Local filmmaker scoops award

LOCAL filmmaker Charles Mawungwa recently added another accolade to his name by scooping the Best Narrative Feature Award at the Calcutta International Cult Film Festival in New York.

BY LIFE AND STYLE REPORTER

Calcutta International Cult Film Festival (CICFF) is an official member of the Film Society of Lincoln Centre.

Having won the Best Narrative Feature at CICFF Mind Games, the multiple award-winning filmmaker is now eligible for the Golden Fox Award at the red carpet event in September in 2018.

“Mind Games has also been entered at Near Nazareth Festival in Israel where it is currently a finalist, and is also a semi-finalist at the Los Angeles Cinefest. I am very optimistic that it will scoop more awards there,” Mawungwa said.

South Africa-based film critic, Reel Nthabiseng, described the production — which Mawungwa produced together with his wife Thandiwe — as “excellent African storytelling”.

“I am so proud and inspired that a film so unique has come out of Zimbabwe, internationally appealing and authentically African in every kind of way,” he said.

He said he was surprised that Mawungwa shot the feature film with a crew of under 10 people.

“I decided to shoot this film with a minimal number of crew to cut costs, so as to pave way to pay everyone who was involved in the production process,” he said.

Mind Games also won the Best Zimbabwean feature and Best actor Awards at the joint Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF)/International Film Festival (IFF) fete in August this year after earlier scooping the Outstanding Production award at the National Arts Merits Awards in 2011 and the Most Promising Director at ZIFF in 2010.

Mawungwa has been in the film industry for over a decade and worked on a number of award-winning films that also include the Search which won Best Short film project in 2006. He has also been involved in the production of over 50 documentaries and awareness videos for various United Nations organisations.