A film by the country’s United States of America (USA)- based filmmaker Chawezi Chaz Munthali and produced by Khumbo Munthali, Brenda Mselu and Dipolathu Katimba over the weekend scooped the Best Actress in Feature Film – Southern Africa Award in Mwai Simbota at the 10th Sotambe International Film Festival in Lusaka, Zambia.
The film received seven nominations in categories such as Best Sound, Best Actor in A Feature (Southern Africa) in Gordon Kumbatira, Best Feature Film (Southern Africa) and Best Screenplay (Southern Africa) but only managed one award.
Simbota, who attended the festival and returned Sunday, said she was happy to have won it for Malawi.
“It feels amazing to win an award and this is for Malawi,” Simbota, who plays one of the lead roles alongside fellow broadcaster Ian Simbota, said.
Chaz hailed Simbota for the award and described it as a great moment for Malawi.
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“This is a top festival where awards are competed for by many countries and for Mwai Simbota to do it for Malawi shows the traits we have in the film industry. Mwai’s triumph is testament of her exceptional talent,” he said.
He said he was looking forward to doing more films with her.
Misnomer, which tells a powerful story of abductions and killing of persons with albinism, has already been screened in the country in Lilongwe and Blantyre.
Before coming home, the film also screened in Washington DC and Seattle, among others, in the USA.
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Shot in Malawi, other actors starring in the film include Grace Rumsey from Zambia, musicians Tay Grin and Bucci, Victor Kamwendo, who is based in USA, Kumbatira, Hope Chisanu, Joyce Mhango Chavula and Wapona Kita.
The previous edition also saw one of the country’s films, Fatsani: A Tale of Survival collecting the Best Director Award through Gift Sukez Sukali, who is the current Film Association of Malawi president.
