Cook Off, the first Zimbabwean film to feature on streaming online platform Netflix will be screened on the national broadcaster ZBC on 11 August 2020 at 9PM.
The movie will have a repeat screening on 14 August at 9PM.
Cook Off is a romantic comedy about a struggling single mother who finds love and good fortune in a TV cooking show contest.
The movie was made in 2017 on an initial cash budget of US$8,000.
Cook Off features an all-Zimbabwean cast of young actors, veterans of the industry, and distinguished figures in music, comedy and poetry.
The movie won awards at film festivals before attracting the attention of Netflix.
Cook Off stars Tendaiishe Chitima as Anesu, and leading hip-hop artist Tendai Ryan Nguni also known as Tehn Diamond, as Prince, who meet on the set of a television cookery competition.
Veteran actress, Jesesi Mungoshi plays Anesu’s grandmother, encouraging her to follow her dreams.
Mungoshi starred in the 1993 film Neria, the first Zimbabwean film to receive international acclaim.
As well as co-starring, Tehn Diamond’s music features on the soundtrack.
Cook Off was only possible because of a large collaboration, financial goodwill from many parties, and the sharing of resources, including the main set, which had been used for a show on national television.
The movie was co-produced by Joe Njagu and Tomas Lutuli Brickhill, who wrote and directed the film.
Brickhill was in charge of one of Zimbabwe’s most significant cultural centres, the Book Café in Harare.
Before its closure in 2015, Book Café was a leading venue for music, theatre, comedy, film and discussions.
The movie Cook Off shows that the underdog can triumph and sky is the limit, as Anesu pursues her dreams>chaosafrica
