Story by Colette Musanyera
Multi-award-winning Zimbabwean film producer Joe Njagu is making it big on the international scene after his production, ‘Ngoda’, bagged seven awards at the Kano Indigenous Languages of Africa Film Market and Festival (KILAF) in Nigeria.
Barely a week after scooping three awards at the Botswana International Film Festival on the 24th of this month, the Zimbabwean film “Ngoda” has emerged a cut above the rest in Nigeria.
The film won the best picture and feature film while the best supporting actor went to Taurai Kawara.
The Best Actress award went to Caroline Mashingaidze-Zimbizi, with the Best Make-up award going to Rosebud Tsikira.
The film also won the Best Screenplay and Sound Engineering awards.
“Our two films ‘Ngoda’ and ‘Mirage’ were at the Botswana International Film Festival which ended at the weekend, and we were awarded with four awards, one for Mirage and 3 for Ngoda. Ngoda was also in Nigeria for the KALIF International Film Awards where it was awarded in seven categories. We are so proud that we are able to take our films to the international space and they get recognition. We are very excited that our films are now being consumed internationally. This is so encouraging that we promise to continue making Zimbabwean film products that we will take to the world,” said Joe Njagu.
The Kano Indigenous Languages of Africa Film Market and Festival promotes films produced in indigenous languages while encouraging cross-border sales.
