ERESINA Hwede, director International Images Film Festival for Women (IIFF), says attending workshops has helped in sharpening her artistry as a film scriptwriter and producer.
Hwede said this year's IIFF which runs from August 23 to 31, would also include workshops meant to refine artists.
She said the lined up workshops would include mentorship on Film and Feminism, Film and Music and Film Story Writing including screening of reputable films from Africa and the diaspora under the theme Women of the Future.
“We have very few film schools here in Zimbabwe and the majority of filmmakers, myself included, acquired their skills through film workshops. Workshops are important because they expose filmmakers to best practices and polished techniques. Film schools have very limited time to offer indepth hands-on advice on issues of concern whereas workshops provide solutions to identified gaps.
“Carla Sospedra from Spain will take film producers, scriptwriters and all interested parties through Film and Feminism at the Alliance Francaise on August 28, Film and Music workshops will be conducted by Ossei Essed from US on August 26 at the Alliance Francaise and Film Story Writing workshops will be conducted by Donat Keustch from Switzerland and Gabriele Sindler a German Austrian resident on August 25 at the Batanai Mall, Nexus B2C in Harare. All workshops start at 10am and end at 12pm.
“Registration for the workshops is in progress through sending detailed applications via Email: [email protected] or WhatsApp 0774717190 and the deadline is July 31.”
Filmmaking workshops in the past have always been tailor made and designed to ensure improvement on the prevailing contexts.
During the 2023 IIFF edition, Sana N' Handa a producer from Rwanda, who made the film Nome which opened the festival, boldly said that he preferred amateur actors because they replicated or showed the true faces of the communities they lived in.
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In light of this film workshops are important to the youth because they pinpoint areas of improvement on the development of creativity, imagination and self-confidence, as well as social and cognitive skills.
Hwede added that taking the feminism film workshop as an example, feminism in film is important because it provided room for stakeholders to include in their scripting and acting the real varied experiences and cultural diversities.
In other sectors of the world, The Bendel Test is used to adjudicate the implementation of feminist ethical considerations. It was resolved that every film must have at least two female characters who talk to each other on issues that do not make reference on their male counterparts in the film.
Hwede is an experienced scriptwriter who has worked on radio drama, films and various platforms where creatives played a major role in correcting social issues and information dissemination.
