Founded in 2002, IIFF is an annual festival held in Harare that is an exhibition platform for films that portray a woman in at least one major role, thus providing role modelling for African women to observe other women in film being active, displaying agency and impacting positively on their own lives and communities. The festival is hosted each year by the Institute of Creative Arts for Progress in Africa (ICAPA) Trust.

IIFF films allow for engagement with women's problems and lives, as well as an explanation of women to the male community, encouraging tolerance and understanding. Films screened for national Zimbabwean and international African audiences include features, documentaries, shorts and animation that inform and challenge the audience. The positive discourse of IIFF films also focuses on doing away with practices that no longer serve and empower women. IIFF focuses on building institutions and platforms that reinforce women's dignity and self-respect. IIFF screenings are followed by group discussions on the gender dimensions raised by the film at all venues, both urban and rural. Over the years IIFF has developed into a hub where women film-makers network.

IIFF MISSION

To increase engagement in our communities with issues of gender equality through providing communities with alternative narratives on gender.

IIFF OBJECTIVES

To implement a festival of international standards that fosters engagement and debate amongst audiences through films that promote gender sensitivity and democratic tolerances in Zimbabwe.

To increase community engagement with social and gender issues by exhibiting gender sensitive narratives in at least 12 communities around Zimbabwe.

To contribute to increasing gender sensitive norms and behaviour with respect to women in individuals and entities in African countries by modelling these behaviours in narratives.

To introduce and maintain in our communities engaging film narratives that promote inclusion, respect and equality.

To recognize the achievements made by African women in the Film Industry.

To enter into reciprocal partnerships with other women's and arts organisations across the continent and internationally.

To provide for income generating career opportunities for women in film and related creative enterprise.

IIFF ACTIVITIES

INTERNATIONAL IMAGES FILM FESTIVAL FOR WOMEN

IIFF is a festival held in Harare that provides a platform for film screenings to rural and urban communities that promote and encourage audience engagement and dialogue. International Images Film Festival for Women is hosted in August each year in at least four venues, with sixty narratives from across the globe under a selected theme. A call for films in line with theme is sent out and films are selected according to the different categories. The best films in each category will be awarded at a closing and awards ceremony. The jury is made up of local and international film-makers.

IIFF NATIONAL OUTREACH

The IIFF national outreach is an action to bring women-centered films that focus on socio-economic and cultural issues relevant to respective communities. The outreach takes place in both rural and urban areas. Young women are reached out to in both High Schools and tertiary institutions. This Outreach provides a safe and neutral platform for discussion centering women's rights violation and other subject matter arising from the film screenings.

IIFF INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH

IIFF is broadening its networks and has expand beyond Zimbabwe. To date IIFF has been able to host mini festivals in Malawi, Uganda, Somalia, Kenya and Malawi. The International outreach is Pan- African platform designed to engage more women filmmakers in the discourse that is facilitated by IIFF. During these outreach screenings conversation centres around the portrayal of African Women and the ideas on how African women filmmakers can claim their space in the film industry.