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Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
INDEPENDENT content producers in Binga have set the ball rolling after a local production company conducted a training workshop for potential filmmakers.

The workshop organised by Digital Moments Creative Arts was held on Saturday and 25 novices were trained in anticipation of the much awaited digitisation programme.

This comes after the Government promised to sponsor productions by independent content producers and buy some material from them as a way of boosting the industry.

Once a neglected district with no transmission, the people of Binga are keeping their fingers crossed as they hope to benefit from the programme.

Digital Moments Creative Arts director, Kalulu Mumpande, who also chairs the Binga content creation committee, said they managed to set up production teams as they are working on a second movie, after the first one was completed in January.

“We established a content production team early last month and on Saturday, we had a workshop where we trained 25 people in different roles. We want production and cast teams for the new movie that we’re working on and I’m glad to say we also have female directors and camerapersons,” said Mumpande.

“Digital Moments Creative Arts has already started producing movies with the first piece already sent to the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe.”

He said trainees produced a two-minute short film which is circulating on social media.

“On Saturday, we had auditions for a new movie titled Lyamweena Gonta, which tackles challenges faced by women as a result of HIV and Aids and cultural practices,” he said.

Mumpande bemoaned the lack of funding saying they were working on a zero budget and look forward to Government intervention. In Lupane, some producers were last week submitting their work while those in Hwange and Victoria Falls are yet to meet the digitisation team comprising Minister Mushohwe, his deputy Thokozile Mathuthu and Permanent Secretary George Charamba whose meetings, which had been slated for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in Victoria Falls, Hwange and Binga, have been postponed because of Government programmes in Harare.

@ncubeleon