Story by John Nhandara
THE Zimbabwe Film and Television School of Southern Africa (ZIFTESA) is hosting a three-day masterclass on reality television production and vertical content creation as part of efforts to strengthen digital storytelling skills within the country’s creative sector.
The intensive training programme has attracted filmmakers, producers, executive producers and digital content creators seeking to tap into the growing global demand for reality television and digital-first content.
ZIFTESA Director, Mr Tichafa Tongogara said the initiative seeks to address gaps in storytelling and content creation, particularly as the media landscape continues to evolve.
“We saw that there is a gap in our storytelling, especially when you look at the evolution of vertical content creation and reality television, hence this partnership and training,” he said.
The programme is being viewed as a significant opportunity to enhance the quality and competitiveness of locally produced content.
“We think it’s a programme with a huge impact on our programming and content creation,” Founder of Monzyice Productions, Ms Monalisa Chisango said.
Leading the workshop is renowned South African showrunner and director Shahir Chundra, popularly known as “Shaz”, who is facilitating sessions on contemporary digital storytelling techniques.
“Africa has a huge potential in filmmaking, and by bringing all stakeholders together, we can make a big impact,” he said.
Participants say the masterclass comes at a crucial time as broadcasters and content producers adapt to changing audience preferences and emerging technologies.
“This is very critical as we at ZBC are going to be airing our new reality series very soon,” ZBC Producer, Adiola Chiyangwa said.
“It speaks to modern trends of broadcasting, especially in this era of artificial intelligence,” ZBC Executive Producer, Keith Khoza said.
Independent film producer Jonathan Samkange described the programme as a valuable learning platform.
“It is an eye-opener in the modern digital broadcasting landscape,” he said.
The initiative is being hosted in partnership with several production houses and media organisations, including Monzyice Creations, Dramma Boss, Zambezi Magic, Infinity Pictures and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, reflecting growing collaboration within the creative industry to strengthen local content production.
