Zanzibar International Film Festival
Film festival held annually in Zanzibar, Tanzania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), also known as Festival of the Dhow Countries, is an annual film festival held in Zanzibar, Tanzania and one of the largest cultural events in East Africa.[1] ZIFF is a non-governmental organization established in 1997 to develop and promote film and other cultural industries as catalyst for the regional social and economic growth.[2]
| Opening film | Janani: The Last Stand |
|---|---|
| Location | Zanzibar, Tanzania |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Most recent | June 25-29, 2025 |
| Awards | Golden Dhow, Silver Dhow |
| Website | https://www.ziff.or.tz/ |
History
The festival is an all-arts affair, with 8 days of local and international discussion panels, workshops, 10 days of screenings of the best local and international cinema and evenings of musical concerts including a Gala each evening. All festival programs are a culmination of the realization of the capacity of film to fuse together the best of each art-form, offering a wide range of Entertainment, Educating and Networking options for world audiences.[3]
The festival is arguably the largest multidisciplinary art and cultural festival in Africa, and continues to lead as a tourist attraction event in the region.[3][4] ZIFF now gives 12 International Awards presented by 5 International Juries. It is estimated that 7000 western tourists came to Zanzibar to attend the festival and the total festival audience was in excess of 100,000 with wide appeal across race, class and religions. Its impact on the economy of Zanzibar is unquestionable.[3][5]
The ZIFF festival now runs 15 programs over the 10 days that include:
- Film Competition
- Film Workshops
- Opening and Closing Nights
- Film Outreach Projections
- Women panorama
- Children panorama
- Village panorama
- Festival of Festivals
- Soko Film
- Art and Exhibition
- Children Film panorama
- UNICEF Life skills Camps
- Children Peace camps
- Difficult Dialogues
- Historical and Cultural Village Tours[6]
During the festival, films are shown in Stone Town in Zanzibar City, as well as rural Zanzibari villages.[7]
Awards
- Golden Dhow
- Silver Dhow
- Documentary
- Short/Animation
- East Africa Talent
- ZIFF Jury Award
- UNICEF Award
- ZIFF Life Time Achievement Award
- ZIFF Chairman Award
- Sembene Ousmane Award
- Signis Award
- East Africa Region Talent
- Signis Jury Award — Commendation
- Verona Award
