The Africa Channel, proud sponsors of the inaugural ZANZIBAR TV SERIES FESTIVAL and The Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), are excited to announce the 20 official titles entered into competition for the award for Best TV Series at ZIFF 2018.

 

The new categories of best TV and best Web Series were announced last year by ZIFF as part of its partnership with Africa’s largest content markets, DISCOP that will see some of Africa and the world’s best known content producers and distributors on hand for DISCOP Zanzibar, from the 11^th – 13^th during ZIFF which is taking place from July 7^th – 15^th.

 

Within ZIFF, the three days of TV Series screenings, presented by The Africa Channel, will be the official showcase for TV shows selected in competition for ZIFF. The selection team at ZIFF was overwhelmed with the response in this the first year of the competition, with dozens of TV shows being submitted from across Africa.

 

ZIFF Festival Director, Fabrizio Colombo elaborates, “We are proud at ZIFF to have formally opened up competition to TV and WEB SERIES and we would like to thank The Africa Channel for allowing us to start in this  great way in 2018. More and more in the film industry, and not only in Africa, it is said the television is the future of cinema. We want to acknowledge this dynamic space and its role in the development in the African entertainment landscape.  Moreover, the quality of the storytelling and production in many of these TV series is an example of just how much cinema has influenced TV production. From this synergy, the African film industry has the possibility to grow, develop, and travel outside the boundaries of the continent. ZIFF will aim  to be at the center of this development and for TV and film producers.”

Two days of competition screenings selected by the ZIFF Festival will screen from the 12^th and 13^th of July, and will be followed by a showcase day of screenings on the 14^th where platforms such as The Africa Channel will premier some of their most exciting  African-influenced content developed for the global marketplace. These include projects THE BANK, developed with Emmy nominated producers Rebecca and Doug Henning and Matt Luetwyler; WORLD WIDE NATE, an extreme  adventure show; and MINJIBA ENTERTAINS, a food and lifestyle show.

Open to the public as well as industry guests, The ZANZIBAR TV SERIES FESTIVAL presented by The Africa Channel will celebrate excellence. The event strives to create a stage on which the foremost creators in the world of TV series come together, where tomorrow’s talents are showcased and a prestigious international competition for a wide range of genres and for series of all shapes and forms is presented.

To further support this exciting event, The Africa Channel will also be presenting a panel discussion at DISCOP Zanzibar targeted specifically at independent TV / content producers looking to sell their material internationally. The panel will cover topics including: creating for international markets, co-productions for independents, thinking beyond Pan African, and connecting Africa to the world. More details of the panel will be available at www.discop.com

The Africa Channel’s Narendra Reddy, Ececutive Vice President & General Manager, explains,

"Through our TAC Studions production arm, we have seen first-hand the tremendous pipeline of talent from across Africa. The Zanzibar International Film Festival is a fabulous showcase for this talent, and we are proud to be the official sponsor of ZIFF's inaugural Zanzibar TV Series Festival. We look forward to hosting TV series screenings and a lively panel discussion for independent producers.  It's going to be a very exciting event for all attendees."

The full schedule of TV series screenings will be available on the ZIFF website, www.ziff.or.tz

 

TV SERIES IN COMPETITION ZIFF 2018

 

1.     Tales Of Eve | The Present Past
Imoh Umoren – Nigeria

2.     SIRI ZA FAMILIA
SANCTUS MTSIMBE – Tanzania

3.     Umlilo
Denny Miller – South Africa

4.     THIS IS IT
Dolapo Adeleke – Nigeria

5.     Career Talk
Saitabao Kaiyare – Kenya

6.     Crazy, Lovely, Cool –
Obi Emelonye – Nigeria

7.     Before 30
Bodunrin ‘BB’ Sasore- Nigeria

8.     Hard Copy
South Africa – Harriet Gavshon and Tim Greene (Producers)

9.     iNumber Number
South Africa – Siphiwe Hlabangane (producer)

10.  Talaaka
Nilesh Bhatt – Tanzania

11.  SAMBA 
Enah Johnscott- Cameroon

12.  Ball’n Africa 
Silalei Owuor – Kenya

13.  Tumaini Senta 
Kangethe – Mungai Kenya

14.  Jab
Lucilla Blankenberg, Laddie Bosch – South Africa

15.  BA-AUNT 
MARIAM NDAGIRE – Uganda

16.  Giving Nature a Voice
Andrew Tkach (Executive Producer) – Kenya

17.  KERU 
Victor Gatonye – Kenya

18.  # Family
Kwezi kaganda Ruhinda – Uganda

19.  La Msingi 
Morrison Mwadulo – Kenya

20.  Fihi Season
Carol Odongo Boy – Kenya

 

WEB SERIES IN COMPETITION ZIFF 2018

 

1.     America Heard: Refuge of Hope 
United States – Yasmin Mistry

2.     Chronicles of a Paranoiac
Russian Federation - Nikita Tamarov

3.     Connection House
Italy – Vincenzo Cavallo

4.     Festival Politicos
South Africa- Tshego “Red” Mosiane, Misa Makwakwa Masokameng

5.     KINSHASA COLLECTION
Germany – Dorothee Wenner

6.     LOOP
Mexico – Fernando Perezgil, Gerardo LS, Emmanuel Basurto

7.     Nadya
Tanzania – Shams Bhanji

8.     Nekros Pizza
United States – Sean Manos

9.     Ngalangala
Tanzania –  Tom Johns

10.  Our Best Friend’s Wedding
Nigeria – Jerry Ossai

11.  Prime Donne
Italy – Giacomo Spaconi

12.  PULPETTE
Italy  – Michele Bevilacqua, Arcangelo Iannace , Francesco Spaziani

13.  Seburikoko
Rwanda – Kennedy Mazimpaka

14.  SHADOWS
Kenya – Reuben Odanga

15.  SUBS
South Africa – Tshego ‘Red’ Mosiane, Tseliso Monaheng

16.  Tales of Shaa Umi and Nandis Adventure
Zimbabwe – Rodney Tapfuma Masanga

17.  The Yard
Kenya – Busaka Jackton

18.  Thesha
South Africa – Lungelo Mdlalose

19.  Two sides of a coin
Kenya – Morris Simwa, Calvin Ombogo

20.  WAKUIGWA
Richard Magumba – Tanzania