By Staff Reporter
The much anticipated local movie, Qiniso, premiered at the Rainbow Cinema in Bulawayo on Saturday.
It was written and director by upcoming filmmaker Lenin Sibanda and features a group of talented creatives in Nomashawekazi Damasane, Bokani Nleya, Anelisi Maliki, Philani Nyoni, Arthur Makoane, Gilmore T. Moyo, Leroy Moyo and Henne Nkalanga.
263Chat attended the premiere and while there was so much hype and buzz among movie enthusiasts in the city, the organisers failed in many areas and even the movie itself was not up to standard.
Lessons learnt at the premiere
Bulawayo residents rarely attend local arts events for various reasons and the latest disaster from the organisers of the event will give them more ammunition to snub similar events. The turnout was fantastic, as about 200 people attend the premiere but most of them, if not all of them, left a disappointed lot.
There are a few lessons we learnt from the event which should serve as a guide for anyone who wants to put up a similar event in future.
- Make sure everything is working fine in the venue
The organisers should have checked with the venue providers if everything was in order. By 6 O’clock they should have known that the air conditioning was not working and made provisions like providing guests with water so as to cool down. The venue was unbearably hot and the fact that people were packed into a small theatre made it worse.
- Keep time
The movie premiere was expected to start at 6pm and by that time most of the guests had arrived the organisers were not at hand to welcome them. There is this ‘culture’ in Zimbabwe where we often don’t keep time. Since it was modelled around a typical Hollywood movie premiere, they should have at least given an allowance of about two hours so as to parade the crew and cast and give them an opportunity to mingle with the crowd, way before the start of the event.
- Do a thorough technical run
Technical runs are a must for any event where there will be use of equipment of any sort. A thorough technical run will afford you the opportunity to identify any glitches or anticipate when they might occur. A technical run cannot be done while guests are already outside the venue.
- Be confident in your product
One thing that we would like to commend the organisers for is the confidence they had in their product. While they acknowledged that their product was not the best out there, they still engaged in an aggressive marketing strategy. The strategy worked well as there was a huge turnout and most of the people were curious to find out why the movie had created so much hype and media attention.
- Stick to basics
Stick to basics and to your budget! There is no need to be too glamorous when you won’t be able to pull it off. If your budget doesn’t allow you to certain things, do not force it. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
