The Zanzibar International Film Festival

The Zanzibar International Film Festival is the biggest cultural event of its kind in East Africa.
Now in its 13th year, ZIFF is a Zanzibari institution that focusses on African film while also
celebrating the rich variety of culture from the region and beyond. "Tamasha," (Kiswahili for
"festival") is a truly African cultural experience with locals, tourists and film buffs all converging to watch the shows and soak up the atmosphere.
The enchanting port of Stone Town is the Festival’s main venue in Zanzibar and is a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. Films and concerts are held in an outdoor amphitheatre in the Old Fort
which dates back to the 1600s. Films and exhibitions are also shown in other listed buildings around Stone Town such as former royal palace, The Africa House, and ceremonial palace, The House of Wonders.
Film
Every year ZIFF brings together thousands of people from the local community and international and African filmmakers and enthusiasts to celebrate African film at it finest. Over the years ZIFF has made a name for itself by showcasing some of the most captivating and cutting edge cinema from Africa and beyond. ZIFF shows films by the big guns (and have had Hollywood actor Danny Glover and African legends, Ntare Mwine and Malic Bowens attend as special guests). ZIFF also promotes and encourages emerging talent and socially oriented films with dedicated special screenings and awards.
Culture
Although primarily a film festival, ZIFF believes in blue sky thinking and so in this vein the schedule is packed full with an impressive selection of live music shows, local art exhibitions, and literary events.
Community
Community involvement and development has always been integral to ZIFF. The mobile screen visits villages on the archipelago giving both primary and secondary school children an unique
opportunity to watch international and African films.Women Panorama is a longstanding event which holds workshops and film screenings to facilitate discussion of social practices and legal rights issues pertinent to women.
In collaboration with the Danish Film Institute ZIFF also presents a programme aimed to
promote and encourage access and understanding of filmmaking to children from the local community.
Industry
ZIFF is a key industry event for the movers and shakers of the world cinema community. By hosting networking, distribution, promotion and marketing forums, ZIFF promotes international and pan-African filmmaking links and strengthens the film industry in the developing world.
The Festival Forum brings over 30 festival directors from Africa, Europe, the Caribbean and Brazil. The aim of the forum is to discuss the role festivals can play in Africa’s future development.The Forum is being sponsored by the ARTerial Network.

Key Facts & Figures in 2009
* Audience in Stone Town: 45,000
* Total festival audience: 200,000
* Foreign visitors: 12,000
* Countries represented: 43
Further information
E: press@ziff.or.tz
W: www.ziff.or.tz
T: +255 (0)782689845