SUNS  4361 Wednesday 27 January 1999

Zimbabwe: Film producers seek foreign funding



Harare, Jan 26 (IPS/ Nyasha Chasakara ) - Film making in Zimbabwe is proving too  costly for local producers who have began scouting for foreign  funding.

"The problem in Zimbabwe has been the lack of support from  the country's commercial banking sector," says Steve Chigorimbo, a producer/director of the popular 'Chipawo' local television series. He says "local investors support the horticultural industry,  commercial farmers but not film projects because, to them, it is  too risky."

Last year, the fledgling industry failed to make a single  feature film because of financial constraints, despite a number  of short documentaries and television drama videos that it  produced. "The
Zimbabwean film industry has been like a baby in the  mother's womb, the birth pangs have come and gone but the midwife is still to arrive," says Chigorimbo. Zimbabwe has experienced writers, producers and  technicians, he says.

"People who can tell the stories are there and the country  naturally has a legacy of story telling both among whites and  blacks but we lack investors," Chigorimbo says. "We can't  continue relying on donors if we want our films to be made by  Zimbabweans. Scores of films have been produced in the country  since 1980 with the help of investors from France, Belgium, Italy and the Americas."

It costs 3.5 million Zimbabwe dollars to produce a 90-minute  low-cost feature film and about 300,000 dollars to make a 75-minute television video in Zimbabwe, according to industry  sources.

One US Dollar is equal to 37 Zimbabwe Dollars.

To ease their plight, the National Film Fund Forum, which  groups local film stakeholders, has announced plans to raise  funds both at home and abroad. "We have come up with an idea of  setting up a film fund, and consultations are underway with most  stakeholders," says the Southern
African Film Festival (SAFF)  executive director, Isaac Mabhikwa.

SAFF, a non-profit making organisation, promotes film making  in Zimbabwe. As part of its promotion strategy, it holds annual  film festivals in the region. Last year's ceremony was held in  Zimbabwe.

Chigorimbo, who is the forum's interim chairman, says the  ministry of education, sports and culture has agreed to  contribute in the fund raising initiative which began late last  year. "But we are still to
see the participation of the private sector," he says. "What the private sector doesn't see is that  the film industry like any business venture is a potential money  spinner."

Unconfirmed reports say the ministry of education has offered  15 million U.S. Dollars, which could see Zimbabwe, which last  produced a feature film, Flame in 1996, producing at least three  feature films and five television films as well as a number of  documentaries per year.

"We anticipate to raise a substantial amount of money which  we will then loan out to our local film producers," Mabhikwa  says. "We want to reduce the risk associated with films by  investors. Instead of a single investor putting 100 percent in a  project, they will only risk part of their money."

The co-producer of Flame, Joel Phiri, says unless local  broadcasters lend a hand to Zimbabwe's film producers, feature  films, developed through investor funds, will not make any  financial returns. "The foundation has always been television," Phiri says,  regretting that "the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has not been forthcoming as they say that they do not have the  money."

Since Zimbabwe attained independence in 1980, the local film  industry has produced mostly donor-funded films designed for  specific reasons, Phiri says. "Most films in Zimbabwe have been  done for specific reasons. In fact, most of them have been  association films, where a Zimbabwean director or cast has been  grafted with foreign."

Simon Bright, who co-produced Flame, says most films produced  in Zimbabwe have dealt with development issues such as gender  rather than commercially viable script ideas. "Such films have a limited market and the returns are not enough to fund any future film productions. The idea of a film fund will encourage the development of commercially viable scripts with potential to  attract investors," he says.

It took Bright and Phiri seven years to raise money from 15  investors to produce the Flame. "Most successful films, which  were done in the country, were made by writing project proposals  to donors. Now the establishment of the fund will enable us to  develop better scripts with better chances of approaching  international TV stations for support," he says. "Even the  donors are no longer willing to give financial support to  individual film makers and the idea of a film fund is welcomed  because it will allow them to give to a pool."

The successes of films like 'Consequences' produced in the  early 1980s led to the formation of the Media for Development  Trust, which spearheaded the development and distribution of  Zimbabwean films like Neria, Everyone's Child, Mwanasikana and  others, Chigorimbo says. "We
have a lot of artistic talent in the country but  producers lack business acumen. They cannot come up with creative budgets that attract the investor."

According to Mabhikwa, the local producers have themselves to  blame for failure to come up with market-inspired movies. "We  cannot blame the market when the product is not there. This calls for creativity of the script writers, directors and producers, they need to network," he says. To boost the industry, Mabhikwa urged local producers to "put the films on the market and see what happens."