ZAMBIAN film director Abel Silumbwe has been nominated in the best co-director category at this weekend’s National Arts of Council film and arts festival taking place in Zimbabwe.
The event is expected to be held on Saturday, February 24 in Zimbabwe’s second biggest city, Bulawayo.
Silumbwe who is National Arts of Media Arts (NAMA) publicity secretary said he was humbled to be nominated and invited for the awards ceremony taking place at the weekend.
“I was informed last year by the organisers of the event that I had been nominated in a feature film I had co-directed with my colleagues from Zimbabwe and Mozambique. This recognition to attend the awards giving ceremony means a lot to me, as it is an indication that our talent is being recognised beyond Zambia,” he said.
And National Arts Council of Zambia (NAC) director Maanka Chipindi has since congratulated Silumbwe, who is also a staffer at ZNBC for the nomination.
“As NAC we are proud of Abel Silumbwe and are behind him throughout this journey and hope that he will emerge victorious in Zimbabwe,” Chipindi said in an interview.
Meanwhile, Silumbwe says the NAMA is in full support of the government’s approval of the new film policy.
Silumbwe explained that the approval of the film policy demonstrates the government’s commitment to fostering a conducive environment for the creation, production and distribution of films.
“This momentous decision marks a significant step towards the growth and development of the arts and entertainment industry in our country. As NAMA, we are confident that this film policy will provide a framework that encourages creativity, innovation and diversity within the film industry,” he said.
“As an association, we are committed to working towards the advancement of our industry and leveraging this new film policy to bring about positive change and development,” Silumbwe said.
He added that NAMA was hopeful that the approval of the new film policy will mark the beginning of a new era for the arts and entertainment industry.