Zambia hosted its annual Zambia Short Film Festival, which was held at Alliance Française de Lusaka. The festival is an annual event whose mandate is to highlight Zambia’s and the international film sector, showcasing unique voices and stories that explore the social, environmental and political issues affecting people. This year’s edition ran from the first to the fourth of September and marked the 13th edition of the festival.

Apart from workshops and networking opportunities, the festival also honours filmmakers through different award categories. These include Best Short Film (Zambia or International), Best Audience’s Choice, Best Short Documentary and Best Mobile Film, among others.

For nominations, entries from Zambian citizens were free, while international submissions required an entry fee. Among those honoured at this year’s festival were two Zimbabwean short films, The Untold Story and Trapped.

Trapped, directed by Stan Joni, highlights the realities of religion, coercion, child marriage and sexual exploitation. The film was produced by Blessing Ncozana and written and directed by Paradzai Makosa.

In an exclusive interview with My Afrika Magazine, Stan informed that Trapped being recognised at the Zambia Short Film Festival was a meaningful achievement.

“To us, every milestone is already a win. When the film finds a new audience, it is a huge confidence booster and something which is incredibly exciting for the entire team. To then be recognised with an accolade in the process makes the journey even more meaningful. It validates the hard work, passion and commitment that went into making Trapped,” Joni said.

Speaking on the current state of Zimbabwe’s film industry, the team described the sector as commendable despite the challenges facing filmmakers.

“As filmmakers, we continue to soldier on and produce competitive work despite the limitations in funding, infrastructure and other resources. There is clearly a lot of talent, creativity and determination within the industry,” Joni said.

However, they noted that more investment and proper funding were needed to help Zimbabwe consistently produce world-class films and establish a sustainable film industry.

Mr Joni also called for greater collaboration among players in the film sector, saying filmmakers should focus on building one another rather than competing in ways that hold the industry back.

“Filmmakers, producers, actors, institutions, broadcasters and other stakeholders need to support one another, share opportunities and create stronger networks,” he said.

Adding that working together could help build an industry that is creatively strong, sustainable and competitive beyond Zimbabwe.