Sauti Zetu Film Festival to illuminate Dar city | The Citizen

In a ground-breaking initiative, the inaugural Sauti Zetu Film Festival is poised to take Dar es Salaam by storm from October 13 to 15, 2023, at the iconic Little Theatre.

This extraordinary event promises an immersive experience, fusing the world of cinema with critical discussions on human rights and civic engagement.

The Sauti Zetu Film Festival is a pioneering endeavour, the first of its kind on the anzanian mainland.

With a firm commitment to harnessing the power of film as a catalyst for social change and discourse, the festival centres on three key agendas: freedom of expression, youth involvement in governance and policy-making, and gender equality.

Through these themes, the festival endeavours to spark essential dialogues and inspire actionable change within Tanzanian communities.

Explaining about the festival, Sauti Zetu Film Festival Director Elias Maeda says, “At its core, the Sauti Zetu Film Festival seeks to elevate community awareness regarding the crucial issues of gender equality and open civic space.”

He adds, “By positioning citizens as champions for equity and freedom of expression, the festival aims to transform these fundamental human rights into a reality for all”.

The festival’s target demographic spans from youth aged 18 to 35, encompassing both genders, along with film enthusiasts of all ages.

By focusing on creating a civic space that champions freedom of expression and encourages youth participation in decision-making processes, the Sauti Zetu Film Festival is poised to become a potent platform for empowerment and change.

The festival will feature nine captivating feature-length films, meticulously curated to address critical facets of human rights and civic engagement. These films fall into three distinct categories: Wazawa/The Natives (the Local Films Category), The Community Baraza (the Civic Space Category), and Ajenda Yetu (the Gender Equality Category).

In addition to the thought-provoking film screenings, the festival will host engaging panel discussions and workshops for female filmmakers and filmmaking enthusiasts, captivating art exhibitions, and mesmerising performances that celebrate the intersection of art and human rights.