One of Zimbabwe’s biggest film festivals the Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF) will see its 2023 edition from 2-7 October running under the theme; ‘ASPIRATION5’.

The festival adopted this theme from the African Union’s AGENDA 2063; a strategic framework for the transformation of Africa into a prosperous, peaceful, and integrated continent by 2063. AGENDA 2063 consists of 7 Aspirations of which ASPIRATION 5 envisions an Africa with a strong cultural identity, a common heritage, shared values and ethics.

It promotes identity, heritage, respect for religious diversity and the consciousness of African people and her diaspora.

ASPIRATION5 Unpacked

• Reviving and promoting African languages,

• Promoting African cultural heritage,

• Promoting African values and ethics,

• Integrating culture into development, and

• Empowering women and youth

Film can serve as an effective tool for capturing stories, history, language and memories which can be accessed for various generations. The Zimbabwe International Film Festival was launched in 1998 and has since been a platform for local, regional and international filmmakers to showcase their work. There have been no calls for entries yet but their social media pages are regularly updated.