LOCAL comedy Zambezi News, will feature at the Abuja International Film Festival in Nigeria in September this year. Report by Tinashe Sibanda
The festival showcases films from various countries and awards outstanding productions.
Producers of Zambezi news said they were hopeful the comedy will do well at the festival.
They said the production had done well on the local scene since its launch in December last year. Despite high piracy levels in the country, Magamba Network, which is distributing the product, said they have sold over 12 000 copies of season one so far.
“The popularity of the series has seen Magamba Network distributing 12 100 DVD copies across the country and Season 1 has also become popular on the Zambezi News TV Youtube channel where it has over 20 000 views,” said Magamba Network’s Project Manager Tongai “Outspoken” Makawa.
The comedy is set up as a news cast reporting on random stories. The new season will feature the comical news anchors Mandape Mandape (Outspoken), Jerome Weathers (Comrade Fatso), Kudzaishe Mushayahembe (Michael Kudakwashe), who will be presenting live in studio while also cutting away to ludicrous reports, spoof music videos and cheeky adverts.
Production of Season Two of Zambezi News has already begun as the crew has shot five of the six episodes this April. The final episode will be shot in May.
“Season two will be even more explosive, daring and off the wall than the first season. We deal with some real burning issues in Zimbabwe like race, elections and patriotism. But we turn it all on its head and laugh at it all,” said Comrade Fatso, who is also the executive producer of Zambezi News.
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