Nigerian Zikora's short film contest launches as part of its Decolonizing Beauty campaign

Zikora launches first-ever short film contest, Roots On Reels: Showcasing African Beauty Through Film as part of its Decolonizing Beauty campaign (Image supplied)

The film contest calls African filmmakers to make and submit a beautiful film between six to eight minutes in duration and shot on a smartphone.

Filmmakers are encouraged to capture their interpretation of the theme, Decolonizing Beauty.

Decolonizing Beauty is a unique campaign designed to educate the public and celebrate the rich tapestry of indigenous and local beauty customs across Africa.

In a world increasingly dominated by Western beauty standards promoted through pop culture and the global beauty industry, it seeks to challenge narrow perceptions and showcase the multifaceted historic beauty traditions in Africa's diverse cultures.

The campaign will utilise a multi-platform approach to reach a broad audience of English and French speakers around the world.

Winners will receive cash prizes up to $500 and professional mentorship. The call for submissions opened on 9 August 2024 and closes on 30 September 2024.

For more information on how to submit entries, visit Declonising Beauty.

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Zikora: "Show the world"

Launched in Abuja, Nigeria in 2023, Zikora is a media production company and cultural institution that produces, preserves and promotes creative content and art that captures the nuanced stories of Africa and Africans.

Zikora means "show the world" in the Igbo language of southeastern Nigeria.

The organisation’s motto is to show the world what it means to be unapologetically African.

It carries out its vision through its six creative branches: film & TV, journalism and news media, literary arts, performance arts, events and the Collective Tree, a collective of storytellers and artists and progressive thought leaders.

A Francophone Africa network is in place to connect to French-speaking Africans.

It has several projects underway including a documentary feature film in production, a West African dance training initiative in Senegal and an online publication, Diaspora which publishes personal essays about the experiences and cross-cultural identities of Africans living outside of Africa.

Its vision is to capture the experiences, expressions and impressions of Africa and Africans through immersive storytelling produced through multimedia and creative multidisciplinary forms including, photography, dance, poetry, visual arts and film.