Harare’s independent film scene will take centre stage on 30 May as the Bokola Film Festival returns to Studio Moto in Belgravia for a day-long celebration of cinema, music and youth culture.
Running under the theme Hold The Line: Between Collapse and Becoming, this year’s edition seeks to reflect the realities faced by many people across Africa and beyond as they navigate economic uncertainty, social pressure and rapid change.
Organisers say the theme is intended to explore resilience without glorifying hardship focusing instead on the everyday determination required to continue creating, surviving and imagining new futures amid instability.
Hosted at Studio Moto on Downie Avenue, the festival will run from 12:00 to 19:00 with entry priced at US$1 in a bid to keep the event accessible to young audiences and emerging creatives.
Festival Director Ska Sebata described Bokola as a space for reflection rather than easy answers.
“The festival is not positioned as an answer, but as a space to sit with questions. What does it mean to hold on when things are breaking? What does it mean to create when the future feels unstable? And what kinds of stories are needed to carry us through this moment?,” Sebata said.
Founded as a platform for independent African storytelling, Bokola has grown into one of Zimbabwe’s key spaces for alternative cinema and cultural expression.
This year’s programme will feature film screenings, music video showcases, exhibitions and live DJ performances culminating in an after-party titled Bokola On Fire, hosted by Events On Fire.
Organisers have also included a children’s zone, aimed at creating what they describe as a “multi-sensory experience” for audiences of all ages.
Beyond entertainment, the festival continues its focus on nurturing emerging filmmakers particularly young creatives working outside traditional industry systems.
The Bokola Future of Film Award, supported by Accountability Lab Zimbabwe will once again honour promising filmmakers shaping the future of African cinema. The award includes a cash prize intended to help recipients further their creative work.
Bokola is presented by Magamba Network, the Zimbabwean creative and digital media organisation known for championing youth culture, storytelling and civic engagement across Africa.
