JK honoured with lifetime achievement award at ZIFF

Zanzibar. Retired President Jakaya Kikwete was on Saturday honoured with a lifetime achievement award at the Zanzibar International Film Festival.

The award, according to ZIFF chairman Mahmoud Kombo, was in recognition of Mr Kikwete’s contribution towards the festival and the arts industry in general in the past 20 years.

“For the past 20 years, we have had someone who has been dedicated to arts and wherever he has gone he has been very vocal in supporting local films and arts in general, sometimes even when his duties as President couldn’t allow,” said Mr Kombo, who is also Zanzibar’s Health minister.

Receiving the award at a packed Ngome Kongwe amphitheatre, Mr Kikwete said it was a pleasant surprise.

“I have been close to arts, and especially music, for a very long time...I must say that I love music. I remember back then in Kariakoo that I used to have a special seat at DDC Mlimani Park’s performances,” he said.

The former Head of State added that the festival, which began as a simple idea born out of curiosity, had now become a reality that many want to be associated with, which explains why it had gained worldwide recognition.

“ZIFF is a big platform that has played a great role in the development of the film industry both in Tanzania and beyond because many success stories in the industry started here.”

According to him ZIFF has curved a niche for itself in the past two decades, given the number of films that come from various parts of the world to premiere at the festival.

Mr Kikwete cited the Iranian film M for Mother, which first premiered at the festival and went on to win an Oscar.

“ZIFF is a big thing...it has the same status as the likes of Cannes. The only thing is that you have not taken it up there, and I think it is time you went up there” he said amid applause.

Mr Kikwete urged the organisers to make the local population see the festival as theirs.

“It is through this inclusiveness that they will look forward to the next festival because without them there is no festival.”

With all the opportunities the festival provided, such as workshops, the participation of local filmmakers was still minimal.

“This is very disheartening. Why would we have many people from other parts of the world coming to these workshops and yet our own people don’t see these opportunities?”

The Retired President said it was time domestic films matched international standards if they were to compete at that level.

“From what I know Bongo movies and Bongo flava employ thousands of young people and this is no small feat.”

Commenting on cultural interactions that such festivals brought, Mr Kikwete said it was vital that Zanzibaris and other Tanzanians conserved their cultures despite challenges that those interactions brought.

“In an increasingly globalised world we must make sure that our culture is not swallowed because some of these interactions put our cultures in danger.”

He added: “This is not a simple task especially with the development of information technology that has made the world such a small place.”

Mr Kikwete urged the organisers to use arts as a tool to market Zanzibar and promote Tanzanian culture to the rest of the world.

“Package this festival to market Zanzibar as a tourist destination of choice. It is important to aim higher.”