A new TV content festival announced
With the increased focus on content for TV and digital, and the breaking down of barriers between content types, ZIFF has identified the need to support producers and directors who are working in these ever-growing mediums. Therefore, ZIFF has announced two new award, categories for 2018, Best TV Series and Best Web Series.
Additionally, in an innovative move that recognises the latest trends in the content production environment, ZIFF and DISCOP are proud to present the Zanzibar TV Series Festival that will hold its first edition from 11-13 July, 2018.
The event aims to highlight series from all over the world and to give an international voice to this increasingly popular and fiercely creative new art form. Open to the public, the Zanzibar TV Series Festival will celebrate excellence: striving to create a stage on which the foremost creators in the world of TV series come together, where tomorrow’s talents are showcased and a prestigious international competition for a wide range of genres and for series of all shapes and forms is presented.
African-produced series
During this year’s ZIFF, the category for Best African TV Series will be open to any African-produced or co-produced and broadcast within the last two years. Three episodes would need to be submitted for consideration via the on-line application process as below.
DISCOP Market’s general manager, Patrick Zuchowicki, explains the rationale for this partnership: "With the FANNG's (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google) plans to spend up to $15 billion on film, television and online content in 2018; and with millennials raised on streaming, the time has come to celebrate entertainment content as a whole and bring to the attention of the Zanzibar public the world's foremost creators to TV series, and provide the best ones with a well-deserved Award."
Power of TV, web content
Festival director, Fabrizio Colombo, has these words to welcome a new category of producers and directors: “ZIFF 20th marked a turning point in the history of our festival. With the big step this year of ZIFF’s partnership of DISCOP Zanzibar, we are ready and excited to welcome all the players in the business of film, television and content production.
“ZIFF is amongst one of the first festivals in Africa, if not the world, to recognise the importance and power of both TV and web content. These awards, along with related workshops and discussions, represent ZIFF’s commitment to growing the whole of the East African content industry."
Deadline for submission is 15th March 2018 on the ZIFF platform www.festhome.com.
