Cinema of Zimbabwe Last updated September 24, 2025 Zimbabwe has an active film culture that includes films made in Zimbabwe during its pre- and post-colonial periods. Economic crisis and political crisis have been features of the industry. [ 1] A publication from the 1980s counted 14 cinemas in Zimbabwe's capital city, Harare . [ 2] According to a 1998 report only 15 percent of the population had been to a cinema. [ 3] European and American films have been made on location in Zimbabwe as well as Indian films. American films are popular in Zimbabwe but face restrictions limiting their distribution. [ 4]
History Great Britain's Colonial Film Unit was active in Zimbabwe. [ 5] [ 6] Zimbabwe's post-colonial government has worked to sponsor film development. [ 5] Germany helped fund a film training and production program. [ 7]
Festivals The Zimbabwe Film Festival
Zimbabwean directors include Tsitsi Dangarembga , Rumbi Katedza , Roger Hawkins (film director) , Godwin Mawuru , Michael Raeburn , Farai Sevenzo , Ingrid Sinclair , Sydney Taivavashe , and Edwina Spicer .
Zimbabwean actors include: Munya Chidzonga , Tongayi Chirisa , Adam Croasdell , John Indi , Dominic Kanaventi , Edgar Langeveldt , Tawanda Manyimo , l Cont Mhlanga and Lucian Msamati . Zimbabwean actresses include Chipo Chung , Carole Gray , Kubi Indi , and Sibongile Mlambo .
Several films cover the Rhodesian Bush War .
Zimbabwe hosts the International Images Film Festival for Women and Zimbabwe International Film Festival .
Keith Shiri is a Zimbabwean film curator.
Films Films from Rhodesia :
Films from Zimbabwe include:
King Solomon's Mines (1985), an action adventure film shot in Zimbabwe Kizhakku Africavil Sheela (1987), a Tamil language film largely shot in Zimbabwe A World Apart (1988), the film addresses apartheid Jit (1990) [ 8] White Hunter Black Heart (1990), an American film shot in Zimbabwe Neria (1993) Everyone's Child (1995) Flame (1996), set during the Rhodesian Bush War Forbidden Fruit (2000) Lumumba (2000), a French language film about Patrice Lumumba filmed in Zimbabwe The Legend of the Sky Kingdom (2003), an animated film Tanyaradzwa (2005) Mugabe and the White African (2009), a documentary iThemba (2010), a documentary about a band Sores of Emmanuel (2010), a film about a single father's hope, written and directed by Eddie Ndhlovu Something Nice from London (2013) Democrats (2014), a Danish documentary about politics in Zimbabwe Thandie's Diary (2018), a film about gender based violence against women written and directed by Eddie Ndhlovu. Gonarezhou (2019), an anti-poaching filmReferences
Sovereign states States with limited recognition
Dependencies and other territories
↑ Thompson, Katrina Daly (September 22, 2013). Zimbabwe's Cinematic Arts: Language, Power, Identity . Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0253006462 – via Google Books. ↑ "Africa Calls Handbook of Zimbabwe" . Roblaw Pub. – via Google Books. ↑ Waldahl, Ragnar (September 22, 1998). Perspectives on media, culture and democracy in Zimbabwe . Dept. of Media and Communication, University of Oslo. ISBN 9788257061050 – via Google Books. ↑ McCrea, Barbara; Pinchuck, Tony (September 22, 1996). Zimbabwe and Botswana: The Rough Guide . Rough Guides. ISBN 9781858281865 – via Google Books. 1 2 Owomoyela, Oyekan (September 22, 2002). Culture and Customs of Zimbabwe . Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313315831 – via Google Books. ↑ Burns, James McDonald (September 23, 2002). Flickering Shadows: Cinema and Identity in Colonial Zimbabwe . Ohio University Press. ISBN 9780896802247 – via Google Books. ↑ Diawara, Manthia (September 22, 1992). African Cinema: Politics & Culture . Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253207074 – via Google Books. ↑ Harper, Graeme; Rayner, Jonathan; Rayner, Jonathan R. (September 22, 2010). Cinema and Landscape . Intellect Books. ISBN 9781841503097 – via Google Books. This page is based on this
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