the application requirements detailed below via email to: fibby@maishafilmlab.org

WARSHA YA UANDISHI FILAMU KUFANYIKA ZIFF

Maisha Lab ya Uganda wametangaza kuwa warsha yao nyingine itafanyika Zanzibar wakati wa ZIFF 2015 mwezi Julai kuanzia tarehe 18 hadi 25. Maombi toka kwa wanaotaka kushiriki katika warsha hii yameanza kupokewa na mwisho wa maombi ni tarehe 13 Juni.

Warsha za Maisha Lab zimekuza vipaji vya waandishi wa filamu na wakurugenzi wa filamu wengi hapa Afrika Mashariki. Tayari warsha hizo zimefundisha zaidi ya watu 1000 tangu Maisha Lab ianzishwe.

Mkurugenzi wa Maisha Lab aliyeko Kampala Uganda alisema kuwa wanataraji kutoa skolaship 60 kwa wanafunzi kwa mwaka kwa washiriki toka nchi zote za Afrika Mashariki.

“Katika warsha zetu watu 60 (15 toka kila nchi) watachaguliwa kuhudhuria mafunzo hayo yatakayoongozwa na wakufunzi waliobobea katika fani za uandishi wa filamu. Nia ni kuongeza  ujuzi na kupanuwa wigo wa biashara ya utengenezaji filamu hapa Afrika Mashariki.” Alisema Fibby Kioria Mkurugenzi wa Maisha lab.

Katika kila Warsha script zitashindanishwa na mshindi atapatiwa $5000 ili kumwezesha kutengeneza filamu fupi katika mwaka unaofuata. Mwaka jana Nassir Qassim wa Tanzania ndiye aliyeibuka mshindi.

Hii ni warsha ya 3 itakayofanyika Zanzibar na ZIFF ndio mdhamini wake ili kuwapa washiriki nafasi ya kushiriki katika tamasha na hivyo kuweza kukutana na watengeneza filamu wengine toka nje wanaokuja kwa ZIFF. Pia wanapata nafasi ya kuangalia filamu tele zinazoonyeshwa wakati wa Tamasha.

Lakini Mkurugenzi wa ZIFF aliharakisha kusema kuwa anasikitishwa sana kuona kuwa washiriki toka Zanzibar huwa wachache kila mwaka. “Tunajuwa kuwa waandishi wa filamu toka zanzibar wanahitaji sana mafunzo haya maana yanawapa ujuzi na pia nafasi ya kujuana na watengeneza filamu wengine wa kimataifa”, alisema Mkurugenzi huyo

Tasnia ya filamu ya Bongo Movies imesemwa sana kwa kuwa na hadithi dhaifu kimataifa. Kwa kutumia warsha kama hizi wadau wanaweza kukuza vipaji vyao na kufikia hadhi ya kimataifa.

ZIFF mwaka huu imejitolea kuwasaidia wale wote ambao wangependa kutuma maombi yao ili kuwasaidia kufuata malekezo ya usaili, kuwapa miongozo ya uandishi wa skripti na kuwaongezea nafasi za kuchaguliwa kuhudhuria warsha hii muhimu. Wanaotaka kusaidiwa katika hili wanatakiwa kufika ZIFF, Ngme Kongwe Zanzibar, au kutuma maombi yao ya kusaidiwa kwa barua pepe workshop@ziff.or.tz

Wanaotaka kujua zaidi kuhusu warsha hii waingie kwenye tovuti hii: www.maishafilmlab.org   au wawasiliane na fibby@maishafilmlab.org