zimbojam.com - The International Images Film Festival 2008 edition was launched last week at an irridescent ceremony held at the Vistarama Theatre in Harare.

This year’s festival runs under the theme "Enriching Women" and explores the relationship between gender and poverty and documents the various ways in which particular women, real or fictional, escape the snare of poverty. The theme celebrates women who have successfully escaped and managed to eradicate poverty in their lives, in their communities and in the film industry.

The launch was attended by government representatives, filmmakers, actors, producers and other arts practitioners. It started off with an upbeat and inspiring performance by guitarist Edith Katiji (leader of the all woman group So What), rapper Misfit, poet Cynthia Marangwada, percussionist Rumbi Tapfumo and singer, dancer Kessia Magosva. Host for the evening was DJ and actress, Tendayi Chakanyuka.

Festival activities include the screening- in Harare and next month in Bulawayo- of 55 films from around the world (at no cost), The Ndichirimupenyu (while I am still alive) Awards, workshops, an art exhibition at Gallery Delta and the opening and closing ceremonies.

In her speech, to the invited guests, Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe (WFOZ) member Joy Kimeniah, said that the objectives of IIFF include becoming the premier showcase for local and international films that interrogate the position of women in society on the African continent and to document the work and themes of women filmmakers in Southern Africa using narrative and motion picture both as a tribute to women and to create a resource for present and future generations.

The International Images Film Festival for Women is run by Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe (WFOZ) which was started by acclaimed novelist and filmmaker, Tsitsi Dangarembga in 2002. According to Kimeniah it was a response to the plethora of beauty pageants in Zimbabwe, “through which women were objectified and whose bodies were packaged and presented to the media as a product. The IIF was meant to counterbalance beauty contests and get people to question their personal values and the ways in which they relate with women.”.

You can catch IIFF films at the following venues: Elite 100, Gallery Delta, Center of the South (Harare Gardens) and Rainbow Theatres in Robert Mugabe Avenue.

The Bulawayo venue s for December are the National Gallery in, Academy of Music, Robert Sibson Hall and Amakhosi Theatre.