Dar es Salaam. A local movie company, Kijiweni Productions, will be premiering its award winning feature film, T-Junction at
Mlimani City, Century Cinemax on Thursday, August 10, 2017, thanks to
sponsorship it received from Selcom, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and Irish
Aid.
Kijiweni Productions Director, Mr Amil Shivji,
said the film’s success has been due to generous contributions and
support from long time partners at Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, friends at
Irish Aid and further support from Selcom.
“We are
happy that Selcom has sponsored our work. That is being very courageous
and creative. Many private companies shy away in supporting local
artists. They think they would not accrue benefits.
“But,
in the long run, they are wrong. Our daily lives depend on art. Art
reflects on our way of life. An advertisement and a banner are all works
of art, and these companies have budgets for publicity,” he said
adding:
“Despite the hefty budgets, most companies luck
creativity. Selcom has come in very strong to change the status. They
see they have an obligation to help build an artist’s future and the
entire movie industry.”
For his part, Selcom Director,
Mr Benjamin Mpamo, said the support to Kijiweni Productions was not the
first they have done and it won’t be the last in their support of
meaningful and sustainable ventures in the country.
“Only
last week we were part of sponsors of a three year campaign to raise
public awareness on the fight against fire disasters. We will be
working alongside the Fire and Rescue Force, Alaf company and a local
organization United Against Crime (UAC).
“Last
year we were the first local company to sponsor the Road Safety Week
Campaign. We have done all of these as part of our obligation to bring
back to the community the little we make in the business we run.
According
to Shivji, T-Junction, film based in large part on the real lives of
members of the Upanga, Dar es salaam community, is about the
ever-changing landscape of Tanzania’s definition of community as they
struggle against the backdrop of class that threatens the dynamics of
what it means to be a society.
The film boasts of three awards namely Best Actress (Hawa Ally), Best Bongo Feature Film and European African Festivals Award.
