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The Zanzibar International Film Festival is the longest running film-festival in East Africa, with global credibility and instant Pan-African recognition. ZIFF 2015 will take place from the 18th – 26th of July 2015 in Stonetown.

ZIFF is proud to announce the films in the Official Selection based on a record 419 submissions. The list contains 25 feature films, 44 shorts and 27 documentaries from over 30 countries across the globe.

Festival Director Dr. Martin Mhando had this to say of the submissions and selections for ZIFF 2015, “We would like to congratulate and thank all those who submitted their films. With so many films to choose from the selection process was especially difficult. This has been the largest number of films received to date. We are also pleased to say that the online submission process was a success, with 90% of all the films were submitted online through the FESTHOME platform.”

The entries came from 38 countries with the largest number of entrants coming from Germany and with The Dominican Republic having its first entry in ZIFF 2015.

Speaking on ZIFF 2015, Mandy Roger TV Director ZUKU noted, “We have in the past 2 years of our sponsorship witnessed significant growth in content development rising from the festival. As a broadcaster, ZUKU is deeply invested in the growth and success of East Africa's creative and content industries. It is therefore

with pride we continue to partner the Zanzibar International Film Festival, which has for the last 15 been instrumental in celebrating and enabling film making from the region and around the world." The selection committee also noted a clear growth in the quality of short films from Africa revealing a refreshing creative input and experimentation with film language.

East Africa is well represented at ZIFF 2015 with 7 films from Tanzania to compete in the general competition. Within the Official Selection Kenya leads in the region with 9 films selected, while Uganda has 3, Burundi 2 and Rwanda 1. South Africa has 7 films in competition this year.

Selected films for the Bongo Movies competition, which is backed by the Satelite TV Channel ZUKU will be announced at a later date. ZUKU is also the event sponsor of the festival.

It has also been announced that the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award winning film Selma will officially open ZIFF 2015 on the evening of July18th.

As in previous years ZIFF will welcome dozens of professional and aspiring film directors, producers from across Africa and the world for 8 days of film, music and cultural celebration.

OFFICIAL SELECTION ZIFF 2015

FEATURE FILMSDirector/length in minutes COUNTRY

Algun lugar/On the Road Somewhere

Guillermo Zouain (70)

Dominican Republic

Beautiful Tree , Severed Roots Kenny Mann (70) Kenya

Diamond TonguesBrian Robertson and Pavan Moondi Canada

El mal Daniel E.V. Yudin Chile

trato/Maltreatment (68)Fievres/Fevers Hicham Ayouch (90) FranceHabibie and Ainun Faozan Rizal (121) IndonesiaJongo Love Emma Roger (98) Kenya

Kutakapokucha Simon Mwakifwamba Tanzania

Munnariyippu/ The deadline Venu N (114) India

Mr KadamanjaAdam Kuambiana (164) Tanzania

Nightrunners Rowan Nielsen (89) KenyaPishu Leah Mwendamseke

(83)Tanzania

PrideMatthew Warchus (119) UK

Selma Ava DuVernay (128) USASingle Zero Timoth Conrad (62) TanzaniaStrength of a Woman Gilbert Lukalia (91) Kenya

Sugarcane Shadows David Constantin (84) Mauritius

SuperstitionParesh Gondaliya & Zziwa A. Alone Uganda

The Gods of Water Pablo Caesar (115)

Argentina/Ethiopia/France

The Last Drive-in Theater Iberê Carvalho (98) BrazilWazi?FM Faras Cavallo (62) kenya

TimbuktuAbdrehmanne Sissako Mali

Morbayssa Cheick F. CamaraGuinea Konakry

City of Violence Jerome Salle South AfricaPrice of Love Hermon Hailay (99) Ethiopia

DOCUMENTARIESDirector/length in minutes COUNTRY

21 Icons - A Journey to Democracy Adrian Steirn (45) South AfricaAbasezi (The Aemile Dinneen (78) Ireland/

Nightdancers) Uganda

BintouSimone Catharina Gaul (68) Germany

Croc in a Museum   RwandaDaddy's Wedding   Dubai

Dancing With Maria Ivan Gergolet (75)

Italy/Argentina/Slovenia

Grandma Knows Best? Tamara Dawit (16) EthiopiaLife In Progress Irene Loebell (99) SwitzerlandLife is Waiting: Referendum and Resistance in Western Sahara Lara Lee (60)

Western Sahara

Low SeasonMadeleine Dallmeyer (41) Germany

Maramaso Ashley Beckett (53) Kenya Mbwa Mwitu Farid Uwezo (20) TanzaniaMoussa Diallo: The Man and the Music Helle Toft (72) DenmarkNAPPS- Memoire Of An Invisible Man Tami Liberman (31) Germany

Obohozi Caroline Odongo & Gitura Kamau(98) Kenya

Papa MacheteJonathan David Kane (11) U.S.A.

Prisoner 467/64: The Untold Legacy of Andrew Mlangeni

Lebogang Rasethaba (53) South Africa

Red Over the Rainbow Baumont Vincent (27) VietnamShadeism: Digging Deeper Nayani Thitagarajah ( CanadaShadow Fighters Josefine Heimburger Denmark/TzThe Beauty That I Saw Benjamin Abrams (51) U.S.AThe Broken Heart Fabian Püschel Germany

The Hustle Ashraf Said  Mswaki (25) Turkey

The Rwandan Colin Crowley (5) Rwanda

Genocide: Reunited Through PolaroidsThe Springboard Joseph Ndayisenga

(63)Burundi

Twende! Let's go! Silvana Zancolo (52) ItalyAdy Gasy Nantenaina Lova (81) Madagascar

SHORTSDirector / length in minutes COUNTRY

92 Dreamin' (Animation) EscarlaAbreu (4)

United States

A Coeur OuvertAyekoro Kossou (16) France

A Promised Rose Garden

Lisa Violetta Gaß (Gass)(33) Germany

Agi / Elegy Yousef Kargar IranAmor a Primera vista/ Love at first sight Mark Playne (14) SpainAngles of my Face Manu Maina (22) KenyaArtificio Conceal Ayoub Qanir (16) U.S.A.

As I Am Sihle Hlope(14)South Africa

Bahar in Wonderland

Behrooz Karamizade (16) Germany

Camouflage Andreas Kessler (8) GermanyCastillo y el Armado (animation ) Pedro Harres (13) Brazil

DetourMichael Leong-Huat Kam Kam Singapore

Ella Kim Münster GermanyEvery Day is a Small Life

Lou-Brice Léonard (27) France

Faraja Nasir Al Qassim TanzaniaGreen Gold/ Gruen Gold (animation)

Barbara Marheineke (13) Iran/USA

Harsh Danilo Baracho (8) BrazilIntellectual Scum Njue Kevin (14) KenyaIslands Tajinder Hayer (16) United

Kingdom

Italian StandoffMarcel Becker-Neu (12) Germany

Jaya Puja Maewal (18) India Kilimo 2 (animation) Neema Reed(6) USA

King of Guangzhou Quester Hannah (14) China

Lahza El Waleed Gamal Egypt

Lami (Animation)Christophe and Olivier Defaye (2) Japan

Mousse John Helberg (41) Sweden

Prelude to a Torn House

Carlos Esteban Godoy Acosta (29) colombia

Ram Miransha Naik (25) indiaRed Card John Rabaud (3) Mauritius

Routine P. Sam Kessie (14)South Africa

Samaki Mchangani/Fish of the Land Amil Shivji (30) Tanzania

SeptemberMark Wambui (54min) Kenya

Shehnai Haroon Habib (16) pakistanSoko Sonko /The Market King Ekwa Msangi (22) TanzaniaTaweez- The Talisman Writer Ali Hakin (20) GermanyThe Dinner Aylin Basaran (15) Germany

The GirlShashwati Talukdar (8) India

The Last Will Dustin Loose (21) GermanyThe Legacy of Rubies (Animation) Ebele Okoye (28) GermanyThe Road we Travel Aidan Belizaire (37) UgandaTjitji the Himba Girl

Oshosheni Hiveluah (22) Namibia

Oritsha’sJourney Abdul Ndadi USA

Uthando Tulanana BohelaSouth Africa

With Best RegardsBernhard Wenger (5) Austria

For Editors

About ZIFFThe Zanzibar International Film Festival is the longest running film-festival in East Africa, with global credibility and instant Pan-African recognition. ZIFF is sponsored by ZUKU through a 10 year contract that runs through 2021. The ZIFF Festival of the Dhow Countries mission is to promote and showcase the culture of the Dhow Countries. Every cent raised from sponsors and donors ensures the widest possible accessibility of high-quality international screenings and cultural events to all sections of the Tanzanian population.

For more information visit www.ziff.or.tz www.facebook.com/ZanzibarInternationalFilmFestival

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Contacts MLB Communications: Bonolo Modisakwane at mlbcomunications@gmail.comZUKU: Susan Gikera at susan.gikera@ke.wanachi.com

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