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Leonard Ncube, Showbiz Reporter

AUDITIONS for an upcoming local film featuring Zimbabwe-born Hollywood actor Tongayi Chirisa are set to be held in Hwange and Binga districts as the storytellers want to keep it local.

Dates for the auditions have not been set yet, but the film writer and director Jessica Rowlands says they will be held in Victoria Falls, Hwange and Binga soon.

“The production will hold auditions in Victoria Falls, Binga, Hwange and surrounding areas with the hope of finding budding new talent within our communities,” she said.

Victoria Falls-based Rowlands, an accomplished Hollywood screenwriter-cum-director is working on the production alongside Chirisa and filmmaker Joe Njagu, who is famed for the Netflix film Cook-Off and will be the producer.

The film is set to be short in Victoria Falls and Harare this year. It is based on the life of Tobias Mupfuti, an incredible individual who owns the Victoria Falls Boxing Academy, and seeks to tell his story of hope and joy with the aim of telling the Zimbabwean story.

Tobias Mupfuti’s role will be played by Chirisa.

Chirisa and Njagu were in Victoria Falls recently to scope the environment and meet Mupfuti.

Rowlands said she wants to show the world the rich creative potential of Zimbabwean artistes and encourage international audiences to engage with the vast array of stories in Zimbabwe.

“All I want is to bring the incredible story of my friend (Mupfuti) to the world. I really want to involve the local community as much as possible in the making of this production, both in front of the camera and behind it. This is not just the story of one man, but a story representing Zimbabwe and Matabeleland specifically, so I’m really passionate about showcasing local talent in the production,” Rowlands said.

Said Njagu: “The idea is to grow and improve the small film community in Zimbabwe to become an industry that’s professional and viable. Jessica and Tongayi are coming from an industry (Hollywood) that’s functional — so what better way to bring their skill to tell stories at a high standard while imparting knowledge to the local sector.”

Chirisa was also excited about the project.

“When I read the script, I knew I had to be part of it because of the storytelling which is centred on the message of hope, survival and forgiveness,” he said.

Chirisa has featured in several top films including the comedy Mr Bones, Crusoe, Sleepy Hollow, Antebellum and the AMC horror Mayfair Witches. Famed locally for his role of Detective Trevor Davies on the ever-popular Studio 263 soapie, this will be the first time that he features in a local film since breaking into Hollywood. – @ncubeleon