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Showbiz Reporter
AFTER realising that local content producers are failing to make a breakthrough on international TV platforms, MultiChoice Zimbabwe has arranged a local content summit to assist television producers to penetrate DStv channels.

The summit that is scheduled to take place early this month in Bulawayo and Harare will see the leading African entertainment company educating producers on how to have their works showcased on various broadcast platforms.

MultiChoice Zimbabwe publicity and public relations manager, Liz Dziva said: “This workshop will be hosted by MultiChoice Africa with the aim of encouraging local producers to create films and television programmes that are of a high standard, with the potential to attract viewers not just from Zimbabwe, but across the continent.”

She said they had invited industry gurus for the workshop with the hope of attracting a high level of top-quality productions from Zimbabwe for broadcast on DStv channels.

“This is a genuine outreach exercise aimed at setting in motion a continuous flow of local productions onto DStv, taking them to audiences beyond our own borders and placing them as strategically competitive with productions from the rest of the continent.

“There’ll be skills training and information sessions from various industry experts at the summit. Topics that’ll be covered include scripting and screenwriting, editing, directing, cinematography, set design and costume plus many other aspects that go into a high quality production.”

Dziva said there were a number of platforms under the DStv umbrella that could be utilised by local film-makers and producers for continental and international broadcast of their work, hence why they were hosting the summit to highlight these platforms.

“We have a lot of platforms, most notably the Zambezi Magic channel, which was created for local producers to tell their stories. But, there’re other channels that are looking across Africa for content and such local content summits highlight all of these opportunities.”

Unfortunately, Dziva said the DStv channels were not in a position to provide exclusive funding for production of content from Zimbabwe.

“The channels, however, do pay producers for use of content and the visiting speakers at the workshops will highlight their expectations in terms of content, quality, relevance and creativity in the films and programmes being sought,” she said.

To be part of the workshops, producers and film-makers from across the country should e-mail [email protected] and request to be included on the invitation list.