Anguko (The fall) in Arusha at the AAFF

The Short fiction film Anguko has been selected as one of the films that will be showcased in the 2nd Arusha African Film Festival (AAFF). The festival is scheduled to officially open on Friday 29th November, 2013 and close down on Sunday 1st December, 2013.

Edgar Ngelela who is the Producer and Director of the film said that this is an opportunity for the people the people and another chance for those who missed or never had a chance to see the film in the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF).

Anguko kuoneshwa AAFF Arusha

Filamu fupi ya Anguko imechaguliwa kuoneshwa katika tamasha la kimataifa la filamu za kiafrica ambalo litafanyika huko Arusha. Tamasha hili la Arusha African film (AAFF) linategemewa kufunguliwa rasmi tarehe siku ya Ijumaa 29 Novemba, 2013 na kumalizika siku ya Jumapili tarehe 1 Decemba, 2013.

Edgar Ngelela ambaye ni Producer na Director wa filamu hiyo fupi alikaririwa akisema kuwa hii ni nafasi nyingine ya pekee kabisa kwa watu wa Arusha na wale ambao aidha hawakwenda au hawakupata nafasi kuiona katika tamasha la kimataifa la majahazi la Zanzibar (ZIFF) kuiona.

Anguko (the fall)

Anguko (the fall) poster 2013

Matukio: Ziff 2013

Ziff katika mwaka huu wa 2013 imekuwa na mafanikio mengi ikiwemo kuwatambulisha waongozaji (directors) wazawa wa Tanzania. Waongozaji hawa wamekuwa katika mstari wa mbele kukuza tasnia ya filamu hapa nchini. Waliotambulishwa ni pamoja na Amil Shvji aliyeongoza filamu fupi "Shoeshine" ; Issa Mbura "Crush/Husuda", na Edgar Ngelela "Anguko/the fall".

Issa Mbura na Amil Shivji wakishikilia tuzo zao

Yafuatayo ni matukio mbalimbali katika tamasha hilo la filamu.

Director wa 'Anguko' Edgar Ngelela akiwa na Wilsom Makubi (Mwenye T-shirt ya blue) pamoja na waigizaji wa Anguko Mustafa na Janeth na wanafunzi wengine wawili wa TFTC Hassan na Irene Msuya. (Picha na David Shija)

Director wa filamu fupi ya 'Anguko' Edgar Ngelela akiwa ameshtukizwa. (Picha na David Shija.)

Professor Martin Mhando akiwa na wahusika muhimu katika tamasha la Ziff la 16 la mwaka 2013.

Hasty actions brings about waste

One of the shortest films premiered at this year’s Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) is simply called “Anguko”, which means “The Fall” in English.

 

During the week, its’ Director and Producer, Edgar Ngelela, an artist, who lectures at the University of Dar es Salaam, told the ‘Sunday News’ for a long time he wanted to do something different in film production and has been looking for people to work with on it.

Actually he really wanted to make a full-length feature film but could not get the funds for such a venture. “So what I actually did was to write seven short stories, which I wrote scripts for with a mind to start making them one by one.

Chances are when I reach five stories I’ll start looking for grants. But then even if I have two of them there would be something that I’ve done. They create credibility, so it would be easier for me to look for grants. If they ask me what I have done already, I’ll have something to show.

The fact that this one has been selected to be screened in ZIFF, gives it even more credibility,” Ngelela said when explaining his strategic plan and the outcome so far to the ‘Sunday News’ earlier this week. It can be said that it is because of his determination to carry out his plan that has brought him where he is today.

For when faced with a situation of not having a sponsor, he scraped-up the required funds to make the seven minutes and 46 seconds “Anguko” from his own pocket. In it he depicts the fast moving world of today, with a specific concentration on the youth.

This was a deliberate move, he states because this group is constantly taking-in a lot of things without separating what is important from the unimportant. Then he added to this concoction the growing trend of young girls having intimate relationships with men old enough to be their father. These two notions Ngelela put together in a unique way to tell a story, in that now it’s actually a misconception.

The entire tale is based on a young man, Madaraka, played by Mustafa Masudi, who has just proposed marriage to his girlfriend, Hollo, played by Janeth Lameck, but then he makes a critical mistake when he saw her talking to an elder man.

It is only after he has taken certain hasty actions that he finds out it’s her father, who she was seeking advice from concerning the coming engagement, which should lead to her eventual marriage. The film ends there. This style of ending is another deliberate move by the director to leave room for the audience to think whether the engagement or wedding will go on or not.

Although he did not have a large audience, as he would have liked at the screening, in the Maru Maru Hotel, there was a lively discussion after in which it was suggested Ngelela should finish the story, preferably in a feature film format.

He admitted liking the role of Madaraka because he has found a lot of his age-mates to be of such character, whereby they often hastily take action without checking the details properly first. He also took the opportunity to add that in keeping with his name, he played the character to his best ability.

On the subject of the future of Bongo Movies, Mustafa says it can go to very high levels providing all sectors within the industry constantly improve their education related to the profession. The main problem he sees in local films these days is that too many of its practitioners are satisfied with doing what they are used to, instead of pushing each time for better.

Together with Mustapha was the lady who played the role of his future Mother-in-law, Madina Hamis a.k.a. Zawadi. Whereas Mustapha is relatively new to the profession, Madina has been in the business since 1999, so it was interesting to hear what she had to say on the industries future.

Although she was accepted as being able when she started, she pointed out that she is aware this was solely because of her talent. However, for her to continue doing justice to the profession, she had to seek further training so that she can grow in ability because talent can never be enough.

This is why she was pleased when she heard that Ngelela had opened a small independent training school in the Ubungo section of Dar es Salaam called Tanzania Film Training Centre (TFTC). Now there was a place where actors like herself, who had no formal training could go and fill that gap.

In fact the entire crew of “Anguko” are students at this centre, which provides coaching on acting for film and production. Armed with this information from Madina the ‘Sunday News’ went looking for Ngelela to hear his thinking behind setting-up the TFTC.

It is because he knows that there are many local amateur filmmakers, who want to make good films but simply lack certain necessary knowledge or skills that he thought of settingup this entity. He maintains that they cannot do something good without it.

So he set out looking for a group of students, who he could teach what making films entails. He strongly believes that by training more amateurs the future of local movies will be brighter. This way the content and quality of the final product is being built-up. Looks like he has a point for “Anguko” did have its premier at the ZIFF, which ends on Sunday.

By IMAN MANI, Tanzania Daily News

Anguko's premiere a sparkling spotlight

Ziff has announced the final film screening schedule and venues for film pitching. According to their website (http://www.ziff.or.tz/) The opening ceremony is scheduled to be on Saturday 29th June, 2013 at the Old Fort Amphitheater from 19:00 Hrs - 21:00Hrs.

Edgar Ngelela's 8 minutes film "Anguko" is scheduled on Tuesday, 2nd July, 2013 at the Maru Maru Hotel from 11:35Hrs -11:43Hrs.

The Director, Edgar Ngelela, said that through showcasing the film at the Zanzibar International Film Festival, the cast, crew and the director's potentials would be witnessed by stakeholders of the film industry. Moreover, he added that this is an opportunity to build beneficial networks, to producing greater films in the near future.

Anguko's selection for ZIFF (Anguko yachaguliwa ZIFF)

The short film 'Anguko' the fall has been selected for Ziff. Edgar Ngelela who is the director of the film in his comments said that he was very happy to get the information.

Edgar added that this would be a way forward to start new strategies to promote Tanzanian films that have followed all the important technicalities. Edgar says, "Tanzanians in the film industry are ignorant. They want something fast and don't care much on the mistakes that occur during the production." Edgar added that if the Tanzanians (in the film industry) would like to succeed in film production they should stop the ignorance and start a fresh page by practicing professionalism.

Kiswahili version:
Filamu fupi ya 'Anguko' the fall imechaguliwa kuoneshwa na kushindanishwa katika Tamasha la 16 la ZIFF. Akizungumza na Blog hii Edgar Ngelela ambaye ni director wa filamu hiyo alisema kwamba alifurahishwa sana kwa kupata nafasi hiyo muhimu.

Edgar Ngelela aliongeza kuwa hii ni njia muhimu ya kuanza kupanga mikakati na kuitangaza tasnia ya filamu za kitanzania zilizofuata sheria na kanuni za msingi. Edgar alisema, "Watanzania wengi katika tasnia ya filamu wamekuwa ni watu wa kupuuzia vitu vidogo vidogo katika uzalishaji. Watu hawa hutaka kitu cha haraka na kupuuzia makosa madogo madogo yanayojitokeza wakati wa uzalishaji (Production)." Edgar aliongeza kwa kusema kuwa kama Watanzania (katika Tasnia ya filamu) watataka kufanikiwa katika utengenezaji wa filamu, waache kupuuzia na kuanza katika ukurasa mpya wakitaaluma.

A mother of two artists (Maybe more)

Mrs. Hilda Luhende during her arrival at the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere International Airport

Today I present to you the mother of two bright upcoming artists. Edgar Ngelela (llenx) and Benedict (Bennysofar) Ngelela. When we ask ourselves about the reasons as to why we are artists, we look at our mother and late father. Just look at her. You can tell she is an artist!

The picture above was taken during her arrival at the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere International Airport. She was coming from South Africa after she won a kwea pipa na Coca Cola ticket to go watch a world cup match. This was in the year 2010.

Da' Voices wakielekea level nyingine

Kundi la Da'voice ambalo linaundwa na Eddy Da'voice (e' voice au eclofex), llenx Da'voice na Seki B limekuwa katika michakato ya kujiweka sawa na kupanuka zaidi. Sasa kundi hili linajivunia kuwa na vitengo mbali mbali ambavyo vinakuwa siku hadi siku. Vitengo hivi ni studio ya kurekodi muziki ambayo inajulikana kwa jina la Da'voice Records na studio ya video inayojulikana kwa jina la Keen Insights productions.

Eddie Da'voice akiwa kazini ndani ya Studio za Da'voice Rec.

Logo ya Studio za Keen Insights productions ambazo ziko chini ya Da'voice

English version:

The above pictures describe some of the achievements of Da'voice's members. This achievements are meant to make Da'voice members move to a different level. The group includes Eddy Da'voice, llenx Da'voice and Seki B.

Anguko yaingia post production

Short film ya iitwayo 'Anguko' sasa yaingia post production ikiwa ni kuhaririwa katika upande wa picha na sauti kwa maana ya Automated Dialogue Replacement, au Additional Dialogue Recording (ADR). "Ikiwa katika hatua hii tunamshukuru Mungu kwa kutufanikishia na tunatoa shukrani za dhati kwa wote walio shiriki na watakaoshiriki kwa namna moja au nyingine", Director alikaririwa akisema. Ukurasa huu unakuletea baadhi ya picha mbali mbali wakati wa kuchukua picha (shooting).

Director wa 'Anguko' Edgar Ngelela akielekeza jambo

Shooting ilikwenda vyema lakini kama kawaida havikosekani vitu vya kufurahisha. Kwa sababu ya upepo mkali wa baharini waliokuwa wakishika reflectors walipata taabu kidogo na wakati mwingine upepo uliwaelemea. Hapa kwenye picha ifuatayo Ally Hamoud akigombana na reflector kwenye upepo mkali

Ally Hamoud akitaabishwa na reflector

Anguko Imekuwa ikishootiwa na Salehe Khamis ambaye alikuwa akisaidiwa na Faraji Kakingo. Hapa katika picha inayofuata ni Salehe akiwa kazini na chini Faraji na Edgar Ngelela ambaye ni director wa filamu hiyo wakishuhudia moja ya tukio katika Camera.

Salehe Khamis akiwa kazini

Faraji Kakingo na Edgar Ngelela wakiwa nyuma ya Camera

Shughuli ilikuwa pevu na kila mtu alijitahidi kujishughulisha. Katika picha ifuatayo Mustafa Masoud akiwa katika scene moja wapo ya 'Anguko'.

Mustafa Masoud akiwa kwenye moja ya scene

Mtu ambaye mara nyingi sana husahaulika ni mtu wa make up. Katika picha ifuatayo dada wa make up ambaye pia ndiye production manager wa filamu hiyo akifanya kazi yake.

Happiness Mtuya Akimfanyia Make up Mustafa Masoud

Kwenye lights hakuwapo Ally Hamoud peke yake bali alikuwa akiwasaidia Yassin Ndossi na Inocent Justin. Picha ifuatayo vijana wakiwa kazini kuhakikisha swala la mwanga limedhibitiwa.

Inocent Justin na Ally Hamoud wakiwa wameshika reflactors

Kati ya watu muhimu waliokuwa wakimsaidia Director katika michakato na mipango mbali mbali ni Nimesh Vara na Smith Kimaro. Picha inayofuata Smith akionesha picha mbali mbali alizowapiga wasanii wakiwa kazini kwenye location. Hata nyingi ambazo zimaonekana hapo juu ni kazi ya Smith Kimaro.

Smith akiwaonesha wasanii picha mbali mbali alizopiga wakati wa shooting

Picha inayofuata Janet akijiandaa kuanza shooting ya Scene. Pembeni yake ni Happiness Mtuya akiwa kazini kuhakikisha yuko tayari.

Janeth Lameck akiwa kwenye moja ya scene za 'Anguko'

Asilimia kubwa ya waliogiza na kujihusiha kama crew ni wanafunzi wa Tanzania film training center (TFTC). Wote walijitahidi walivyoweza wengi wao wakiomba filamu hii iwainue mbali hasa wakilifikiria tamasha la filamu la Zanzibar International film festival (ZIFF).

"Anguko" yaingia location

Filamu fupi ambayo ambayo kwa sasa imepewa jina la 'Anguko-The fall' (Jina likiwa bado liko kwenye majadiliano) Imeingia location leo. Ikisimamiwa na Keen Insight production wakishirikiana na Born again films production pamoja na Tanzania film trainning Center (TFTC) Filamu hii inategemewa kuwa na urefu wa dakika tano (5).

Wasanii mbalimbali wakiwa kwenye production ya Anguko

Kiongozi (Director) wa Filamu hii bwana Edgar Ngelela akizungumza na blog hii alisema "Kama ilivyozoeleka kusikika, mabadiliko yanaanza na wewe, mimi na kila mmoja wetu, nimeona ni vyema kazi ianze sasa."

Mmoja wa wahusika Faraji Kakingo akiwa location

Edgar aliendelea kusema kuwa katika filamu hii kajaribu kupunguza vitu vingi na kujaribu kuongeza usanii katika kazi. Alisema kuwa likiachwa swala la muda hata wahusika nao wapo wachache, yaani sita (6) peke yake. "Tunategemea kumaliza Production ya filamu hii mwishoni mwa mwezi huu wa pili," Edgar alimalizia.

Tanzania: Movie Makers Reminded of Professionalism

Edgar Ngelela presenting his topic (Snap by Faraji Kakingo)

 5 February 2013 , By Iman Mani, Source: Daily News

 

THERE is what it takes locally to reach the required standards in making a good and professional movie. The problem is that people don't want to reach these standards, the Assistant Lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam's School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Edgar Ngelela, said.
For the country's true potential to be seen, he maintains, there has to be a move away from approaching movie-making in a relaxed manner and the adoption of a more professional one by practitioners. Hearing these requirements for making a good movie brought the independent Beauty Consultant, Fidelis Madaha, to reality.

He told the 'Daily News' that he found the entire presentation challenging, because now he knew what it would take for him to move into the makeup section of a production crew on a film-set.

In fact, Ngelela's presentation, at the Arts Council's (BASATA) Jukwaa la Sanaa platform revealed to him the high degree of planning required before setting out shooting a film. Now Madaha fully understands why he will have to go back to study specifically for this area before he can stand a chance of fulfilling his dream. Ngelela had explained the three phases to making a movie. 

This was how Madaha came to understand the first phase, preproduction, has to be handled to an acceptable level before moving onto the production and postproduction ones respectively.

In conversation with the 'Daily News' after the presentation he explained that both members of his establishment and the weekly meeting organisers thought this topic suitable for this platform because they wanted to stimulate a change in the chain of local movie production.

"We had noticed that most people do not concentrate on the preproduction stage, but actually focus much on production. They don't know much about the preparation that will make the production to be something valuable to be watched.

So by the end of the day you see this level of Bongo movies where the graph is not coming up but remains stagnant and flat," Ngelela clarified. He directed those present, who wanted to take on this challenge to the Tanzania Film Training Centre (TFTC), here in Dar es Salaam, as the place where locals can be trained to be different actors, who bring out what a director wants them to.

There are mistakes which are made here that need to be ironed out first, he said, for the end product to be of a higher quality. Whereas he has no objection to radio plays, he does feel it's wrong to handle a film-set as if it's being broadcasted on the radio.

He finds that it is often forgotten in local circles that movies are based on action, so the emphasis is on what is being seen at a particular time and not what one imagines. "The script should not be like that of a radio. We have scripts that have a lot of dialogue, which makes them resemble something for radio, which you only have to listen to know what is happening.

On the screen you're not only listening, you're listening, while at the same time you're watching, so you're getting everything at the same moment. So there has to be a difference," he specified. On a personal level he has reduced the number of local movies he watches because of them being so limited.

He singled out the recently released "Chumo" as being one of the better local movies. Another is "Chungu" that has been done and cuts across the mistakes that are usually met in too many local productions, he finds.

Edgar Ngelela ndani ya Jukwaa la sanaa

Kama ilivyo ada leo tena wasanii kutoka sehemu mbalimbali za Dar es Salaam walikutana pale Baraza la Sanaa Tanzania (Basata) kusikiliza mada iliyokuwa imeandaliwa. Mada ilikuwa ni "Hatua muhimu za utengenezaji wa movie". Mada hii iliandaliwa na kuzungumzwa na Bw. Edgar Ngelela ambaye alisaidiana na Bw. Wilson Makubi ambaye ni Mratibu wa Tanzania Film Training Center (TFTC).

Edgar Ngelela Akitoa mada (Picha na Faraji Kakingo)

 Katika Mada hii Bw. Edgar alielezea hatua tatu muhimu ambazo ni; hatua ya maandalizi (Pre-production phase), hatua ya utengenezaji au uzalishaji (Production phase), na hatua ya uhariri na ukamilishaji (Post-production phase). Katika hatua hizi tatu Edgar aliendelea kueleza kwamba watu wengi wanaojishughulisha na kazi za utengenezaji wa movie wamejikita zaidi na wameweka nguvu yao yote katika hatua ya pili ya utengenezaji au uzalishaji  (Production phase).

Kabla ya kuanza kupokea maswali ya waliohudhuria Edgar Ngelela alimaliza kwa kueleza kuwa hatua muhimu ya kutilia maanani na kuweka nguvu kubwa ni hatua ya maandalizi (Pre-production phase). Alisema maandalizi yakifanywa vizuri kwa ufasaha kuna dalili zote za kufanya kazi nzuri au kutoa movie nzuri.