All set for Malawi Film Fest
M-Theatres proprietor, Sunduzwayo Jere, said Tuesday that they were ready with the inaugural Malawi Film Festival to take place on Saturday.
Initially, M-Theatres, which is based in Blantyre at Chichiri Shopping Mall and is one of the well-known dens of cinema, planned to hold the Malawi Film Festival in August.
But they shifted it to this month to give themselves ample time for preparations, with some quarters still doubting its credibility.
“We are ready with the festival. We have worked very hard and we are looking forward to the best and the success of this year’s event will surely determine our presence next year,” Jere said.
He said film has potential to grow and help develop the country but was quick to point out that there is need for more to be done for the industry to perfect its works.
“Talent is there, no doubt about that, but the industry has to work in unity to make sure that good productions come out and that there is a channel of sharing vital information,” Jere said.
Meanwhile, ahead of the gala event, M-Theatres has released names of nominees for the awards in the categories of Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress.
Running under the theme ‘Re-discovering Malawi’, the festival will start with an awards gala and thereafter an after-party at the underground car park.
On the Best Producer/ Director category, the nominees are Precious Denja with the movie titled Natasha, Bester Kauwa and Flora Suya with the movie My Mother’s Story, Linda Kanenula (Lilongwe) and Ignicious Kaphinde (Thembisile).
In the category of Best Feature Film, the nominees are My Mother’s Story, Pregnant Man, Thembisile and Lilongwe.
The Best Short Film category has Natasha, Mlenje, Dipoti and Danger.
Well-known actresses Flora Suya, Joyce Mhango Chavula and Tapiwa Gwaza will battle it out in the Best Actress category, which also has Lytis Viola for the film My Family.
Gwaza and Suya, who have starred together including in Shemu Joyah’s Seasons of A Life, have found themselves on the nomination list for the movie My Mother’s Story whereas Mhango Chavula is there through her award winning Lilongwe.
The Best Actor category has Denja (Natasha), Aaron Chambo (My Family) and Andrew Msanyama (My Mother’s Story).
“We are doing this as M-Theatres because we want to help uplift the industry. We are passionate about it and this is why, on our schedule, we took time to be screening local movies. The judges have been transparent in coming up with the nominees,” Jere said.
He said ahead of the gala on the same day, they will have workshops.
“We have the gala at night and in the afternoon, we will have free workshops to be facilitated by Chimwemwe Chikwana and Thoko Tembo.
“Chikwana will host a workshop on film production while Tembo will do a workshop on cinematography. There will also be topics such as film marketing and distribution,” Jere said.
He said the idea of workshops is to help impart relevant knowledge in the film industry for it to grow.
The gala on the night will be spiced up by music performance from Blaze and there will also be comedy.
M-Theatres is coming out with the film festival having, in July, also hosted comedy sessions.
Jere has since said that cinema is a very big business in other countries and that, as M- Theatres, they want to make cinema vibrant again.
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