If what is reported in the media about young people involvement in gangster activities, drug abuse and violence is to go by then the reality of the infiltration of the vices in the contemporary African society is an issue to be wary about.
It is on this pretext that the SIGNIS Jury at the just concluded Zanzibar international film festival 2017 awarded a south African film “Noem My Skollie/Call Me Thief” directed by Daryne Joshua.
Based on a true life story of a man who lived to tell how he narrowly escaped a death sentence following involvement in gangster activity among the Coloured communities in Rainbow nation in Cape Town South Africa; depicts the reality of life in contemporary societies in Africa where drug abuse and gangster activities seem to becoming rampant.
Rashid Lanie is an internationally acclaimed composer, pianist, producer and recording artist from south Africa who received the award on behave of the film director said that there is indeed a serious problem of drugs and gangster activities that has infiltrated the society.
“It is going to take every single family, the youth, parents, nations and more importantly politicians to realize that there is a problem in the country that has been overlooked.” He said adding that there is a problem in many societies all over the world especially in Africa where drugs are infiltrating corrupting the minds of the youth and polluting the thinking of young children.
“On behalf of this film Call Me a Thief, I make a very deep and important plea to all of you to please embrace the importance of giving love to our children, giving care to their education and not to neglect their needs and the calls when they call out to you.”
The film also won the coveted Golden Dhow Award, which is the ultimate prestigious award at Zanzibar International Film Festival and has a cash prize of US $ 3000.
The second award from SIGNIS was for Eastern Africa Talent Award, where excellent upcoming films makers from East African Countries namely Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi are considered. This year’s prize was scooped by Steven Aayen from Uganda who directed the film Kony: Order from Above. The film captured the brutality of a religious fanatic Joseph Kony, a Ugandan rebel who led the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a militia that terrorized northern Uganda and neighbouring countries in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
The SIGNIS have been collaborating with the Zanzibar International Film Festival organizers from the year 2005 and will continue to do so for as long as it will be possible. During this year’s festival, a total of 130 films were selected to contest and the jury had a hectic task of watching all them in order to come up with the best.
The next festival will be held between 7th 15th July 2018.